"Vet Techs Are the Power Houses of the Vet Clinic": Celebrating Vet Tech Week and Beyond

Posted by Des Sinkevich on October 17, 2024

Meghan is an experienced veterinarian and an instructor with the Veterinary Academy at Penn Foster. “It is my privilege to help teach the next generation of veterinary technicians in their associate’s degree and future credentialing,” she says.

 

She assists graduated veterinary technicians with achieving their bachelor’s degree and serves on our Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee (IACUC).

 

“Credentialed veterinary technicians are the power houses of the veterinary clinic,” Meghan says. “Throughout the day, one credentialed veterinary technician could perform a myriad of tasks. Those tasks can range from (but are not limited to) patient care and monitoring, surgical nursing, providing anesthesia, obtaining x-rays, analyzing laboratory samples, filling prescriptions, educating owners about their pet’s health, administrative tasks like supply ordering, and even grief counseling! In human medicine, these important roles are filled by a variety of people – that’s how important credentialed vet techs are to the veterinary clinic!

 

While juggling these tasks in the clinic, the veterinary technician is also building relationships and trust with the patients, clients and their teammates. Being credentialed means the technician has a formal education in all the above medical topics and has demonstrated competence in them. Proper utilization of that knowledge substantially increases the positive experiences of patients and clients within the clinic, building trust in the clinic and community.”

 

Read more: Resources for Veterinary Technicians

 

Meghan says “Proper vet tech utilization is a powerful tool! Properly utilized credentialed veterinary technicians increase income for the clinic and increase job satisfaction, which raises morale and employee retention. Those are huge things when there is a shortage of veterinary professionals! A credentialed veterinary technician can perform so many key duties (varies legally by state), leaving a veterinarian free to do the “doctor things” - like diagnosing, prescribing, prognosing, and surgeries. There are so many positives that result from empowering a credentialed vet tech to work within the scope of their license – not only in the ways I've mentioned, but also in work-life balance. There are things that decrease too – like employee turnover and even burnout. Overall, delegating more responsibilities to your credentialed veterinary technician(s) results in productive and constructive gains in the clinic.”

 

Read more: Growing Veterinary Teams with Vet Tech Utilization

 

“Of course,” Meghan explains, “every October we can show our thanks for our MVPs during “National Veterinary Technician Week.” However, some of the challenges facing veterinary technicians are the same as those facing veterinarians or management in the vet practice; things like work-life balance, positive working environments, health support/benefits, realistic wages, and support for growth in their career. Fostering these traits in the work environment goes a long way toward supporting a happy, healthy vet tech. Really, it’s what we all want in a career.

 

Other supports for our credentialed vet techs can look like advocating for title protections in the clinic (where the use of the title “veterinary technician” should only be used for those who completed the formal education/credentialing to go with the title) and encouraging the learning of new skills to bring back to the clinic.”

 

As Meghan mentioned, it’s important to recognize what vet techs do year round. They bring incredible value to your patients and your clinic. During Vet Tech Week and beyond, you can support and celebrate your veterinary technicians in a number of easy ways!

1. Celebrate milestones and accomplishments. Whether through an office communication, Employee of the Month program, or recognition awards, you should take time to celebrate what your vet techs do and shout out their big wins!
2. Support their growth. Learning and development are vital to keep vet techs engaged and advancing in their careers. Offering opportunities to further their education or learn new techniques and skills can show them you’re invested in the work they do.
3. Offer understanding. We know that being a veterinary professional is a stressful, emotionally taxing job. Being understanding and supportive of your vet techs’ well-being and mental health is essential!

 

Learn more about wellness programs for your vet techs: How to Set Up a Wellness Program for Your Vet Practice