Veterinary Team Training
Veterinary Team Training's podcast focuses on developing veterinary teams. It offers techniques for helping teams, developing leadership skills, and becoming a happier veterinary team member. The podcast discusses various aspects of the veterinary team.
Episodes
Which Employee Stole the Gabapentin? Theft in Veterinary Medicine.
Employee theft is more common in veterinary medicine than many leaders realize, affecting everything from inventory to controlled substances to client payments. In fact, almost every employee has engaged in some theft at some point in their career and yet, no one talks about it.
In this episode, we explore the scope of the problem, why theft occurs, and the significant financial, legal, and patien
First Impressions Matter More Now Than Ever
Do first impressions actually matter? They do and they are more important now more than ever. This podcast jumps into why first impressions of your hospital and yourself matter and how to make yours stand out. We all judge others based on our first impression and its important to take control of your first impression.
Culture is Queen
Culture is the queen of your hospital, but what exactly is culture, and how do you create it intentionally? In this episode, we'll explore the key elements that shape veterinary team culture and the daily actions that strengthen or weaken it. This episode will address strategies to build a workplace where people want to stay, grow, and succeed together.
You Are Your Own Worst Enemy
Sometimes the biggest obstacle is inside your own head telling you that you can’t or that it's terrible. Self-doubt, fear, and constant negative thoughts can quietly sabotage you. In this episode, I'll discuss how being your own worst enemy shows up, why it happens, and how to break free from patterns that hold you back. It’s time to start becoming your own strongest ally.
Creating a Learning Environment in Your Hospital
These young kids don't want to learn! I have too many newbies and no time to train! This podcast breaks down how to start creating a learning environment in your hospital so you can develop a culture of training and learning.
Retention Must be Intentional
Are you struggling to retain your staff? Then this podcast is for you. Let's dive into some data driven ways to retain veterinary staff and actionable items you can take to keep your staff happy and employed at your hospital for a long time. Stop losing staff! Start retaining them.
Adult Bullying in Workplaces
Bullying is more common than many realize in our workplaces. This podcast talks about systems to put into place to prevent bullying, but also what to do if you are being bullied.
The Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Veterinary Medicine
This podcast dives into the hot button topic of AI in veterinary medicine from what it solves to what it complicates. I explore my own AI journey and how AI can boost diagnostic speed, streamline workflows, help with marketing and support clinical decisions. I also unpack the risks and valid fears that comes with AI. It's a candid look at where tech meets veterinary care, and what that means for o
Psychological Safety is the Unicorn
What’s the secret ingredient for a thriving hospital culture, low staff turnover, fewer medical errors, and a team of unicorns that truly shines? Psychological safety. Whether it’s your workplace, your home, your community, or the country you live in, psychological safety lays the foundation for healthy conflict, strong relationships, and resilient teams. In this episode, we explore what psycholog
How to Hire for Both Hard and Soft Skills
Which is more important? Hard technical skills or soft personality like traits? The answer is both, but hiring for both is not often what happens during an interview. This podcast shares some insight into the difference between these two and how to interview for both.
Why are our Veterinary Clinics Closing?
Private, corporate and non-profit veterinary hospitals seem to be closing left and right. Why are our veterinary clinics closing? This podcast review the key ingredients to what makes a veterinary hospital successful and the failures of those that close.
Preventing Medical Mistakes
What are some of the things you can do to prevent medical mistakes? There are some simple, life saving things, all veterinary professionals can do to prevent medical mistakes. This podcast reviews the failed systems in veterinary medicine that results in medical errors.
Having a Healthy Relationship with Social Media
Did you know that it's possible to have a healthy relationship with social media? Did you know it can decrease anxiety and increase mental health if used appropriately? It can also cause anxiety, depression and result in higher chance of suicide if used incorrectly. This podcast addresses some key things you need to do if you want to have a healthy relationship with social media.
Creating a Better Experience for End of Life
Saying goodbye is never easy, and unfortunately, the way veterinary professionals handle end-of-life care can sometimes fall short. This podcast explores practical steps that every hospital can take to enhance the care provided to both clients and pets during their most difficult moments.
How to Write & Publish a Book
Got an idea? Think you want to write a book? I'll explore my own journey and what you should know to get your book from an idea to print! This podcast will review why to write a book, publishers versus self publishing, how much money you may make and how to advertise your book.
Do Extroverts Get More in Life?
Are you an introvert who feels like extroverts get more in life than you? You're not alone. This podcast will dive into whether extroverts get more raises, better promotions or more perks in veterinary medicine. Let's look at the differences between these two personality traits.
Why You Should Not Lead Like Donald Trump
Prominent leaders are frequently observed, analyzed, and written about. Managers, supervisors, and business owners often derive valuable insights from public figures to enhance their own leadership skills. This podcast examines the leadership qualities of Donald Trump, focusing on the first 30 days of his second presidency term. It draws parallels between his actions as a leader and the actual sk
Advocate for Yourself
Do you want to ask for a raise? How about being utilized more in your current role? What about a promotion? Advocating for yourself is hard. This podcast reviews the basic steps to advocating for yourself so you can get what you deserve!
Resolve to Take a Vacation
"I don't have time for a vacation." " No one else can do my job." "We're too short staffed to allow anyone to take a vacation." Stop making excuses on why you or others cannot go on vacation. Employers: Your employees need to go on vacation so have a good policy. Employees: Use your vacation time! Owners/Managers: Stop making excuses. RESOLVE TO TAKE A VACATION!
Stop Being So Mean to Yourself
Most people struggle to be kind to themselves. Without knowing it, most degrade, deflect, downsize and detract from who they are and their amazing accomplishments. The author of this podcast is notorious for it! Let's talk about healthy self talk and how little words can make a big impact on how we and others view us. We need to learn to be nicer to ourselves.
Stop Complaining: Action Drives Change
It's election time here in the United States and millions of individuals are voting, an action that drives change. Do actions really make change happen? What can you do if you're not in a leadership position to impact change in your hospital? Let's talk about action to make change in the veterinary profession.
Is Our House Ready for a Mid-Level Practitioner?
Is veterinary medicine ready for a new vet tech position? Is the current state of our profession ready with all the tools and resources needed for it to be successful. In this episode I talk about what a mid-level practitioner is and my thoughts on whether our career house is ready for a new guest.
Do You Have a Hidden Toxic Trait?
We often think about toxic traits like gossiping, bullying, and negativity. What about those on our team that are carrying around hidden toxic traits that may not be as obvious? Maybe you have one of these traits and are contributing to a less ideal workplace. Let's dive into 4 of the less known toxic traits.
I Have Failed
Failure sucks. It doesn't feel good and in 2024 I have failed to complete most of my goals I set out to do. What is failure, how is it defined and how can we move past it when we do fail?
Is Good Mental Health Bought or Made?
Do only the wealthy have good mental health or access to better resources? I created this podcast after a post on my facebook page sparked conversation around this topic. I did a deep dive into research and share my thoughts along with the data of mental health, money and happiness.
Mentoring is for Everyone
Mentoring another individual can seem time consuming and too much responsibility. Many individuals back away from it because of that reason, but without knowing it most people are mentoring others every day. This podcast reviews what mentoring is and formal versus informal programs. You are likely a mentor to someone and you don't even realize it.
Vet Techs Don't Want to Be Doctors: Support not Fight Them
Veterinary technicians do not want to become veterinarians. Every vet tech is tired of being asked "when are you going to vet school?" Never. We need doctors to support us, allow us to perform our job the fullest ability, and not live in fear we are trying to be veterinarians. Let's talk about supporting the vet tech profession instead of fighting it.
Delegation is Not Just for the Delegator
Delegation is not just about freeing up more time for yourself. It's about growing others! Stop being afraid to delegate. You're not only holding yourself back, but you are stifling others as well!
Stop Docking & Cropping
The amputation of tails and ears are still fairly common in the United States. In most every other country in the world these practices do not occur or have been banned. What is docking and cropping and why is it still being done with such regularity here in the United States? Are there any benefits? How often do injuries of tails and ears actually occur?
Don't judge the title alone. Instead, li
Veterinary Medicine Costs a Lot and Here's Why
Yes, veterinary medicine costs a lot of money if you want the best care for your pets. However, compared to human healthcare it's a fraction of the cost. If you own a pet you must listen to this podcast as you will gain insight and an understanding into the cost of veterinary medicine and how you can help you and your pet. If you work in vet medicine this podcast is also for you to help change th
Are You Setting the Bar Too Low?
How is the bar set in your hospital? Are you setting expectations too low where your superstar performers are sliding down to meet the low expectations? Is the level of expectations the same for all team members? Too often leaders start to move the bar of expectations lower to meet the poor performance of those on the team. When low expectations are set for some team members, this will eventually
Terminating With Empathy
How you decide to let someone go is a direct reflection of what type of leader you are. Do you terminate someone on their wedding day or the day before a much-sought after vacation OR do you terminate with empathy? Join me on this podcast as I recount way too many terminations without empathy and how you can let someone go with respect and kindness.
You Have a Title But You're Not Allowed to do the Job
My YouTube vlog on this subject resonated with a lot of people...like a lot...more than I would have expected. It's individuals like the veterinary technicians who graduate with a degree and are told they can't perform the skills they are legally allowed to do OR the regional director who is micromanaged and who are not permitted to develop out new programs that would help the hospitals. Turns out
S#&! You Shouldn't Have to Put Up With: People Roadblocking Your Success
I dislike when someone intentionally or unintentionally puts up barriers in front of others which results in them being blocked from their success. We don't talk enough about people being the roadblock to success. This podcast dives into the types of road-blocking people and shares some ideas of how to kick those roadblocks out of the way.
What Do Veterinary Professionals Really Want?
Short staffed? Concerned everyone is leaving the profession? Who isn't?! In this podcast I talk about the key things that ALL veterinary professionals really want in their job. And no, it's not petting puppies and kittens all day.
Turning a Side Hustle into a Real Business
Most everyone I know in veterinary medicine has a side hustle. But can you turn your side hustle into a real business? Is it worth it? I dive into my own experiences and what it's like to take a side hustle to your only source of income.
Stop Giving Away Your Services for Free
One of the biggest stresses in veterinary medicine is the affordability of care. Veterinary professionals go into the field because they have huge empathy for pets and the people who own them. Unfortunately, when clients can't afford services this often results in huge stress for the veterinary teams. Is giving away your services for free the right thing to do? How do you stop feeling guilty about
Why Are We Still Not Utilizing Veterinary Technicians?
Hospital leaders and doctors will often say, "We can't live without our veterinary technicians." Then the same hospital leaders and doctors will say, "We don't trust our vet techs, they shouldn't do that skill and anyone can be trained to do a vet techs job." Utilization of the veterinary technician/nurse continues to be an issue worldwide. Why? I dive into some of the roadblocks and why it's imp
Stop Overworking Your Childfree Employees
Do managers expect more from their childfree employees? The answer is a resounding "yes". Let's talk about some data around this topic and things that managers and employees can do to ensure equality in the workplace.
Take Your Break!!
Breaks are not only required, but essential for employees. If you are in a leadership role, stop telling employees, "there's always something to do so sitting is not allowed" and encourage people to take breaks. If you are an employee, stop saying, "I have no time to take a break" and take your break! This podcast dives into data behind the importance of breaks and ways to have a real break instea
Managers: Stop Giving Terrible Feedback
Unfortunately the way most people provide feedback to each other is simply terrible. However, when managers provide terrible useless feedback to an employee it causes distrust, resentment, self-loathing and gossip. This podcast is for everyone who wants to improve their feedback skills. Stop giving terrible feedback where your employee is left confused and angry. Learn the steps to productive hea
Get Angry! It’s okay!
Anger is an important feeling, but did you know there's healthy versus unhealthy anger? Let's embrace anger in a healthy way. Healthy anger can help with burnout and other life challenges. Time to get angry!
Doctors & Techs: Just Get Along!
One point of contention I hear from many veterinary professionals is the divide between some doctors and techs. Let's talk about the key things to grow the relationship between any veterinary technician/nurse and doctor.
Gen Z is So Lazy & Difficult to Manage - Or Are they?
I hear from so many managers "Gen Z is so lazy! They have no work ethic! They are the most difficult generation to manage!"
Is there any truth to these statements?
What do we need to do differently, if anything, to support Gen Zs?
Tune in to hear my thoughts on the generational divide. You'll be surprised by the data which may have you changing how you speak about younger generations.
How Bad is that One Toxic Employee Really?
"One toxic person can't really be that bad, can they? After all, it's my highest grossing doctor. It's my best veterinary technician of 20 years. How can we run a hospital without a practice manager? I can't afford to get rid of them! Sure, they are cranky and negative, but they are a high performer!"
Too often I hear these statements from hospital leaders justifying why they retain one toxic empl
Tips to Handle the Screaming Client
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 & Start Fixing the Veterinary Profession
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!
Short Staffed? Are You Utilizing Your Vet Techs?
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
The Client is Not the Enemy
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 m
2023 is the Year of the Vet Tech & Vet Nurse
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 ma
Crappy Terminations by Bad Leaders
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 dur
How to Start Lecturing & Publishing
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 z
A World Without Frenchies & a Focus on Health
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
You’re a Coach, not a Parent
"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.
Vet Hospital Green Flags
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.
Mid-Level Practitioner & RVN: What’s The Answer?
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
Should Those With No Money Own a Pet?
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
Annual Performance Reviews Suck
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
Your Shitty Behavior Isn’t ”Just Who You Are”
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.
Advocating for the Veterinary Technician/Nurse Profession
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 pu
Taking Care of Our Senior Pet Patients
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?!
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 t
No Need to be Silent About Quiet Quitting
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.
Throwing More than Money at Overnight Shifts
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 ca
What is a Veterinary Technician Specialist?
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.
Calm the F Down: But How?
Not everything needs to be done right now! If you are like me and you also have a high sense of urgency, then hopefully this podcast will give you some ideas of ways to move slower, enjoy like more and calm the F down!
Let’s Talk About Medical Mistakes
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.
To Surrender or Not?
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.
Stop Treating Your Vet Tech Managers 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 & supervisors in almost al
Stop Complaining & Fix Your Toxic Team
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 complainin
Corporations Are (Not?) Ruining Veterinary Medicine
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 v
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 downl
The Vet Industry is Pissing off Pet Owners
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 anxie
Get Rid of Your Toxic Employee
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.
Stop Your Bias Behavior
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 Calling Yourself a Veterinary Technician/Nurse
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
S#&! You Shouldn‘t Have to Put Up With: B****ing About the Small Stuff
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.
Where are all the Women Leaders in Veterinary Medicine?
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.
Is Veterinary Medicine Full of Cynics?
"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
This is the “New Normal:” Stop Making Excuses
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 tim
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