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Vet Tech Life

Why Being a Vet Tech is Not a Consolation Prize

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Today our clinic had a very special visitor. We had a job shadow come and learn a bit about becoming a veterinary technician. A freshman in high school, I won’t lie I wasn’t expecting much out of her. I expected her to quietly follow us around and meekly ask any questions she felt would help her pass whatever school assignment she was working on. But this young girl was exactly what I would want in a future coworker or employee!

She asked questions. Really good questions. “How do you collect urine on a patient?” “What skills do you need to be a successful vet tech?” “Was your first euthanasia the hardest?” This young woman was assertive and looking for knowledge. Not just to pass a class, but to truly get a feel for what it is like to be a veterinary technician. I couldn’t help but be reminded of when I was in high school and had starry eyes about becoming a vet tech.

I watched on in pride of seeing this future vet tech own it, ask questions and not be afraid to strike up a conversation with any of the staff from receptionist, to tech to doctor. I, myself, was a meek and mild teenager, so I knew this young lady’s perseverance and drive would get her far in life. And then I heard someone ask her the question that breaks many a vet tech’s heart. “Well, have you considered becoming a veterinarian?” This question brought me back to every student counselor meeting I had in high school. To every person who asked this exact same question as I radiated in excitement from telling them about my chosen profession.

Frequently, my friends don’t understand why I chose this profession. Heck, most of them have no idea what the profession means. My parents stated regularly “You’re so smart. Why don’t you become a veterinarian?” at holiday dinners. Hell, I have even had doctors tell me that. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the intended flattery.

But for so many of us techs, this is our dream. This profession is in our blood. We are techs and we have no desire to become vets. Not that there’s a single thing wrong with any position in the clinic. Just that being a vet tech is what we live, we breathe and it’s what gets us up in the morning. I am sure that many vets feel the same way about their title. It would be just as awkward to ask a future veterinarian why didn’t they just become a human doctor.

As my heart sunk realizing, that this was a question that this young girl would hear frequently as she blazed her own trail, I waited for her response. “Yes, I have and I would really prefer to work closely with the animals and nurse them to get well.” I was dumbfounded.  Here was this high school freshman who knew exactly what she wanted to do and why she wanted to do it. She was not ashamed. She didn’t want to do anything else in her life and she had no problem telling a veterinarian as such. She had no apologies for her choice and wanted to put in the time, energy and research to solidify this choice.

In her I saw my tribe and I was proud. I was proud of every young student who knew what they wanted to do in life. I was proud of those who I knew would soon be working alongside me, with their heads held high because being a vet tech was their calling. And above all, I was proud of this girl. She spoke what I, and many other technicians, have wanted to say. That she will be a vet tech and she will be proud of her choice.

Given I have always been a woman of few words, I didn’t say a word while overhearing this conversation. But for young Jayden and those young and upcoming students who feel this profession is your destiny, don’t give up. Be proud. Don’t second guess yourself and your choices. We can’t wait to have you on our team. Thank you for reminding me of the pride I have in my choices by showing me the pride in yours.

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.

What Keeps Techs In the Field?

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Some of you may have read a recent article I wrote “Four Reasons Techs Are Leaving the Field.” If you haven’t, I’ll give you the cliff notes version: Underutilization, low pay, compassion fatigue and toxic teammates and work environment are huge contributors to technicians deciding to find another field to work in. That article seemed to resonate with so many people in veterinary medicine. The comments showed example after example of how these factors had forced them to change clinics or leave the field.

I run a Facebook group called Veterinary Support Staff Unleashed. We are rapidly approaching 4,000 members, and I thought that this group which is comprised of veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, receptionists and kennel staff would be a good forum to frame my next question. What makes you stay in veterinary medicine? We heard why technicians are leaving. Now I want to know what makes us stay:

“Everyone matters at our clinic and our doctors make that known. They also work hard to make sure that our practice is judgment free. That means not judging clients or each other. We truly work to give clients the best care and service. As well as building each other up. They are also great about educating staff and helping guide us in the best patient care. We really have a family atmosphere which really emphasizes our commitment to being a team and working together,”-Carly Raquel Hughes

“I have been lucky enough to have been at my hospital for 18 years. That is not just work. It is family. We have ups and downs but at the end of the day are always there for each other. The animals and patient care are a bonus because the foundation is where it all starts.” – Becca Willard Wilson

techs“I stay because my employer values and utilizes my skills. He provides reasonable work hours, adequate time off and he is very generous. He enjoys discussing new methods, research/studies and is comfortable reassessing standard operating procedures. He is 100% continuing education.”- Tiana Hibpshman

“I have great benefits and phenomenal opportunities. That’s why I stayed.”- Jamie Holms

“I stay because this is my passion, in my heart I know that this is what I am supposed to be doing! Being the voice of those who cannot speak for themselves, nursing them back to health, making them feel comfortable when they are scared and sick. I can’t imagine ever wanting to do anything else. It’s not just what I do, it’s who I am.”– Sydney Faith Legg

“I stay because this is my calling. I stay because my team is amazing. I stay for the wins and I stay for the losses. I stay for the clients who need someone to talk them through or have a shoulder to cry on. I stay for the knowledge that I have affected someone’s life no matter the species or the outcome.”- Elise Ritter

“I have left this industry several times and have always come back. I love the challenge. I love testing myself every single day. I just straight up love medicine…..animal medicine in particular. It is in my bones and I have and will continue to endure any abuse, lack of pay, shitty hours and emotional turmoil to be a part of it!”-Holly Keesling

You may notice a consistent theme here. Most of these answers were based on how our profession made us feel. It wasn’t based on employee benefits, wages or a solid 401K plan. Although these things will definitely sweeten the deal, at the end of the day we want to feel good about what we do and where we work. One of the best reasons we stay was given by a student in a veterinary technology program. I believe that to move forward as a community we truly have to listen to the voices of our future to find our answers. So in closing this final comment sums up why so many of us, me included stay in this field. Thank you for all of you warriors who continue to make this profession better every single day!

“We are strong. Every person who holds every job in this field is STRONG. We feel every moment of sadness, each stab of grief, and we are strong for those who cannot be strong in that moment. We are the faces they remember in one of the worst moments of their lives, and we make those faces ones of compassion and strength, so they can allow themselves to break down, because they need to. We remember every moment of their grief and compare it to every moment of our own. We go home and hug our babies and fur babies closer because we know the horrors of tragedy. And we go back and do it the next day.”

“I’m going to school to be a vet tech because I don’t just want to be on the human side of this field, I want to be on all sides. I want to be the one who tries everything to save a life, and I want to work with the humans, too, to teach them and listen to them and help them make the most of their pet’s lives before that rainbow bridge. And I want to make the passage a little easier to bear, even if it’s just with my face and a kind word. It’s been a slow journey through school for me, trying to make time for my son, myself, work, and school. But to end it with a career in which even the worst days make me want to be even better? That’s priceless, and that makes me want to stay.”- Peggy Jean Douglas

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.

JadeVelasquezABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jade is a licensed technician of 9 years who lives in Port Orchard, Washington. She enjoys emergency and critical cases, dentistry and creating a bond with her clients and team. During her off time she is busy keeping up with her two crazy Basenjis!

Four Reasons Techs Leave the Field

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I read an NAVTA article suggesting that the veterinary field isn’t short on technicians; rather, technicians are not staying in the field. Recent studies show that a newly licensed technician typically leaves the field after five years.  The program for becoming a licensed technician is a two-year program. So after two years of schooling, paying tuition, acquiring student loans and studying to pass the VTNE, why are these technicians becoming so disenchanted with the field?

technicians

 

At a recent meeting with members of my states’ technician association, I asked them what their thoughts were. There were several consistent answers. To many of us, none of these answers are a big surprise. Sadly, they should be. None of these answers should be the norm.

1. Under utilization is a definite factor.

When doctors are performing tasks that a technician went to school for, it creates a culture of control. We can do it. We need you doctors to let us. Whether a doctor is pulling lab samples, taking radiographs or performing basic microscope work, it is making technicians feel like they aren’t trusted to do these tasks.

 

We fought hard for our education, we beg of you to let us use it. We want to grow, learn and challenge ourselves.  We want you to trust our abilities to perform our technical skills and educate clients. While we may not feel challenged in our clinics we have avenues to further our education.

 

Continuing education or working to one of the many veterinary technician specialties is something to consider. Do not underestimate your ability to teach others. Teach and mentor your coworkers. It’s not always about what we do but about what we know and how we share it with others.

2. Wages are another huge contributor.

We all knew that going into veterinary medicine we wouldn’t spend our time off taking lavish vacations to the Bahamas. We knew that we wouldn’t be making a ton of money. But when we work overtime and we still don’t have enough to cover rent, child care and the basics of living, it is a tough pill to swallow. At one point in my career, I became a divorced parent.

 

I was extremely blessed to be fortunate enough to have my parents help out with watching my toddler. Even still, I could barely afford to pay for a basic 2 bedroom apartment. There were nights I fed my son dinner and I went to bed hungry knowing that leftovers could give him dinner for the next 2 days. I DO NOT want anyone to feel sorry for me.

 

I struggled, but I made it through. But as professionals, at a minimum we should be able to provide a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. Low wages are not always the fault of the employer. In some areas it’s just not feasible to for a clinic to provide more than they can give. We are our own advocates. We have to work hard to ask for reviews and ask for wage increases. We also have to be brave enough to venture out and see if there are clinics that can appropriately compensate us.

3. Compassion fatigue is prevalent in this field.

We see a lot of sad cases and sad outcomes. We see atrocities that no one outside of veterinary medicine can comprehend.  Many of us have difficulty leaving these things at the door. I know many of us lay in bed at night and think of the cases that haunt us. One of the most difficult cases I had seen was when a Good Samaritan brought in a cat they found in a ditch. Bless them wherever they are.

 

This cat should not have been alive. It was severely dehydrated and suffered from major degloving wounds. Its entire abdominal cavity was crawling with maggots and it was purring. 10 years later, I still remember this cat kneading and purring during its exam. There are things we see in this profession that hurt us deep into our souls.

 

We deal with these images the best we can, but sometimes it just hurts too much.  When it begins to seem like we are seeing more sad cases then happy ones, we need to remember the good things. We need to remember the amount of patients who walk out our doors as opposed to the ones who don’t. We need to focus on the ones we have helped and not the ones we have lost.

4. Toxic environments and team members play a factor.

I run a group online for veterinary support staff. I hear very frequently stories of bullying in the clinic, doctors who yell and throw things at staff, or team members actively sabotaging co workers. In veterinary medicine there are a variety of strong personalities.

 

It’s what has made us strong advocates in the field. But when aggressive and toxic behavior is allowed in the clinic, every one suffers. It chips away at self esteem and motivation. It chips away at peoples self worth. No one should ever wake up and dread going to work.

 

Toxicity is contagious and will drag others down into its depths or chase away good, hard working team mates.  No one deserves to be disrespected on a daily basis. No one deserves to be disrespected. Ever. No job is worth the loss of your self esteem or your happiness.

 

As veterinary medicine continues to evolve, I am pleased to see we are broaching some uncomfortable discussions. There is no magic answer to eradicate these issues but as a field we need to try. We need to strive to let our technicians excel at their chosen profession. It is a choice. Make us want to stay. Wage increases are not something that is immediately feasible for all clinics. But a reasonable wage based on a state demographic is a start.

  • We need to take care of our people.
  • We as technicians need to not allow ourselves to settle or become doormats.
  • We need to set boundaries and practice self care.

 

If you experience a tough day at the clinic, acknowledge it. Work through it. Try to talk about it. We can’t keep bottling up our emotions and expecting our compassion and caring to remain intact.

As a profession, we need to not allow staff members to berate, sabotage or bully colleagues.  As coworkers, we need to stick up for staff members when we see someone attacking them. As humans, we need to quit tolerating bad behavior at work.  We all deserve respect, from the doctor to the kennel attendant. So as we begin talking about these things, I remind you that talk is cheap. It’s time to take action.

 

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.

JadeVelasquezABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jade is a licensed technician of 9 years who lives in Port Orchard, Washington. She enjoys emergency and critical cases, dentistry and creating a bond with her clients and team. During her off time she is busy keeping up with her two crazy Basenjis!

How euthanizing my own cat changed me as a Vet Tech

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Yesterday, I sent my childhood friend of 18 years over the rainbow bridge. I’ve lost pets before, but none since I started my career in veterinary medicine. I’ve come away from this experience as a changed Technician, and I believe it to be for the better. Here are just a few of the things that changed my perspective.

1. I carry a new burden of responsibility.

When we lost our dog 10 years ago, I was in high school. The decision was based on the recommendation of the medical staff, and it was made as a family. The weight of that decision was shared among the four of us, and was guided by compassionate Veterinarians and Technicians that we trusted. Now, I am the Technician that my family trusts and looks to for guidance.

As Veterinary professionals, we all get the usual influx of calls, texts, and messages from friends and family asking for medical advice. But when it comes to quality of life and whether or not to say goodbye, suddenly the weight of being a Veterinary Technician is much heavier. The weight is both an honor and a burden. I know how much it meant to my family to have someone they trusted to look to for advice and guidance and answers. I know it meant my cat was spoken for in the best possible way. I am honored that I am trusted and that my family recognizes how valuable my knowledge and experience are. The decision to let our cat go was one that was made as a family, but the guidance and suggestions came from me. That was a new weight for me to carry, and I didn’t realize until now just how heavy it would be.

2. Grieving looks different outside of the hospital.

As a Veterinary Technician, I feel I can confidently say I’ve witnessed the full spectrum of grief within an animal hospital. But what I learned is that the experience of grief changes outside of the walls of the hospital. I easily participate in at least two or three euthanasias per day at my job. I always admire people for their strength and their ability to make the difficult decisions that need to be made. But what I don’t let myself think about is everything those people experienced up until the moment they are sitting on the couch in front of me, and everything they will go through as soon as they leave the hospital without their loved one.

Honestly, it’s something I can’t afford to think about – my emotional capacity won’t allow for it. But in saying goodbye to my own cat, I experienced it firsthand. There was sadness, there was anger, there was doubt, blame, camaraderie, isolation, love. I felt the weight of all of these emotions, many of which were even directed at me specifically in my unique role as the guidance counselor for my family. We all grieve differently, and I know this, we all know this. But we only witness a limited spectrum of grief in our work. This experience offered me a reminder of just how much people endure prior to euthanasia and afterwards – those parts we don’t see. As a Technician, it has made me respect pet owners for their difficult and compassionate decisions even more than I already did.

3. It’s important to have a plan.

I knew this already. I tell clients on a regular basis to have one ahead of time. But I learned firsthand just how important it truly is. My cat was in chronic renal failure. We were lucky in that she lived with it comfortably for over 3 years. But we said from the start we would never do subcutaneous fluids at home. We had tried it on numerous occasions, but every single time she would fight and cry and growl and struggle and then hide under the bed for the rest of the day.  Fluids are brilliant for many, many cats. But they just weren’t right for ours. It wasn’t what we wanted for her. We made this decision as a family years ago, shortly after her diagnosis, and we were confident in it, because it was made in her best interest. In the past couple weeks, when she started to decline quickly, we lost perspective and were grasping for straws because we weren’t ready to lose her. But the decision not to do daily fluids had already been made, and we could look back and know that our reasons were valid.

Had we been presented with that decision in the moment, when she was struggling and we were emotional, our choice may have been different. Without the plans we made ahead of time, we may not have had the strength to make the right decision for our cat. As a Veterinary Technician, I’ve always said that I lose all sense of reason when it comes to my own pets. It’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it also could not have been more true in this scenario. The plans we set in place ahead of time helped me just as much (if not more) than they did the rest of my family.

4. I have plenty to learn.

I thought I understood CKD. I thought I knew what my stance on quality of life was. I thought I knew what the options were and how it would all happen. I was wrong. Experiencing something like this with your own pets gives you a deeper and more thorough understanding of it. Talking to my family about all of the different medical conditions our cat was experiencing and what we could and couldn’t do for her gave me new perspective into how difficult it can be to process information in an emotional situation.

I know that my ability to communicate with clients will be stronger and clearer. I know that my thoughts about euthanasia and quality of life will be even more confident. I know that my level of compassion and patience has grown. I know that I have plenty more to learn, and I also know that I am a much better Technician today than I was a few months ago. I’ve learned things about myself, about my family, and about my career that will aid me greatly in years to come.

5. I work with beautiful people.

I’ve always admired my coworkers and the amazing work that they do. They are a group of compassionate, patient, brilliant, and genuine people, and I feel honored every day to work alongside them. Through this experience, I’ve grown to appreciate them that much more. In the past few months, I have leaned on my coworkers in ways I’ve never needed to before. I cannot count the number of texts I sent or the hours of conversations I had.

Each of my teammates spoke from both their medical knowledge and their personal experiences. They comforted me in ways I cannot describe. In a period of time in which I felt my family was looking to me for answers, I was looking to them. My logic had gone out the window and been replaced with emotion and doubt, but they were there to be the voice of reason for me. I consider myself to be a pretty independent and confident person, but in the face of incredibly difficult decisions surrounding my cat and her quality of life, that was challenged. My coworkers were there for me when I truly needed them, and I was able to experience a side of them that is usually reserved for clients.

These are absolutely beautiful people I work with. They are selfless and supportive, and I was lucky to be on the receiving end of that. I’ve always thought of many of my coworkers as friends, but I now see them as family. I know for a fact I would not have been able to do this without the love and guidance they gave me, and it has exponentially increased the respect I already had for each of them.

I owe a lot to my cat. I grew up with her. She gave me 18 years of friendship and love. I am eternally grateful for her life and the honor of being a part of it. There is something to be learned from every relationship, and I think some of the most important lessons come from our pets. Thank you, Kiwi. Even in your final days, you made me a better person.

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.

5 Free Things Vets Can Do For Vet Tech Week

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Vet Tech Week is a time to acknowledge and show that you appreciate us. We don’t always need pizza or fancy gifts to make us feel like we are appreciated. Sometimes just acknowledging the work we do and that we are part of what makes your clinic great is enough. We want to feel valued and there is no dollar sign attached to that.

 1. Teach Us Something

One of the best parts of working in this field is the ability to learn something new daily! For many of us, we have been through schooling but we truly don’t want our education to be over. We want to learn from our veterinarians and we look up to you. In between booked appointments and returning client phone calls, doctors don’t have much time to share their vast knowledge. Please make the time even if it is only for a few minutes. Discuss a complicated disease process with us. Tell us how a medication affects the body. Show us a cool veterinary journal or an interesting slide on the microscope. We will listen! We want to learn and we look to you to teach us.

 2. Promote Us To Your Clients

A lot of times clients and the general public don’t understand what a veterinary technician’s job entails.  Tell them! We are a team that functions as a unit to provide quality care to patients and clients. Technicians are collecting and running lab samples, monitoring anesthesia and providing quality nursing care to severely ill patients. We are taking radiographs, filling prescriptions, and doing dental procedures.  On occasion it can feel like we are just doing job duties and clients don’t have the opportunity to see how hard we work for them. We count on you to help educate the public on how hard we work for them and you! Tell clients who we are and what we do.

 3. Say Thank You

Whether you say it out loud or write a quick “thank you” note, it means the world to us. We are people pleasers at heart and sometimes just hearing you say “thank you” can turn the crappiest of days around.  You may know techs that have collections of unusual things. Some of us have collections of teeth, bladder stones, or other veterinary oddities. (Is it just me?) We like to save things. I personally have a collection of birthday cards, work anniversary cards and nice notes from doctors in the clinic. On bad days, I look at those to know that you guys care. As technicians we took an unspoken oath to protect you from vicious Chihuahuas, ferocious felines and overbearing clients. It’s our duty but it is always wonderful to hear “thank you.”

 4. Listen To Us

How many of you know your techs pets by name? Do you know if they have a family or what they do when they are not in the clinic? How long have they been a tech? By no means am I saying work should be a social event where we discuss our weekend at the bar, but knowing who your techs are outside of in the clinic can key into what they find important. It can make us feel important. Also if we come to you with a concern with a patient, please don’t dismiss us. One of the ways to keep anyone happy is to make them feel like what they are saying is being heard.

 5. Empower Us

None of us want to feel like just another cog in the wheel. We all want to feel like what we do every day matters.  Encourage us to discuss a new protocol or medication. Ask us our input on an involved case. When techs feel like they have input on the medicine we practice and the clinic we work at, we feel like we matter. What we are suggesting may work well for the clinic. Maybe it won’t. We should always encourage each other to improve patient care and the growth of the clinic.

If you even do a couple of these small things, not just on vet tech week, many of us will continue to work happily for you. We will jump in front of the anal gland expression gone wrong for you. We will take a message from a client when we know you are 20 minutes behind on appointments. We will happily retake that radiograph for you for the third time. Above all we will continue to look up to you and trust you.

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.

You Say Diva Like it’s a Bad Thing

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This week, while over a bandage change or an extruded dog penis or placing a purse string in a dog’s rectum (hard to remember exactly what I was doing, but some veterinarian-related group activity), a few technicians were trying to describe one of the surgeons I work with. The description was not particularly flattering. I asked them how they describe me when I am not around (Why????!!!!!????) and my technician (who I love) looked at me plainly and bluntly said, “Well, some people say that you are a bit of a Diva, but I just figure that you just know what you like and how you like it.”

For some reason, I was instantly offended.

Let’s unpack that a bit.

di·va ˈdēvə/
[C19: via Italian from Latin: a goddess, from dīvus divine]
noun
1. a famous female opera singer or a famous female singer of popular music.

I don’t think that this is the definition that was intended for me, although I still have not given up on my dreams of a folk singing career. I just need to learn to sing and play the guitar.


diva2. a woman regarded as temperamental or haughty who demands that attention be paid to her needs, especially without regard to anyone else’s needs or feelings.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that calling a female surgeon a Diva is not a compliment and it is laced with sexism. I think that is what hurt me. There is no male equivalent to the word Diva. A male surgeon who wants things the way he wants it and who wants his needs attended to is also called a surgeon. However, most surgeons, male or female, want things a certain way because ultimately, they are responsible for the patient and everything that happens to them in the OR. Yes, I am particular about my patients and I am not going to apologize for that.

3. a famous and successful woman who is very attractive and fashionable; especially : an attractive and successful female performer or celebrity

Now here is a definition that I can get behind! Maybe that is what they (whoever they are) meant when they called me a Diva. I’m sure it is. If you are not sure if someone is trying to insult you or complement you, turn it into a complement. There is nothing sweeter than being too obtuse to have an insult stick. So, I have decided to celebrate my Diva-ness. In fact, I am going to turn up the volume on being a Diva.

The term Diva has been appropriated and women need to take it back and redefine it in a positive way. But this time, instead of Diva referring to an opera star, it can just refer to any woman who rocks in her workplace, her aria is her success is her aria.

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.