Wellness for Veterinary Professionals

Innovative youth outreach and scholarship programs support students to diversify and strengthen the veterinary profession.

AAHA president Mark Thompson, DVM, CCRP, talks about the importance of end-of-life care in ensuring a dignified and compassionate departure for our beloved animal companions. The AAHA Community debates the pros and cons of using AI. This month’s Scoop headlines include: Retrievers have a gene mutation that may cause excess hunger; State of the workplace health report; WSU veterinarians receive awards for teaching and research, and more!

Appreciation for work is a key retention driver, while meaningful work drives retention. Recognition helps foster an environment where both are prevalent.

Veterinary professionals who engage in meaningful work are more likely to stay in their current position according to AAHA’s “Stay, Please” retention study.

Taking the time to build relationships with clients and teammates enables us to step in during a critical illness or emergency with the utmost confidence in our ability to do right by our patients.

From letting your message speak for itself to supporting your people on the front lines, we have tips for handling public backlash from a vet who’s been there.

“What you do matters.” A message from AAHA staff to the ’24 graduates

Want to find special ways to show team appreciation? At K. Vet Animal Care, they adjust job roles to keep good people—and they work hard to have fun.

June is Pride month, and here at AAHA we are very proud to support all the efforts in our industry that move Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) forward. To that end, this issue is devoted to those efforts.

When clients face financial challenges, they might decline necessary treatments for their pets, which can present ethical and emotional burdens on the veterinary team. What can teams do to alleviate some of this stress?

The work environment has not always welcomed people’s expressions of their individuality, whether it is through clothes, tattoos, or piercings. But today, in veterinary medicine, a growing number of professionals are preferring surgical scrubs to white coats or business attire, and practices are welcoming (and even embracing) artistic body expressions in their employees.

Courtney A. Campbell, DVM, DACVS (Small Animal), a veterinary surgeon and media personality talks about the intersection of veterinary medicine, mental wellness, and the benefits of staying physically active away from work.

Teamwork is the top driver of retention in veterinary practices. Good teams are crucial to a successful practice – but what exactly does it mean to be a “good team”?

A sense of belonging and teamwork is one of the top factors that keeps employees in their jobs, according to AAHA’s “Stay, Please,” research. Phil Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPPC, CRT, CCFP, talks about how to create the psychological safety needed to hire and develop a strong team.

Earlier this year, AAHA announced changes to the nomination process for the Accredited Practice of the Year. In this Q&A, we talk with Aimee Potter, an Accreditation Specialist, about these changes and what practices can do to improve their odds of being nominated.

Better communication leads to better care—but communicating clearly with clients can be challenging when you’re not only discussing medical issues the client may be unfamiliar with, but are trying to do so with a language barrier in the way.

Learn how employers and workers can create an effective workplace violence prevention plan—together

Dealing with difficult clients is part of the veterinary world. But navigating these choppy waters can also be a chance to shine, personally and as a practice.

Julie Buzby, DVM, talks to Central Line about her life as a mom and homeschooler of eight kids, small business owner, and former practice owner.

Many people worry about their financial health and those in the veterinary community are not immune to that concern. Unfortunately, a person’s financial worries can be a significant cause of stress and that stress can affect wellbeing.

This article defines what an epic win is and how practices can foster it by asking three key questions. Those include enrolling staff in the practice’s vision and mission, creating psychological safety, and intrinsic motivation.

Most people are familiar with the famous line from the Apollo 13 mission, “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” When there is a crisis, true professionals know how to respond. And vet med, like NASA, is filled with true professionals.

Looking for resources to help guide the fair compensation conversation in vet med? During April, we’ve highlighted fair compensation, the main attrition driver from our “Stay, Please” study.

According to AAHA’s research, one factor consistently comes up again and again in the conversation about staff turnover: fair compensation. It’s the top driver of attrition, and it’s also a key retention factor. This article offers expert tips for addressing the number one driver of turnover among veterinary professionals.

“If you’re resenting your work, you’re not getting paid enough,” says AAHA past president Pam Nichols, DVM, CCRP, CFI. Here she lays out her tried-and-true formula for paying associates.

Launching in 2024, the North American Association of Veterinary Receptionists (NAAVR) will provide CE for customer service representatives in many areas, including conflict resolution, great customer service, and hospitality.

It’s not all about the Benjamins, but a lack of fair compensation is the top driver of tech turnover. However, meeting the financial needs of this role might not be as big a stretch as you’d expect.

A collaboration between AAHA and leading management consulting firm, The Coffman Organization (TCO), The AAHA Culture Connection is a two-part employee-engagement program designed to help practices achieve the organizational culture they’ve always wanted by offering personalized insights, recommendations, and tools that empower teams to build a positive and productive work environment together.

Nonmedical skills are fundamental to the health of a practice’s team.

In this series, Emily Singler, VMD, author of Pregnancy and Postpartum Considerations for the Veterinary Team, discusses workplace hazards, parental leave, discrimination laws, and ways that veterinary leaders can support all team members better by considering the challenges of working parents.

If you’re looking for the number one way to keep quality team members from leaving your practice, start by looking at their paychecks.

Protection from discrimination, accommodations for health conditions, extended leave, and flexible scheduling benefit all employees, including working parents.

Dive into key insights from AAHA’s ‘Stay, Please’ study, highlighting takeaways, actionable steps, and themes to never forget.

Takeaways from the recent AAHA webinar on cultural competence include embracing humility and curiosity about our own cultural biases to better understand teammates and clients—and ultimately, better care for patients.

Guilt felt by working parents is a type of unhelpful “persecutory guilt,” writes Emily Singler, VMD, that can be avoided and healed through releasing unrealistic expectations and shifting responsibilities and priorities.

Veterinary practices can support employees who are parents by implementing nongendered policies to balance time off and other parenting considerations for fathers and nonbirthing parents.

Prior to the pandemic, employee development focused primarily on teaching technical skills, like how to operate the latest accounting software or inventory management system. But the pandemic showed us that skills such as communication and innovative thinking are what will enable a practice not only to survive but to thrive, especially in tough times.

Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT, discusses her journey as a resilient veterinary educator, trainer, coach, and entrepreneur. Mages is the chief visionary officer of the company she co-founded, Empowering Veterinary Teams (EVT), where she oversees the content development, clinical skills training, and overall vision of the company.

You don’t have to be a wildlife vet to help animals in places like the Galapagos Islands, Kenya, or Sumatra—small animal veterinary professionals are needed to serve the dogs, cats, and people who live near the wild too.

A candid, no-holds-barred conversation with two Black veterinary professionals about the challenges they’ve faced—and the strength and inspiration they’ve found—on their career paths.

Temple Grandin, PhD, MS, shares how neurodiverse minds think differently from others—and why that’s a good thing for your team, your patients, and your practice.

Super Bowl commercials often feature cute animals—and that can be a conversation starter for veterinary teams to debunk myths while reminding clients that their veterinarian is their best resource for accurate information about the health and wellbeing of their pets.

In the veterinary world, we often note February as Dental Health Month. But in the larger scope, February is also Black History Month, and so we wanted to celebrate that by bringing you inspiration from our friends at blendVET™, who are creating pathways into the profession for students who may not otherwise see those opportunities.

As an underrepresented minority in veterinary medicine, Niccole Bruno, DVM, founder of blendVET, knows how important it is for kids with the dream of being a veterinarian to have support. Her organization creates programming that intentionally provides exposure and representation for students in underserved communities.

More than 33 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law, “reasonable accommodations” has become a byword in most sectors. But awareness, empathy, and support are still needed to overcome many challenges, including in the veterinary profession.

With an increasing number of Spanish-speaking clients, being able to communicate in Spanish is no longer just a skill—it’s a necessity. Vetspacito empowers veterinary professionals with the language tools to improve patient care and build stronger, more empathetic relationships with a broader clientele.

Recovering from the holidays while kicking off a new year at a veterinary practice can be a daunting task. Practice owner Jenn Galvin offers some encouragement.

We have been planning a re-design for a couple of years, but the pandemic put things on hold. But now, after months of hard work and planning, we are proud to offer our readers a new look and feel (in the print version), as well as some new contents.

Virtual care offers huge benefits for your patients, clients, staff, and bottom line. These include increased workflow efficiency, improved work-life balance, better and more thorough care for patients, and added convenience value for clients. It is no surprise that the lynchpin of well-implemented virtual care begins and ends with veterinary technicians, assistants, and care coordinators.

A new AAHA survey on staff retention got a massive response. People had a lot to say—and they wanted to be heard. After months of sorting through the data, consulting with data analysts, and looking at these findings from various angles, we’ve landed on some illuminating findings.

A new group offers camaraderie and support for Indigenous veterinary students and professionals. With help from the nonprofit Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE), Natives in VetMed is rapidly expanding. Already, members represent 33 tribes from the United States and Canada.

If the “great resignation” taught us anything, it’s that people are tired. And the storms won’t abate, given rising costs and a looming recession. The antidote, leadership gurus say, is a new leadership competency: resilience.

Veterinary teamwork improves patient care, client support, and job satisfaction and growth. When each team member works to their strengths and everyone, including clients, values each role, disease management cases and clinical days themselves flow better.

AAHA president-elect Mark Thompson, DVM, CCRP, challenges you to ask yourself: “Are you thriving?” And if you own a practice, are you empowering your employees to thrive? The Community asks for some effective ways to communicate with staff.

Compassion fatigue and burnout are rampant among veterinary technicians. Some techs are taking to social media to promote wellness and spread encouragement to others.

Technician retention and good leadership are inextricably tied, as we discuss in this Central Line podcast episode with Natalie Boursiquot, RVT, and Liz Hughston, MEd, RVT, CVT, VTS (SAIM, ECC). From the role individuals can play in systemic change to insights into how leadership can show technicians—and other employees—they truly matter, this conversation was full of helpful ideas for increasing tech retention.

It can be hard to find humor in a profession filled with burnout and high rates of mental health issues. But some professionals say that is precisely why it is so important to bring the element of humor into vet med.

Melyssa Allen, MA, CHWC, DACLM, aims to make first aid for stress just as second-nature for veterinary professionals. Allen describes the Stress First Aid framework, first developed for the US military and now available for healthcare workers, and why it should be part of every veterinary practice, just like antihistamines, Band-Aids, and an eye wash station.

Veterinary professionals can “give ‘til it hurts,” sacrificing their mental health and wellbeing while helping pets and the people who love them. In this article, veterinary social workers and other wellness experts share tips on ways to bolster mental health in the day-to-day and why it’s so important.

News briefs from across the industry and beyond. This month’s articles include: Pet Insurance Industry Surpasses $3.5 billion; New Center for Veterinary Social Work; Clemson Approves New College of Veterinary Medicine; Research Finds Dogs Have Better Health Outcomes With Another Animal in the home; and Veterinary Supplier Sentenced for Misbranded Drugs.

Margot Vahrenwald DVM, AAHA’s president for 2022–2023, shares an anecdote that illustrates the toll that poor mental health can take on a team, and how a caring attitude can unite the team. The Community shares memories of accreditation and its importance, 90 years after AAHA began.

Everyone from the client service representatives to the veterinary assistants and technicians can play a vital role in providing the best care to feline patients, especially in cases of dermatological problems.

News briefs from across the industry and beyond. This month’s articles include: State of the workplace health report; Canine PTSD study; Demand returns to pre-pandemic levels; new bill introduced to combat illicit Xylazine; Bipartisan bill aims to crack down on ‘tranq.’

This article defines authentic leadership. It also outlines the roles of one’s personal history and life experiences, the larger social context, and self-awareness in it. Questions are provided to prod the reader to examine his/her/their authentic leadership style.

In the midst of more conversations around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging than ever before, people with whom we share critical patients and break room donuts are being forced to hide who they are, flee their homes, and live in fear simply for existing as they are. A conversation with Ewan D.S. Wolff, PhD, DVM, DACVIM, sheds some light on this critical problem.

AAHA director Cheryl Smith, CVPM, weighs in on the challenges of recruitment and the need to encourage technicians’ professional development. AAHA Community asks how to re-assign caseloads after a veterinarian leaves the practice.

A Healthy culture has all the vibes.

Why More Women in Vet Med Does Not Equal Gender Equality

Is the cure to burnout helping pets of the homeless?

How 3 Tech Moms Are Doing It All

Senani Ratnayake, BSc, RVT founder of Motivatum Consulting, talks to Central Line: The AAHA Podcast host Katie Berlin, DVM, about her experience helping teams build trust through personal stories.

AAHA secretary/treasurer Dermot Jevens, MVB, DACVS, offers tips for creating a positive culture. A Community highlight asks about core versus noncore vaccines. Log in to the AAHA Community to join the conversation with other AAHA practice team members.

Meet vet med’s biggest fan—past AAHA President Pam Nichols, DVM, CCRP, CFI—on this week’s The Central Line podcast.

The way veterinarians dress definitely affects how clients perceive them–but the jury’s out on which they find more trustworthy, scrubs or a white coat.

Many veterinary professionals aren’t enthusiastic about anything that smacks of New Age “woo,” from the theoretical healing power of crystals to the more established power of meditation to calm.

Carrie Jurney, DVM, DACVIM, was boarded in neurology in 2009, but found her true calling when she took over the presidency of Not One More Vet  in February of 2020—right at the start of the pandemic.

A professor once told John Rossi something he’s never forgotten: “As a veterinary professional, you’re not going to make a killing. But it’s a good, honest profession. If you embrace it, you’ll always do well.” Rossi took those words to heart.

Veterinary medicine is chock-full of goal-oriented people who are accustomed to doing well in school, meeting challenges head-on, and problem-solving their way through emotional and difficult days. I’m like that too, which means when I find something that doesn’t come naturally to me, I tend to do everything I can to avoid it. This has been my relationship with any mindfulness or meditation practice I’ve ever tried.

The new buzzwords in leadership circles today are “psychological safety” and “vulnerability.” If you can create a workplace that honors these twin poles, note leadership gurus, your employees will feel safe enough to innovate.

A sea change is coming in the American workforce. And increasingly, and especially with younger workers, gender identity is up for grabs.

Veterinary practices are feeling the effects of the Great Resignation. The stay interview can help keep an unhappy employee from quitting suddenly and leaving your practice in the lurch.

Mobility is key to a healthy quality of life for pets. Understanding the causes of joint disease and the benefits of early detection can help keep pets feeling younger longer—and give owners more quality years with their pets living comfortably by their sides.