VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: 30 years in and still going strongApril 11, 2024By Jamie Rauscher, LVTThat cat lived to be 18 years old and never put up a fight when I got my backpack out and popped her inside for a quick ride outside to our reading spot. She gave me my first experiences with a pet during post-op recovery care, as well as a well-remembered lesson in how to medicate a cat, claws and teeth included.
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VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Do you embrace or haze new employees?March 22, 2024By Jamie Rauscher, LVTThese new employees come with horror stories to eventually be shared with us once they feel a tiny sliver of comfort. We draw them out piece by piece, encouraging them to talk to us and share their past. In part of us getting to know them, we learn about their previous experiences and can in some way relate to them with stories of our own or provide reassurances that their new clinic is in no way the same as their old one.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Utilization is not just a buzzwordFebruary 9, 2024By Jamie Rauscher, LVTProper utilization of technicians is something both credentialed veterinary technicians (CVTs) and practice owners want. Or is it? It seems everyone always thinks it is a great idea but just does not know how to move forward to make it happen. Lots of conversations are happening in our profession to try to figure out just how to do this. Why all the talk and so little action? Where is the hold up?
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: A clinic without strong leadership is in troubleJanuary 11, 2024By Jamie Rauscher, LVTIf your clinic is lacking in leadership, developing a plan on how to build up the leaders in your clinic should be a number one priority in your life. There are direct and indirect impacts to having less leadership in your clinic than what is ideal. Some direct impacts of not having structured leadership are gossip, turnover, stress on current team members, and a negative culture.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Don't put your self (care) on the shelfDecember 13, 2023By Jamie Rauscher, LVTVeterinary medicine is a whole different ball game. October, leading into November, starts a crazy time for us that is second only to the hectic days of summer. So, many of us dread the holidays and the stress that comes with it. For those of us who work in general practice, our stressors are different than those who work in emergency medicine or even those that work remotely. Those in academia experience their own woes, as well. We all have our holiday horror stories to share with our co-workers.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Empathy and the human animal bond goes a long wayNovember 15, 2023By Jamie Rauscher, LVTUp until it is time for them to cross the Rainbow Bridge, the relationship a person has with their pet is special in its own way. They all hold different meanings to each person. I am no different in that way. I am just as human as the next person, remembering how important my pets are to my family is what helps to bring me closer to my clients. It allows me to be able to truly see their experiences as my own, bringing my knowledge and expertise to the table to help them as I am able to do so.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: A look at euthanasiaOctober 5, 2023By Jamie Rauscher, LVTTo have to make that decision for someone else brings with it the fear of making the wrong decision and stopping too early, but also the fear of going too far and causing unnecessary suffering. While we can give our opinion or input to a client, the decision is their own to make. All any of us can do is to use the tools available to us to try to understand what our companion is experiencing and trust our hearts to know the right time.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Is your clinic a toxic work environment?August 11, 2023By Jamie Rauscher, LVTThere are also those who are determined to bring others down with them, contributing to a toxic workplace. Additionally, they always point out what is going wrong and openly sharing their unhappiness with everything in general in the clinic. Are negative team members really “team members?” Is the management at your hospital being held hostage by people with bad attitudes? Do some employees get away with bad behavior? Let’s discuss why this happens and what you can do to address it.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Interviewing tips for techniciansJune 30, 2023By Jamie Rauscher, LVTNAVTA president, Jamie Raucsher, LVT, on job hunting and interviewing tips and guidelines you may not have learned as part of your veterinary education.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveTech Talk: Promoting wellbeing in veterinary technology programsOctober 6, 2022By Jennifer Serling, CVT, RVT, VTES While there are many studies relating to veterinarians and the mental health crisis they are experiencing, the same cannot be said for the veterinary support staff, particularly credentialed veterinary technicians. Many of the same characteristics that draw students to veterinary medicine are also the same characteristics that contribute to burnout and compassion fatigue. Appalachian State University has become the first veterinary technology program to employ a full-time wellbeing coordinator on their team. The sole purpose of this position is to provide support for the students and faculty, and also develop best practice models for other veterinary technology programs to follow.
