Dr. Maro: Celebrating veterinary support staff during National Veterinary Technician Week
Pets, wildlife, zoo animals, research animals, food animals and bees vital to our country’s food supply depend on many humans to maintain their health and environments.
Veterinarians play a huge role in many species’ support systems, but the support teams of veterinary nurses, technicians and assistants play an even greater role in the day-to-day nursing care of animals.
These professionals carry out veterinarian orders, hand feed sick animals, monitor sedated and surgery patients, administer injections and oversee patient care.
Their work is never “just a job,” but rather their passion and purpose. Who else would choose to clean up vomit and diarrhea from an animal as small as rodent and as large as an elephant, if they didn’t truly love the animals they are caring for?
I’ve said it before: Veterinary support teams and veterinary technicians are the backbone of veterinary medicine.They enable veterinarians to be more effective and efficient.
The week of Oct. 15-21 marks National Veterinary Technician Week. NAVTA, The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America, established this week to honor the importance of licensed veterinary technicians in patient care teams.
LVTs are educated like registered nurses in human health care, while veterinary assistants can be compared to licensed practical nurses and must pass a board exam. They work in veterinary facilities, zoos, human and animal health research, and teaching facilities. Salaries are often somewhere between ¼ and ½ of nursing professionals.
The humble and diligent support teams are driven by love for their patients. Pet owners can increase staff joy by showing gratitude and offering gestures and words of thanks to the team, anytime of year with:
Food! Send healthy snacks to the clinic, like fruits, veggies, finger foods (staff often work through their lunches and breaks) and baked goods. Consider sending something via food delivery services like DoorDashor deliver your own – get a head count from the manager to include everyone and send on the team meeting day.
Write a note of thanks with an example of how the team made a difference in your pet’s life. (This means a lot to staff!).
Write a thank you note and include a Panera, Starbucks or other gift card for the team.
Additional ways to reduce staff stress:
Schedule for the appointment you want your pet to receive. Sick pets and emergency visits take considerably longer. For small animals, don’t schedule a “well pet visit” for vaccines, and arrive with a health complaint. This is a sick pet visit.
List all concerns when scheduling, so staff can allot enough time for your pet’s appointment.
For large animal visits, don’t expect the vet to see extra animals who are not on the schedule. There are other clients with scheduled appointments after yours.
Arrive on time, even if the vet has run behind schedule previously.
When on a time crunch, let the staff know at scheduling that you’ll need to checkout by a specific time (don’t show up late and expect the staff to treat your pet within 10 minutes – this puts a lot of pressure on staff teams and happens way too often).
Email or call two days prior to requiring a prescription refill, and at least 7-10 days for a special order or compounded drug.
Know your budget and take responsibility for you limitations – be upfront, don’t lay a guilt trip on the staff if you can’t afford it.
Grant everyone grace and kindness for the times they are stressed, as they deal with death, emotional owners and aggressive pets regularly. Euthanasia, team members calling off, short staffing and add-on appointments all lead to extra stress.
Be the person who celebrates small successes. Post positive reviews on social media when the staff do a great job.
LVTs and support staff provide compassionate care for clients and pets out of love and kindness. Gratitude and respect make our days more beautiful and can create an amazing Veterinary Technician Week for teams you choose to honor!
Dr. Cynthia Maro is a veterinarian at the Ellwood Animal Hospital in Ellwood City and the Chippewa Animal Hospital in Chippewa Township.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Dr. Maro: Celebrating veterinary support staff during National Veterinary Technician Week
