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NJVTA Continuing Education (CE) Audit Policy &Procedure

Purpose

To ensure credentialed veterinary technicians (CVTs) maintain required continuing education (CE) in alignment with NJVTA bylaws and to outline a fair, consistent, and transparent audit process.

This audit supports professional standards while recognizing the voluntary nature of NJVTA credentialing.

CE Requirements

  • Credentialed members must complete 20 hours of CE every two (2) years (average of 10 hours per year).
  • CE may be earned unevenly across years (e.g., all 20 hours in one year is acceptable).
  • This rolling two-year model allows flexibility for members attending larger conferences or completing concentrated CE.

Audits will always review the prior two completed calendar years (not the current year in progress).

Example:

  • A 2026 audit reviews CE earned in 2024 and 2025.

Audit Eligibility

To be eligible for audit, a member must:

  • Be a current NJVTA credentialed member for the audit year, and
  • Have held credentialed status for the two prior calendar years being reviewed.
  • A credentialed member will not be audited two consecutive years in accordance with our bi-annual CE policy.

Selection Process

  • Audits will be conducted via random selection from the current credentialed membership roster.
  • Membership data will be exported and processed through a random selection method.
  • The audit sample size will be 10% of credentialed membership audited annually.

Audit Notification

Selected members will receive an official audit notification email that includes:

  • Confirmation of selection for random audit
  • Information on where they can find NJVTA CE audit policy and procedures
  • Instructions for accessing their member portal
  • Instructions for uploading CE documentation
  • A clear submission deadline (30 days from notification)
  • Accepted CE categories
  • Contact information for support

A public notice (e.g., social media post) will also be issued at the time audits are launched reminding
members to check their email (including spam/junk folders).

CE Submission Process

Audited members will be asked to:

  1. Log into their NJVTA member portal
  2. Upload CE certificates/documentation directly to their account

Members will be given 30 days to submit documentation.

A courtesy reminder email will be sent approximately halfway through the submission window.

Review Process

Submitted CE documentation will be reviewed by NJVTA staff/committee members.

  • If documentation meets requirements:
    • No confirmation email will be sent.
    • Members will be informed in advance that if they are not contacted for further
      information within 30 days then their audit was completed and approved.
    • Credentialing remains in good standing.
  • If documentation is incomplete or unclear:
    • The member will be contacted directly for clarification or additional materials.

Acceptable Continuing Education (CE)

General Requirements

Continuing education (CE):

  • Does not need to be RACE-approved.
  • Must be relevant to the professional role of a credentialed veterinary technician/nurse.
  • Must be completed within the applicable two-year audit period.

Required Documentation

All CE documentation submitted must include:

  • The name of the attendee
  • The title of the session/presentation
  • The date the CE was completed
  • The number of CE hours awarded
  • The provider or organization offering the CE (if applicable)

Certificates or documentation missing required elements may not be accepted.

Acceptable CE Topics

Acceptable CE topics include:

  • Veterinary Clinical Topics
  • Veterinary Nursing & Professional Topics
  • Mental Health & Wellbeing
  • Leadership

Combined, leadership CE and mental health/well-being CE may account for no more than 25% of the required 20 hours within a two-year cycle (maximum of 5 hours total per cycle).

CE Credit Calculation

  • CE hours are credited on a 1:1 basis.
    • A one-hour lecture equals one hour of CE credit.
    • A two-hour workshop equals two hours of CE credit.

Credit for Presenting or Publishing

NJVTA recognizes the additional effort involved in creating educational content.

Members may receive CE credit for:

  • Presenting continuing education
  • Publishing professional journal or magazine articles

Credit will be awarded at 1.5 times the CE value of the presentation or publication.

Examples:

  • A one-hour CE presentation presented by the member = 1.5 CE hours
  • An article worth one CE hour = 1.5 CE hours
  • A two-hour CE presentation = 3 CE hours

Documentation must include proof of presentation or publication and the CE value assigned.

Shortfalls & Remediation

If a member is found to be short on CE hours:

  • Members will be granted up to 60 additional days to complete missing CE.
  • CE earned in the current year may be applied retroactively, provided it is not reused for future renewal cycles.

Non-Compliance

If CE is not submitted or requirements remain unmet after the remediation period:

  • The member will be notified via email that they have not met NJVTA continuing education requirements.
  • Their membership for the current year will be changed to general membership and their certificate removed from their member portal.

Members may apply to have their credentialing reinstated the following year; however, they must provide proof of 20 hours of continuing education completed within the preceding two (2) years at the time of reapplication. A lapsed credential fee for the missed credentialed period will be applied to the annual membership and credentialing fees at time of renewal.

Special Circumstances

Exceptional situations (e.g., loss of records due to disaster) may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Recordkeeping

All audit documentation will be maintained securely within the member database.

Annual Timeline

  • Audit selection: April
  • Initial notifications sent: April-May
  • 30-day submission window from initial notification
  • Mid-cycle reminder: 14 days after initial notification
  • Reviews completed 60 days after initial notification
  • Credential status finalized 60 days after initial notification or 90 days after remediation notification