Using Your Technicians: Creating the Strongest Team

The veterinary healthcare team is just that—a team. Each member of the veterinary healthcare team plays an important role. Each member is critical to the overall success of the team, and subsequently, to the overall wellness of the patient and success of the hospital.

Veterinary technicians contribute to the healthcare team in a variety of ways. Veterinary technicians are known for their diversity of roles in the hospital and these roles change by the hour, sometimes by the minute. 

Veterinary technicians:

• educate clients
• communicate doctor’s recommendations
• follow doctor’s orders
• take radiographs
• assist in surgery
• place a catheter
• perform a physical exam
• discuss nutritional plans
• manage the hospital, etc.

The list goes on and on because the role of the technician is so diverse.

In the years to come, the proper utilization of staff will continue to be a critical element of successful practices. Improved profitability and patient care must come from improved business practices. Subsequently, best practices show that increased staff utilization results in improved profitability and patient care, while technicians are allowed to learn and develop and to use those skills that were taught in school and are licensed or credentialed to perform. Veterinary technicians that are utilized fully have been found to be happier in their jobs and more likely to stay with the practice than those who are only allowed to perform reduced tasks.

Effectively leveraging the healthcare team increases efficiency in the practice as a whole. Veterinarians who delegate duties to veterinary technicians, technicians who delegate duties to assistants, etc., produce a hospital that:

• works efficiently
• generates increased revenue
• is consequently more profitable.

This is a win-win-win—for the hospital, the healthcare team, and most importantly, for the patient, as more resources help ensure the best medical care.

Examples of how delegating duties increases efficiency:

Example #1 – Pet Food Recommendations

The Situation
A credentialed technician noticed that owners were asking the healthcare team for recommendations regarding nutrition for their puppies and kittens.

The Problem
The technician noticed that a clear recommendation was not being given at the hospital. Many pet owners were being told that ‘any premium brand’ would suffice and she noticed the frustration in many of the new pet owners, as they were unsure of which food would be best for their new family member.

Information Gathered
She researched various nutritional products available to veterinary hospitals and saw the potential for increased patient care and increased hospital profitability. She developed a proposal to present at the next staff meeting. In the proposal she discussed the importance of proper nutrition for puppies and kittens. She backed this information up with research on nutrients critical to the growth and development of pediatric patients.

Actions Taken
Next she informed the team that the owners seemed deflated over the lack of a nutritional recommendation and these same owners were going to pet stores for information and for nutrition for the pets. She offered to be the ‘champion’ for this project. She would take the responsibility for the education of all staff members in regard to nutrition and discussed how to make a firm, solid recommendation based on science and research. She worked with the team to insure the recommendation was explained and written down for the client.

Results?
This project turned into success as owners would leave the hospital with the recommended nutrition, and would return to the hospital to pick up food when their pet was getting low. Subsequently upon returning, many clients would purchase other items such as flea and tick products, toys, etc.

The Benefits: Increased Profitability
Owners were satisfied, pets were getting quality medicine, and profitability at the hospital increased.

Example #2 – Backlog of Patients

The Situation
A busy three veterinarian practice was experiencing a backlog of patients dropped off for procedures in the morning, waiting for their pre-anesthetic blood work to be drawn, waiting to be evaluated by the veterinarian, etc. The veterinarians were drawing the blood work, the technicians were restraining the animal for the doctor, and the assistants were greetings owners at the front.

The Problem
The technicians in the practice were involved and considered important members of the team, but were not feeling fulfilled as they felt their skills were not being fully utilized.

Information Gathered
The team discussed the situation at a staff meeting and together developed a way to leverage the entire healthcare team to run a more efficient practice, while maintaining top-notch patient care.

Actions Taken
Each morning the technicians would check on hospitalized patients, document findings, and report any urgent matters to the veterinarian. They were then responsible for the task of drawing blood for pre-anesthetic testing, placing catheters, etc., while the veterinarians evaluated the hospitalized patients, wrote out orders, and prescribed medications. Assistants helped restrain animals for the technicians.

Results?
Each member of the veterinary professional team had a clearly defined role designed to maximize their skills and strengths, and also knew the role of every other member of the team.

Benefits: Increased Profitability
The improved efficiency with this process raised the morale of the entire veterinary team, and allowed for more animals to be seen in the morning appointments by veterinarians which ensured more business overall.

An Advantageous Policy
If you have a technician in your practice that has a passion for a certain aspect of veterinary medicine – promote that passion! Feed that fire within!

For example, if your technician demonstrates a passion for dentistry—allow him/her to attend CE to expand their dentistry knowledge and skill. This may lead to this technician pursuing specialty status through the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) veterinary technician specialty in dentistry (VTS-dentistry).

A focus on oral health in the hospital will lead to:

• increased profitability
• increased morale by the technician dental champion
• overall better patient care. 

If you invest in the hospital staff, the return on your ‘people’ investment will be quite significant.

Use Your Technician Superstars!

Every hospital has a technician superstar(s). Healthcare team members must recognize the passion and help to find an outlet for this passion. Ask the technician what they enjoyed most in school, which patients or cases they find most interesting and why, and what they find to be their favorite part of veterinary medicine. Observe the behaviors between co-workers or between technicians and clients, as this may lead to hospital management opportunities or an effective client education technician.

For example, perhaps you have a social media ‘wiz’ in your midst and they would like to start a website or Facebook page. This could increase client traffic through positive ‘word of mouth’ and could lead to on-line appointment bookings, thus increasing the efficiency of in-hospital team members.

Proper utilization of technicians and all the skills they bring to the healthcare team leads to a productive, efficient, and safe hospital environment that provides outstanding service to clients and excellent patient care.

Remember, your veterinary healthcare team is the foundation of the veterinary hospital!

References:
Prendergast, H. Front Office Management for the Veterinary Team. 2011, Saunders Elsevier. St. Louis, MO.
Felsted, KE. Doing More with Less - Improving Staff Utilization. National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues. 2009. www.ncvei.org.