Empowering Veterinary Technicians to Maximize Efficiency
National Veterinary Technician Week 2024 (October 13 to 19) is a time for veterinary practices to recognize and reward these vital team members. One of the best ways to acknowledge your veterinary technicians and their importance to the profession is by ensuring you utilize them appropriately and to their fullest potential.
Vet techs are the heart and soul of every veterinary practice. They are high-achievers who juggle multiple tasks and cross-training and can handle almost anything that comes their way, yet they are chronically underutilized, which leads to poor job satisfaction. But, optimizing veterinary technician contributions can help these important team members love their jobs and improve practice efficiency. Here’s how you can tackle both objectives.
1. Delegate appropriate tasks to technicians
Veterinarians can rely on technicians to take time-consuming technical tasks off their plates. Vet techs are trained in and fully capable of performing blood draws, taking X-rays, prepping for surgery, and administering anesthesia. When veterinarians choose to perform these tasks, instead of delegating them to appropriate team members, not only does efficiency suffer, but also your tech team feels devalued.
Veterinarians should spend their time performing tasks only they can do, such as creating orders and treatment plans, interpreting test results, prescribing medications, and performing surgery. The more technicians take on, the more patients the practice can see each day.
2. Empower technicians with career development training
Veterinary technicians are often underutilized, despite their extensive skill sets. Veterinarians and practice leaders may be unfamiliar with the scope of vet tech training, so they don’t allow techs to practice or advance their basic skills. Ongoing training and CE helps keep techs at the top of their game.
Additionally, some technicians may show interest in specialized topics. If they are allowed to pursue those interests, they will develop new skills and the practice can offer clients more varied services. Anesthesia, pain control, low-stress handling, behavior, dentistry, imaging, and education are only a few possibilities.
Techs with advanced training can deliver care more efficiently and confidently, with less supervision or intervention from the attending veterinarian. Plus, empowered techs are more likely to stay with the practice, which helps to keep the team stable and the hospital fully staffed.
3. Utilize technicians as primary communicators
Veterinary technicians often act as the medical team's first and last point of contact for in-patient or out-patient visits. Seasoned vet techs can become skilled communicators and excel in discussions about a wide variety of topics, from basic education to advanced explanations of procedures, diagnoses, or treatment plans. Leveraging these communication skills helps to minimize the communication workload for veterinarians and other team members.
Technicians can take the lead on communications, including checking in with clients or patients after visits, communicating uncomplicated test results, discussing recommended treatments or preventive care, providing nutrition consultations, and discharging patients after surgical or dental procedures.
Veterinary software capabilities also can play a role in streamlining technician communication efforts. Platforms that allow digital messaging through email, text, or live chat can help techs answer questions, approve medication refills, or get patient updates without spending time on the phone. Then, they can spend the extra time working with clients and patients to ensure maximum hospital efficiency.
4. Encourage a team-based approach
A true team approach is necessary for veterinary practices to function well. Each team member must know their role, pull their weight, and collaborate to reach a shared goal. Veterinary leaders should build a culture of trust and psychological safety where technicians feel comfortable sharing ideas and leaning on one another.
Veterinary technicians are invaluable, but they must be fully utilized and supported to reach their potential. Technicians can elevate the practice quality of service and teams can achieve peak efficiency by taking on more roles and responsibilities. Ultimately, maximizing the use of your veterinary technicians benefits the entire practice by creating a more efficient, productive, team-based, and collaborative environment.
Use Vet Tech Week 2024 to start better utilizing your veterinary technicians and growing your practice.
