I am officially angry. This feeling is one that does not come to me lightly.
I might get fired up about things that are important to me but I don’t consider myself someone who lets anger creep into my life. Why am I so heated? I am saddened by people who have graduated from an AVMA accredited program in veterinary technology that feel the need to weaken others who have not.
I am irritated that there are people in this profession that have no empathy towards others. I am annoyed that people think they are better than others because they have been a technician longer than anyone else in the clinic. I am furious that people lack consideration of others in a team environment.
I am confused as to why managers don’t want to lead and be a positive example. I am bitter that valuable people are leaving our profession every single day because they are under-appreciated, overworked and disrespected.
Most people get into this profession because they want to work with animals, which is an excellent reason. However, pets come with people and so does a veterinary hospital. It would be amazing if clients would just send Tiger the cat in an Uber with the credit card number installed in their microchip and a note attached to their collar as to why they are coming in.
It would be awesome if our coworkers were robots and we could control their every thought, action and skill. But this is not how it works. We are not all in a movie where the script is written for us. We are real people with actual feelings that deal with people every day for a living.
I read anonymous posts every day from other veterinary technicians with stories that break my heart. One in particular that has stayed with me is a story about a technician that has been in the field for some time that repeatedly is talked down to because she isn’t a “real” technician even though her skill set is the same if not better than her coworkers that have become licensed.
She somehow found the courage to address the issue only to be told that she needs to develop thick skin and deal with it. Excuse me? After months of bullying (yes, this is bullying) she finally left the profession that she loved more than anything hurt and broken. All because of words. What gets to me the most is that no one cared about what she was going through or did anything to stop the vicious behavior of others.
What we all have to remember is that back in the day, veterinarians would hire anyone interested in learning and teach them everything that they needed to know because accredited programs did not exist.
States that do not regulate our profession give permission for veterinarians to continue to hire people wanting to learn. Don’t blame the person for that. Blame the industry as a whole. Hell, the veterinarian you currently work for and think is the crème of the crop, might be doing things that are against regulation.
My point is that no one has the right to degrade anyone for not having an education in a profession that does not require it in all states. Insulting others for the sake of making yourself feel better is heartless. Our industry is about compassion, love, healing and making a positive difference. It is not about hate, pain or suffering.
There are so many awe-inspiring people in our profession that truly want the best for everyone and believe that we all have good in us even if it is buried deep down. I’d like to think that I am one of those people and being pissed about something that can be easily changed is not something that I enjoy. What I do enjoy is making sure that others around me feel safe, encouraged, respected, appreciated, understood and equal. Try it sometime. You may surprise yourself or most importantly, others.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tosha has been a CVT since 2002 working in emergency, internal medicine and neurology. She has a passion for mentoring technicians to create a more positive work environment. When Tosha is not working, you may find her dancing at a country music concert or relaxing at home in her hammock with Jagger and Dirty.
