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How should we manage the client that is screaming at us? What should we say? How should we act? I've been lecturing on managing difficult clients for almost 8 years now and wanted this podcast to include tips and tricks on how to deal with what I term the Exploding Bully client who is out of control. 

Stop blaming the profession for all its problems. It's time we all start figuring out what we each have the ability to fix and start fixing it. We ALL have influence over something in this profession; ourselves, our teams, and maybe even more. Complaining doesn't fix anything. Use that energy to fix what you have control over!

Fact: If you are not fully utilizing your vet techs/nurses/assistants then you are contributing to them leaving the profession.  Fact: If you are not fully utilizing your vet techs/nurses/assistants then your hospital is not as profitable as it could be. Fact: If you are not fully utilizing your vet techs/nurses/assistants then your doctors are burning out at a higher rate. I understand we are all short staffed, but the failure to utilize the team to their highest potential is adding to the shortage. It is a reason why people are turning OUT of the profession all together.  Let's talk about the complex issues of utilization, define some misconceptions about the profession, talk about why rolling back licensure is not a solution (I'm looking at you Washington) and what effective utilization looks like. 

There are some really terrible clients who bully, berate, belittle and harass the veterinary team for unjustified reasons. However, most clients are normal, nice human beings who love their pets and want the best for them. Unfortunately, many veterinary professionals have lumped all clients into the "clients are bad" bucket when that is not true.  This "clients are bad" mentality has resulted in many complaining about every little thing that a client does wrong. If a client asks about a charge on the bill, it leads to a vet tech complaining about that client for ten minutes. If a client asks to see a different doctor, they are labeled as difficult.  We need to stop treating all clients as the enemy. When we learn to embrace clients as part of our team we suffer less frustration and therefore less burnout. I talk about my own change in perspective over my 25 year veterinary career in this podcast.

The year 2023 is the "Year of the Vet Tech & Vet Nurse!" No one has actually proclaimed it but it's great seeing actual movement on so many important issues in our profession. We still have a long way to go, but this podcast talks about some of the great changes and steps being made as well as calls to action everyone in the profession. It takes all of us to make changes and every one of us can make a difference. https://www.vetteamtraining.com/

Unfortunately, there are too many crappy terminations being done by bad leaders. These are the terminations where the employee is not provided any information as to the reason, feels blindsided, and leaves the place of employment confused. Terminations are bad enough, but that doesn't mean we can't treat the employee with respect, kindness and compassion.  Employees should feel cared for, even during the termination process. 

I'm often asked, "how did you get started lecturing/publishing?" While there is no blueprint or foolproof method that works for everyone I talk about my own journey, thoughts and suggestions in this podcast to help those that may be interested in publishing or lecturing. The introvert in me would've never thought I'd actually enjoy lecturing but I'm so grateful for stepping outside of my comfort zone over 17 years ago. Hope this helps some of of you start your journey!

Let me be clear. Frenchies are cute. There's no arguing that. In fact, they, along with most brachycephalic breeds are some of the cutest dogs on the planet and some of the most popular breeds worldwide.  I went into veterinary medicine to save animal lives, to do no harm and to care about what's best for the animal. I'm tired of certain dogs dying simply because of how they look. In this podcast I talk about the importance of responsible breeding and argue that perhaps brachycephalics should stop being bred all together. The breed standards we have today specifically in the United States are killing many of these dogs. Why are we still cropping ears and docking tails? Why do we keep breeding for shorter noses? The question I ask is, "Is it what is best for the animal?"  Yes, rescue is a great option, but for individuals in certain areas of the world finding puppies are near impossible and some individuals are looking for certain traits (hunting, herding, retrieving) in a companion dog. Regardless of what dog you do decide to get make sure you consider the breed standards and ask "is it being bred to look a certain way because that's what is in the best interest of its health or is it being bred that way because it's appealing to people?" I am not a breeder. I have owned dogs from both rescue and breeders.

"I'm momma bear/poppa bear and they are my cubs" "It's like I'm managing kids" "We're like a family" All these statements make me cringe. Leaders and even team members need to realize they are a coach and part of a team, not a family. Coaches focus on individual performance and what's best for the team. I dive into the difference between the two terms.

How do you know if the veterinary hospital you are working at or thinking about applying to is a good hospital? What are the green flags? Too often we find red flags after we join a hospital. I list what I think are the most important green flags that represent the best of veterinary hospitals. I hope you find many of these green flags in your own hospital. 

I decided to jump into hot water and address two of the biggest topics for veterinary technicians here in the United States. Should we be titled registered veterinary nurse? Should we have a mid-level practitioner certification? I've never once provided my thoughts on any social media platform until now. This was an uncomfortable podcast for me to create but I decided to be brave. This quote in my podcast summarizes my thoughts on both, "It became a dilutional effect to a very important mission."  I looked at both of these topics from a project management standpoint looking at multiple factors.  I think it's important for everyone to stay up to date on important initiatives within our profession. Keeping an open mind and sharing thoughts with kindness is a must. I look forward to any thoughts about these topics.  

When I was younger I would say, "They shouldn't own a pet if they can't afford it." Decades later I no longer have that narrow opinion. I believe everyone (regardless of money) should own a pet, including the homeless. That said, it's a complicated topic. How do we help those who don't have the means to own a pet? Should we be helping? I jump into this topic with the statement I don't have all the answers, but wanted to challenge the view of "they shouldn't own a pet if they can't afford the best care." 

ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEWS SUCK   The way most hospitals conduct their annual performance reviews is terrible. Once a year a manager sits down with an employee and vomits a slew of feedback at them. The employee is then expected to improve themselves without any guidance. Sometimes the employee's salary is adjusted without any rationale. A year later this horrible event is repeated. The manager can't figure out why there hasn't been any improvement.   For most hospitals, the way performance reviews are conducted NEEDS TO CHANGE. This podcast shares some ideas for change and ways to motivate rather than demotivate employees.

Everyone needs to be responsible for their own behavior. Claiming it's "just who you are" doesn't mean you have the right to belittle, berate, or bully others. Having high emotional intelligence is important for everyone. Let's talk about how to take responsibility for ourselves as well as how to manage those who are struggling to do so in our teams.

The veterinary technician career has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. Veterinary technicians/nurses are doing more procedures, caring for pets on a higher level and are direct contributors to the hospital's revenue. And yet, salaries have largely gone unchanged. Hospitals and doctors still restrict the skills that veterinary technicians are trained to do. Roughly half of the general public is unaware that veterinary technicians/nurses perform medical procedures. Let's talk about advocating for the profession that my core and soul belongs to. 

Senior pets are special. Every moment with them is special. How can we help them when they come into our hospitals? Let's talk about ways we can provide the best care to our older pet patients. 

How the hell did I get here?! I ask that question several times a week. I was told there was no market for a veterinary leadership book so I took a leap of faith and self published Oops, I Became a Manager two years ago today (09/12/2020). Up until 2020 I mostly hid myself from the veterinary community, but once I published the book I had to put myself out there. It's been a fun, scary and crazy two years and I am humbled and in the debt of everyone who supported my little book with a unicorn on the cover. I decided to sit back and reflect on "how the hell did I get here" in this podcast starting with my wrong choice of college major and now sitting with a book that keeps making the best seller list and recently won a gold medal in the Reader's Favorite Book Awards. Pinch me. All I can do is say thank you. You are the reason I wrote the book and you are the reason a second book is coming soon.

What the heck is quiet quitting? Is it happening at your hospital?  Is it a good thing or bad thing? There's two sides to every story so let's dive in to this catch phrase created by individuals on Tic Toc. 

Here's your shift differential now good luck on the overnight shift. After more than a decade of pulling overnight shifts I realized one thing. Money can't buy sleep or quality of life. What else can we do for our overnight team members? Let's dive into some ideas to help support the overnight team.   Thank you to everyone who filled out my online survey where I asked, "Besides money, what else can we do for our overnight staff?" You came up with some great ideas!

Not sure what a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) is? Interested in obtaining your VTS credentials? Does it pay more? When and why should a vet tech/nurse think about getting their VTS credentials? Let's dive into VTS.