Medical mistakes happen.  The reality is almost everyone at some point in their career has made one. Most of them do not result in patient harm, but unfortunately some do. Let's talk about medical mistakes, how to record them, how to respond to them and what some of the most common ones are. 

Medical mistakes happen.  The reality is almost everyone at some point in their career has made one. Most of them do not result in patient harm, but unfortunately some do. Let's talk about medical mistakes, how to record them, how to respond to them and what some of the most common ones are.

Let’s Talk About Medical Mistakes

A dog was hit by a car. The owner cannot afford the care of the dog. Do you offer that owner the option of surrendering their pet to the veterinary hospital? If not, how do you manage this situation? The practice of offering a pet owner the option to surrender their pet is a common one. This podcast dives into the pros, cons and personal experience with surrendering.  

A dog was hit by a car. The owner cannot afford the care of the dog. Do you offer that owner the option of surrendering their pet to the veterinary hospital? If not, how do you manage this situation? The practice of offering a pet owner the option to surrender their pet is a common one. This podcast dives into the pros, cons and personal experience with surrendering.

To Surrender or Not?

Nursing managers, supervisors, directors of nursing and chief nursing officers are every day positions in human healthcare. Registered nurses wouldn't even dream of having a hospital administrator as their boss. And a doctor overseeing the nursing team in a human healthcare facility?! No way! In veterinary medicine it's common to have veterinary technician/nurse managers &amp; supervisors in almost all vet hospitals, but are they really allowed to be a leader? Too often they are not provided the full autonomy to perform their job to their best ability. And what about those higher level positions like CNO/DON but for veterinary technicians/nurses? They are almost non-existent. Why?  Why do we treat veterinary technician manager/nurse leaders as less than? 

Nursing managers, supervisors, directors of nursing and chief nursing officers are every day positions in human healthcare. Registered nurses wouldn't even dream of having a hospital administrator as their boss. And a doctor overseeing the nursing team in a human healthcare facility?! No way! In veterinary medicine it's common to have veterinary technician/nurse managers &amp; supervisors in almost all vet hospitals, but are they really allowed to be a leader? Too often they are not provided the full autonomy to perform their job to their best ability. And what about those higher level positions like CNO/DON but for veterinary technicians/nurses? They are almost non-existent. Why?  Why do we treat veterinary technician manager/nurse leaders as less than?

Stop Treating Your Vet Tech Managers as Less Than

Too often leaders complain about their toxic team. They see the turnover. They see the gossip. They hear the complaints. Sometimes leaders will have a meeting and talk about how they want the team to be happier, have a less negative attitude and decrease gossip. The team agrees during the meeting, but nothing changes. Why? One meeting won't cut it. Change takes time, a lot of time. Stop complaining, create a real plan and start fixing your team. For my blog on this topic visit: https://www.vetteamtraining.com/post/your-team-is-broken-stop-complaining-and-fix-it

Too often leaders complain about their toxic team. They see the turnover. They see the gossip. They hear the complaints. Sometimes leaders will have a meeting and talk about how they want the team to be happier, have a less negative attitude and decrease gossip. The team agrees during the meeting, but nothing changes. Why? One meeting won't cut it. Change takes time, a lot of time. Stop complaining, create a real plan and start fixing your team. For my blog on this topic visit: <a href="https://www.vetteamtraining.com/post/your-team-is-broken-stop-complaining-and-fix-it" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.vetteamtraining.com/post/your-team-is-broken-stop-complaining-and-fix-it</a>

Stop Complaining & Fix Your Toxic Team

We see the cries on social media all the time saying, "corporations are ruining veterinary medicine!" In this podcast I dive into my own struggle with corporations that touch every facet of our lives and then move onto whether veterinary medicine medicine is being ruined by corporations. I dive into the poor pay, benefits and workplace environment to determine what, if any, blame we can place on veterinary corporations. 

We see the cries on social media all the time saying, "corporations are ruining veterinary medicine!" In this podcast I dive into my own struggle with corporations that touch every facet of our lives and then move onto whether veterinary medicine medicine is being ruined by corporations. I dive into the poor pay, benefits and workplace environment to determine what, if any, blame we can place on veterinary corporations.

Corporations Are (Not?) Ruining Veterinary Medicine

Too many leaders are offering bad interviews. It's a buyer's market right now. Failure to wow the candidate will cause them to find another hospital that does. Let's talk about some best practices for interviewing candidates. Instead of winging-it for your interview process, let's dive into how to develop a positive experience for both the hospital and candidate.   For more details including downloadable information please check out my blog on developing an interview process for your hospital: https://www.vetteamtraining.com/post/stop-offering-crappy-interviews

Too many leaders are offering bad interviews. It's a buyer's market right now. Failure to wow the candidate will cause them to find another hospital that does. Let's talk about some best practices for interviewing candidates. Instead of winging-it for your interview process, let's dive into how to develop a positive experience for both the hospital and candidate. For more details including downloadable information please check out my blog on developing an interview process for your hospital: <a href="https://www.vetteamtraining.com/post/stop-offering-crappy-interviews" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.vetteamtraining.com/post/stop-offering-crappy-interviews</a>

Stop Offering Crappy Interviews

We need to start getting more comfortable with pet owners and become a more transparent industry. Stop separating pets from their pet parents! This one thing is causing a lot of anger, resentment and anxiety in pet owners and yet, the majority of the veterinary industry is doing it.  Allowing them to stay with their furbabies will allow them to see all the amazing work you do, decrease their anxiety and be nicer to the team. Who doesn't want nicer clients? 

We need to start getting more comfortable with pet owners and become a more transparent industry. Stop separating pets from their pet parents! This one thing is causing a lot of anger, resentment and anxiety in pet owners and yet, the majority of the veterinary industry is doing it.  Allowing them to stay with their furbabies will allow them to see all the amazing work you do, decrease their anxiety and be nicer to the team. Who doesn't want nicer clients?

The Vet Industry is Pissing off Pet Owners

Got a team member who is dragging the entire team down, but you're too short staffed to let them go? Often too much time is spent on a toxic team member instead of the superstars. Let's talk about the cost of a toxic team member, how you can help them and when to let them go. 

Got a team member who is dragging the entire team down, but you're too short staffed to let them go? Often too much time is spent on a toxic team member instead of the superstars. Let's talk about the cost of a toxic team member, how you can help them and when to let them go.

Get Rid of Your Toxic Employee

If you say you are not bias and/or never discriminate against anyone based on your bias then you are a liar. I am bias and so are you. Let's talk about what bias is so we can bring the awareness to it. Recognition first step in stopping our biases because while we don't want to have any, we all do.

If you say you are not bias and/or never discriminate against anyone based on your bias then you are a liar. I am bias and so are you. Let's talk about what bias is so we can bring the awareness to it. Recognition first step in stopping our biases because while we don't want to have any, we all do.

Stop Your Bias Behavior

Are you recognized by a state/country as a veterinary technician/nurse? No? Then stop calling yourself a veterinary technician/nurse because you are not one! You are keeping the profession stuck in the 1970s which is causing all of our salaries to remain low. I address why it's so important that we all fight for our title and why it's important to distinguish between a veterinary technician/nurse and assistant. Don't call yourself a veterinary technician/nurse unless a state or country has awarded you the credentials to do so.

Are you recognized by a state/country as a veterinary technician/nurse? No? Then stop calling yourself a veterinary technician/nurse because you are not one! You are keeping the profession stuck in the 1970s which is causing all of our salaries to remain low. I address why it's so important that we all fight for our title and why it's important to distinguish between a veterinary technician/nurse and assistant. Don't call yourself a veterinary technician/nurse unless a state or country has awarded you the credentials to do so.

Stop Calling Yourself a Veterinary Technician/Nurse

We bring unicorns to podcasts! ​Veterinary Team Training's podcast is about developing teams. Learn techniques for helping your team, develop your own veterinary leadership skills, and become a happier veterinary team member. Let's talk about the veterinary team!

I made this podcast because I saw on social media yet another veterinary professional go on and on for pages about a client complaining about money. Why do we let this stuff bother us? Are you a victim of yourself? How do we learn to let the small stuff go? Let's talk about ways to stop bi*#$ing about the small stuff. Apologies for some brief singing in this podcast.

I made this podcast because I saw on social media yet another veterinary professional go on and on for pages about a client complaining about money. Why do we let this stuff bother us? Are you a victim of yourself? How do we learn to let the small stuff go? Let's talk about ways to stop bi*#$ing about the small stuff. Apologies for some brief singing in this podcast.

S#&! You Shouldn‘t Have to Put Up With: B****ing About the Small Stuff

Veterinary industry is a 80-90% female workforce, but yet the amount of leaders that are female are slim. Why are there so few women in leadership roles? What data is out there? How can we work to ensure women have an equal voice at the leadership table? Let's dive into why there are so few women in leadership roles in the veterinary industry.

Veterinary industry is a 80-90% female workforce, but yet the amount of leaders that are female are slim. Why are there so few women in leadership roles? What data is out there? How can we work to ensure women have an equal voice at the leadership table? Let's dive into why there are so few women in leadership roles in the veterinary industry.

Where are all the Women Leaders in Veterinary Medicine?

"Yes." That's how most of us would answer the question of whether veterinary medicine has a high percentage of cynics working in it. To some extent we need a healthy amount of cynicism in order to survive in the profession. But is too much cynicism unhealthy? Does veterinary medicine actually have a higher level of cynicism than other professions? I attempt to find data and facts while diving into our love of cynicism in the veterinary medicine.

"Yes." That's how most of us would answer the question of whether veterinary medicine has a high percentage of cynics working in it. To some extent we need a healthy amount of cynicism in order to survive in the profession. But is too much cynicism unhealthy? Does veterinary medicine actually have a higher level of cynicism than other professions? I attempt to find data and facts while diving into our love of cynicism in the veterinary medicine.

Is Veterinary Medicine Full of Cynics?

We need to stop making excuses or waiting for things to change. Instead we need to accept the extra busy state of our hospitals and the shortness of staff in them. We need to stop making excuses as to why our team can’t take breaks, why we are burned out, and why we can’t be happy in our jobs.  We need to start figuring out how we can practice the best medicine with the resources we have. It's time to stop burning ourselves and our people out. Stop the excuses. Start making changes.

We need to stop making excuses or waiting for things to change. Instead we need to accept the extra busy state of our hospitals and the shortness of staff in them. We need to stop making excuses as to why our team can’t take breaks, why we are burned out, and why we can’t be happy in our jobs.  We need to start figuring out how we can practice the best medicine with the resources we have. It's time to stop burning ourselves and our people out. Stop the excuses. Start making changes.

This is the “New Normal:” Stop Making Excuses

If you are a credentialed veterinary technician (VT) does your hospital pay you more than someone who is on the job (OTJ) trained with the same experience? When a new OTJ and a new credentialed VT are hired into your practice does the credentialed VT earn more? Are there certain opportunities that are only awarded to the credentialed VTs of your hospital?  No??!!  Then this is S#$! You Shouldn't Have To Put Up With.  Let's dive into OTJ vs credentialed VTs. 

If you are a credentialed veterinary technician (VT) does your hospital pay you more than someone who is on the job (OTJ) trained with the same experience? When a new OTJ and a new credentialed VT are hired into your practice does the credentialed VT earn more? Are there certain opportunities that are only awarded to the credentialed VTs of your hospital?  No??!!  Then this is S#$! You Shouldn't Have To Put Up With.  Let's dive into OTJ vs credentialed VTs.

S#&! You Shouldn‘t Have to Put Up With: Devaluation of Your Credentials

Are you a veterinary technician or nurse whose skills are not being utilized? Do you watch as your veterinarian places IV catheters, performs a dental prophy or vaccinates all the pets? Let's talk about the importance of utilizing veterinary technicians and nurses to the fullest. Failure to do so results in high turnover and a loss of revenue. This is s#&amp;! you shouldn't have to put up with.  

Are you a veterinary technician or nurse whose skills are not being utilized? Do you watch as your veterinarian places IV catheters, performs a dental prophy or vaccinates all the pets? Let's talk about the importance of utilizing veterinary technicians and nurses to the fullest. Failure to do so results in high turnover and a loss of revenue. This is s#&amp;! you shouldn't have to put up with.

S#&! You Shouldn‘t Have to Put Up With: Your Technician/Nurse Skills Not Being Utilized

Let's dive into these 3 terms and understand why they are all necessary depending on the situation. Having a deeper understanding will allow you to know when to apply them, but also how to protect yourself from compassion fatigue.

Let's dive into these 3 terms and understand why they are all necessary depending on the situation. Having a deeper understanding will allow you to know when to apply them, but also how to protect yourself from compassion fatigue.

What‘s Better? Empathy, Sympathy or Compassion?

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, psychologist or counselor. This podcast is not meant to replace professional mental health resources.  This podcast is meant to bring awareness and resources about suicide prevention to those who work in the veterinary profession. It's meant to open up the conversation around mental health with a focus on suicide prevention. It's a tough, but important conversation that needs to happen in every veterinary hospital. Resources That Compliment This Podcast: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/ https://qprinstitute.com/ https://nomv.org/ https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/index.html

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, psychologist or counselor. This podcast is not meant to replace professional mental health resources.  This podcast is meant to bring awareness and resources about suicide prevention to those who work in the veterinary profession. It's meant to open up the conversation around mental health with a focus on suicide prevention. It's a tough, but important conversation that needs to happen in every veterinary hospital. Resources That Compliment This Podcast: <a href="https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/</a> <a href="https://qprinstitute.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://qprinstitute.com/</a> <a href="https://nomv.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://nomv.org/</a> <a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/</a> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/index.html</a>

Stop the Stigma Surrounding Suicide Conversations

Why do adults bully each other? How is it even a thing?? It's not only a thing, but prominent in many veterinary hospitals, the industry in general and everywhere online.  Bullying is S#&amp;! we shouldn't have to put up with in veterinary medicine.

Why do adults bully each other? How is it even a thing?? It's not only a thing, but prominent in many veterinary hospitals, the industry in general and everywhere online.  Bullying is S#&amp;! we shouldn't have to put up with in veterinary medicine.

S#&! You Shouldn‘t Have to Put Up With: Bullying

We all have them, angry clients. The ones that yell, scream and even curse at us.  In this podcast I talk about why they may be angry and ways we can help manage them better.

We all have them, angry clients. The ones that yell, scream and even curse at us.  In this podcast I talk about why they may be angry and ways we can help manage them better.

Managing Those Angry Clients

Veterinary Team Training

The best philosophy podcast episodes. Asking questions about how to live a better life, what it means to be and do good, to the idea of God. This topic includes episodes that bring about important questions that everyone should be asking themselves. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes on Practical Philosophy & How To Live

The best episodes for anyone looking to learn more about topics such as happiness, fulfillment, depression and psychology/mental health in general. With interviews with industry experts, personal stories of individuals, this topic has lessons applicable to everyone. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!