The orientation period also may include time spent learn- ing the hospital computer system if the new hire is not familiar with the software program. Training schedules need to be flexible, depending on the experi- ence of the new hire. A minimum of two weeks and up to two months or more may be needed for an employee to understand hospital pro- tocols and procedures as well as learn all the skills for the new job.
Assign the new hire to work at least one to two weeks with another experienced team member or mentor in the department to be sure the new employee has mastered the basics. Training schedules need to be detailed and provide a time line for progression.
This helps to clarify expectations for everyone. For training to be successful, be sure to have tools in place to sup- port the training program. This includes a written training manual that outlines the basic skills of the position. Utilize a checklist that contains all the job tasks or job duties a new hire needs to learn. Each line item on the list should have a few columns. The purpose of the columns is to ensure that each job task is checked and dated as it is either taught or performed.
Additional training tools may include written handouts, books, videos, DVDs, audiotapes, and online seminars or coursework. Short quizzes at the end of the initial training period help to ensure the employee has understood the material. Place the new employee with a team member who enjoys training. Be sure to review the new hire regularly in the first ninety days to discuss any problems or concerns. A useful book that presents training schedules to help you pri- oritize which new task should be learned first is Job Descriptions and Training Schedules for the Veterinary Team, by Wilson and Gendron, available from the AAHA bookstore.
To make mentoring work, you must first establish clear expectations with team members who will be mentors. Discuss the value of men- toring in helping new employees learn and become more proficient.
Create a dialogue about how mentors can best assist other team members, and organize a program that outlines their specific job roles. Identify employees who not only have the experience and ex- pertise to mentor but also enjoy teaching.
Team members who find teaching and teamwork rewarding will make the best mentors. It can also be helpful to try to pair new hires with experienced employees who match or complement their personality and communication styles. Next, set up a mentoring program for new hires and any em- ployee who needs to gain skills and knowledge.
Start by identifying the most knowledgeable employees to provide guidance to other team members in specific areas, such as laboratory skills, anesthesia monitoring, radiology, pain management, nursing care, client com- munication, or phone skills, among others. Assign individuals to provide training and answer questions in their areas of expertise. Mentors need to meet with the staff members they are mentoring on a weekly basis. Supervisors and managers should also meet regularly with employees involved in mentoring to facilitate feedback and discuss any concerns.
Make sure mentors feel valued and not overwhelmed. Check with employees being mentored to ensure they feel they are receiving the instruction and coaching they need to excel. A number of companies and organizations offer training materials for different members of the veterinary health care team.
Regardless of whether you are just starting to develop your training program or need to find additional training materials, start by making a list of training needs for each job position in the hospital. Then research the tools provided by multiple organizations. Check out the list of resources provided at the end of this chapter. Look for a variety of training tools as you develop your training program. Training tools for topics such as teamwork, client service, commu- nication, compassion fatigue, conflict resolution, time management, and computer skills can easily be provided by companies outside the veterinary profession.
Some of the best training materials can and should be developed by your own team. Designate a training coordinator to organize the hospital training program and work with team members to create training tools.
For example, the technical team can help to create a checklist of requisite technical skills with definitions of the neces- sary proficiency required for two levels of technicians. The checklist can then be used when training new hires. Other tools the team can develop are specific written protocols for job tasks such as placement of catheters, client communication for senior care appointments, and client check-in procedures.
Look at a calendar of events for the veterinary profession to see which veterinary meetings are within driving dis- tance, to cut down on the cost of airfare and hotels. Most states and major cities have seminars and CE programs on a regular basis.
Check with the state and local veterinary medical associations to see what programs will be offered for the upcoming year. Subscribe to veterinary publications for the staff to read, and discuss pertinent articles during staff meetings. For example, you can subscribe to Firstline magazine and sign up for Firstline seminars, which are offered at the Central Veterinary Conference CVC meetings, or contact Veterinary Learning Systems, www.
Set up a series of in-house CE seminars that can be given by the doctors and senior staff members. Or take advantage of CE provided by many veterinary companies. In addition, a number of companies now have online courses and webinars for staff members. You can still send staff to large national meetings, but establish a budget to control costs.
Some employees may decide to pay for their own expenses if the practice pays for the registration. You simply must make training a priority. The leadership team has to be committed to a learning environment and willing to make the time for ongoing training. Planning is the key to success. You control your schedule, with the exception of emergencies. For training to be consistent, set a regular schedule and stick with it.
Establish an internal continuing education schedule for all of your staff, and announce topics, dates, and times well in advance. Staff training for the entire team can take place once a month at regular staff meetings.
Consider closing the practice during this time to ensure there are no interruptions. You also need to establish train- ing sessions for each department so those staff members can learn new skills or knowledge for their specific job roles. Managers are responsible for overseeing training programs, but they are not typically involved in the actual training.
Enlist the assistance of doctors, senior staff members, and team leaders to be responsible for training newer, less experienced employees. Assign at least one trainer to each area of the hospital. Work with these indi- viduals to set up a reasonable training schedule for each department. In-house training programs need to be supported with tools, such as training manuals, books, articles, DVDs, handouts, and web-based resources, to ensure that training is comprehensive and accurate.
Ask the doctors and staff to submit topics. Then assign a team member to facilitate the training or secure an outside speaker such as an industry representative. Open communication between management and staff is very impor- tant to help employees understand that the business needs to make money to be successful. Give team members actual numbers for hospital expenses and revenues with comparisons with the previous year.
Sharing financial data with employees helps them understand the cost of running a business, and they can see that all the income is not profit for the owner. Give staff specific examples of how missed charges, discounts, low productivity, lapses in client service, and wasteful use of supplies negatively affect profitability.
In addition, talk to employees about benefits to them, pets, and clients if the practice does well financially. Help them understand that the practice making more money translates into more equipment and drugs, more services provided to clients, and more benefits and compensation to staff.
Get employees involved in attaining practice goals to help them better understand the business side of the practice. Consider assign- ing employees to specific duties involving overhead expenses so they can better understand hospital costs and are motivated to keep expenses under control. Set goals for the entire team to control ex- penses and increase production. Then reward success when the staff meets established goals. For example, you could provide a staff bonus to be shared by the entire team at the end of each month if revenue production exceeds that of the year before.
You can also set monthly goals for the specific departments, such as the technical team or front office staff. Concentrate goals on a particular service or product, such as scheduling dental cleanings, senior laboratory screenings, or in- creasing heartworm prevention compliance. Many employees are apprehensive about change in the workplace and may resist change altogether. Acknowledge to staff that you know change can be difficult.
Listen to employees and validate their emotions about how change may affect them or their work environ- ment. Managers who recognize staff concerns and take steps to help employees accept change in a positive way will find that practice transitions occur more smoothly. Whenever possible, involve the team in decisions that necessitate change. This helps employees understand and buy in to the need for change. It also affords managers an opportunity to identify training needs and solicit ideas from the team to assist with the implementa- tion of changes.
Another way to help staff accept change more easily is to edu- cate them on why change is necessary, discussing how change will benefit them personally or contribute to the success of the practice. For example, if changes will increase efficiency, improve patient care, enhance client service, or increase profitability, then tell this to the employees. Team members are more accepting of change if they see the value to patients and pet owners. They also are receptive to changes that allow for more investment in the practice, such as better equipment, training opportunities, and higher compensation.
Give team members a chance to offer feedback about how they are handling the change once it is implemented. Encourage employees to take on additional responsibilities or assume lead roles in assisting with change. People inherently tend to resist change and may be slow to adopt new ways of doing tasks.
To be successful, start by including team members in the planning process. Whenever possible, these should be employees who will be responsible for implementing the new protocol or be affected by the change in the planning and discussion phase, even if this involves the entire staff. If employees are given the opportunity to provide input to changes in protocol, they are more likely to accept and support the changes. Staff also often have good ideas about how to implement changes and can give feedback on what training may be necessary.
Next, communicate the forthcoming changes in protocols at a staff meeting so you can explain the reason for the change and ad- dress questions prior to implementation. Make sure the team knows the deadline for implementing any change. Follow up by document- ing any change to protocols or procedures in the employee manual, and use written communication to remind everyone of the change. When appropriate, use middle managers or team leaders to assist with the training and implementation of any change.
For example, if a change is made in a medical protocol, a technician supervisor would be responsible for training the other technicians and answer- ing questions about the new protocols.
Finally, be sure to encourage and facilitate feedback from employees to identify whether staff are having any trouble with the change. Start by educating the employee who will be responsible for inven- tory management. This inventory manager needs to understand that inventory control is critical because inventory costs are one of the greatest expenses for the hospital.
Share basic financial information with this employee so he or she can see monthly totals for inventory and how an adjustment to this expense affects practice profitability. Be sure to educate the inventory manager on utilizing your com- puter software so he or she understands how it can help manage the inventory. After assigning an individual to manage inventory, make sure he or she is trained in all aspects of inventory control. Your inventory manager needs to know reorder points for all inventory items and the importance of inventory turnover ratios to minimize quantities on the shelf.
Spend one-on-one time working with the inventory manager to set realistic inventory levels. Provide guidance with re- spect to ordering large quantities to get a discount. Let the employee know when this may not be a wise expenditure for the practice. Request that your inventory manager seek approval prior to ordering expensive drugs or supplies in bulk. Meet periodically with your inventory manager to discuss in- ventory usage, budgets, and any issues related to inventory control.
Consider setting monthly or quarterly goals for the employee to min- imize inventory costs without running out of inventory. Establish a reward system for attaining the goals. Start by being a good role model. The team needs to see that you can manage your time wisely and meet deadlines. To teach other team members time management, establish clear job expectations and give staff deadlines to complete job duties.
Make sure staff know their daily job responsibilities and set goals for them to accomplish additional work. Then hold employees accountable for meeting job standards and deadlines. Some employees will be better than others at time management. Mentor and coach those employees who have difficulty knowing how to prioritize their time. You may need to ask the doctors and team leaders to assist with this process.
For example, an associate veterinar- ian or head technician can assist a technician who needs to better understand how to plan when being assigned multiple job tasks. It is also helpful to solicit feedback from employees about time management. Find out whether lack of training, inefficient work flow, insufficient staff, or lack of proper equipment is hindering their ability to finish job duties on time.
Give employees the resources and training they need to excel. Brainstorm solutions to improve efficiency, which will help with time management. Start by defining job duties, job expectations, and desired perfor- mance outcomes for middle managers and team leaders. Create written job descriptions and job expectations for all supervisors and identify areas for performance evaluation.
To help middle managers succeed, gradually delegate job duties and make sure the individuals are comfortable with new job duties. Share with them your failures as well as your successes in management, and encourage them not to be afraid to fail.
Provide ongoing feedback about job performance. Assure managers that you will give them support and guidance so they can be effective in their job roles. Part of being a good mentor to other employees involves listen- ing to their feedback about job challenges and ideas for enhancing hospital operations. Be open to suggestions from supervisors and flexible if they have a different way of handling job tasks. Middle managers and team leaders may come up with new and improved ways of doing things that you have never considered.
Develop managers by giving them opportunities to learn new skills and advance their knowledge. This includes having them attend leadership meetings and participate in decision making. When decisions are made that involve middle managers or team leaders, encourage problem solving by having them think through alternatives that can be considered and what questions need to be answered to arrive at the best solutions.
Exceptional veterinary team, www. Merial, www. Veterinary Learning Systems, www. Offers Veterinary Technician magazine, discussion boards, and articles. Veterinary Support Professional Network, www. You can find a consultant who can assist your practice with staff training.
Virbac Animal Health, www. Wilson, James F. Zachary, Lois J. Courses Firstline, www. You can subscribe to Firstline magazine and sign up for Firstline seminars that are offered at the CVC conferences. Idexx Laboratories, www. Idexx Laboratories Small Animal Health offers online courses and webinars. Lifelearn, www. This company has a thorough DVD training program with tests. VetMedTeam, www.
Offers online courses. Diversity on the veterinary team may be related to age, gender, na- tionality, religion, job title, physical appearance, sexual orientation, competency, training, experience, or personality.
In fact, diversity can be very good for the practice as a way to bring a range of ideas and strengths to the team.
Rather than being concerned about diversity, focus on the common goal that binds the team together. Communicate job expectations to employees and ensure they understand their roles in helping to achieve business success.
When the team is working toward a common goal and adhering to the same core values, diversity does not interfere with creating a rewarding culture. Embrace diversity on the team by asking for feedback from ev- eryone on a regular basis.
You may find that employees, as a result of their diversity, present new and different ideas or solutions. Focus on individual talents and strengths of team members that will help the business. For example, a younger team member may be able to offer ideas to enhance the practice web site or start a Facebook page.
Another employee may have Microsoft Publishing skills and be able to prepare the hospital newsletter. Other team members may have creative ideas for community involvement, enhancing client educa- tion, or improving hospital efficiency. Be sure to leverage the talents of everyone on your team. It can be difficult to break up cliques in the practice, so it is advisable to take steps to prevent these groups from forming in the first place.
Strive to anchor your team to the mission, vision, and core values of the practice. When everyone is focused on what is best for the hospital, patients, and clients, it is easier to get staff to realize the need to work as a team and to rise above petty differences.
It is criti- cal that the practice manager and the doctors model professionalism for the rest of the staff. In your employee policy manual, include standards of conduct that define professional behaviors and outline those behaviors that are unacceptable, such as gossip or demeaning comments about other team members. If cliques do take hold in the practice, proactively take action to address behavior that is damaging to morale or hospital operations. Talk to staff members about how their behavior is not productive and discuss solutions for any concerns they have about their co- workers.
Schedule face-to-face meetings and mediate disputes with employees, if necessary. Emphasize the positive attributes of each employee and remind everyone that teams need to work together toward a common goal. Sometimes it can be helpful to cross-train employees to work in various departments or to create a rotating schedule so that em- ployees work different shifts with various co-workers.
Additionally, you may be able to break up cliques by assigning clique members to special projects or assignments with other staff members so they have the opportunity to see the strengths and talents of those who are not part of their group.
Group activities, such as social activities and team-building ac- tivities, are valuable for employees to get to know each other better.
Ultimately, you may have to eliminate staff who are not team players and who do not support the practice philosophy. How do I avoid this kind of blame game? Try to prevent employees from blaming others by setting clear job expectations and focusing on teamwork. Remind everyone of their roles in helping the practice reach its vision and goals. When the team stays focused on achieving practice goals, they are less likely to get caught up in blaming co-workers for minor issues.
When a mistake occurs, ask the entire team how it could have been avoided and solicit feedback on how to prevent future problems. If you do notice that someone has become the target of employee complaints, investigate the root of the problem.
Make sure the issue is not a question of a misunderstanding regarding policy or pro- cedure. Decide whether the employee involved could benefit from additional training or supervision. Create a plan to provide training, and include team members in the training process. Determine whether employee blaming involves a personality conflict.
Encourage staff members to talk about their differences on their own. If problems continue, schedule a meeting to discuss the issue and mediate the conflict. Brainstorm solutions with the employ- ees and try to achieve buy-in for the steps to a permanent solution.
If an employee is either chronically blamed or chronically blam- ing others for problems, it may be time to evaluate whether this person is a good fit for the position. Offer training and coaching to modify behavior, but if inappropriate blaming continues, it is time to consider whether the blamed or blaming employee needs to find employment elsewhere. Sometimes an employee is just unhappy, and no amount of action by management will increase his or her job satisfaction. Start by trying to avoid gossip and the rumor mill in the workplace.
The best way to minimize gossip is to ensure open communication between management and employees. When open lines of communi- cation exist, gossip and the grapevine are less likely to occur because staff members are informed. Let employees know as soon as decisions are made regarding human resource management, hospital operations, or policies. Include a no-gossip policy in the hospital employee manual, which will help to establish clear expectations and consequences re- garding gossip.
Some hospitals also discourage gossip and rumors by addressing this behavior in a standard of conduct or professionalism section in the employee manual. Once managers realize that gossip is taking place, they should take immediate action to dispel rumors.
Meet with the person s involved in gossip. Create open dialogue about any rumors or misinformation regarding the practice. If an employee is guilty of gossiping about another employee, take action to mediate disputes, if necessary, and prevent harassment. Let employees know that gossip is damaging to the culture and will not be tolerated. Utilize team leaders and supervisors to discourage gossip and to keep staff informed.
If an employee persists in spreading rumors and gossiping, it is time to decide whether that person is actually a good fit for the prac- tice. As with all inappropriate behaviors, document incidents and terminate problem employees who refuse to change. Then communicate with team members regularly about their roles in fulfilling the mission and upholding the core values.
Everyone must understand how raising their level of knowledge and enhancing client education can improve patient care and help clients make decisions for their pets. Encourage employees to seek continuing education on their own, and provide opportunities for learning.
Send staff to seminars and invite industry representatives to the hospital to give presentations. Make sure that employees who attend outside continuing education programs bring back information and ideas to share with the rest of the team.
Challenge staff to learn new skills and gain knowledge by assigning projects or setting goals that will further their education and enhance client communication. Leverage the talents and knowl- edge of doctors and licensed technicians to train and educate other team members during monthly or quarterly continuing education sessions.
To maintain a culture of education and learning, emphasize the importance of continual improvement for employees to gain new skills and knowledge. Strive always to improve with client education as well.
Accountability starts with a leadership team that models the behav- ior they desire from the rest of the staff. Emphasize that everyone on the team needs to uphold the mission, vision, and core values of the practice. Rather than nagging employees to do something differently, make feedback more powerful by letting them know how their behavior is not consistent with the core values of the practice. Look for underlying causes for lack of accountability when it occurs. Clarify job duties and define all areas of accountability for each employee with detailed job descriptions.
Then be sure to provide team members with the training they need to excel. For example, if you assign an employee to present treatment plans to clients, make sure that em- ployee has received training on how to talk to clients about money and knows how to interact with emotional clients. You can also put into place protocols and tools to enhance ac- countability on a daily basis.
For example, you can use checkoff lists that employees must initial once a job assignment is completed. Require that staff initial when medical services are provided or when they make entries in medical records. This allows management to identify who is not accountable and to provide the necessary train- ing or coaching for these employees to improve. To create continued accountability, address unsatisfactory job performance quickly.
Talk to staff about errors in a timely manner, while the incidents are still fresh in their minds. Create dialogue about any challenges facing the team, and brainstorm solutions to enhance accountability when appropriate. Positive reinforcement for being ac- countable helps to build a culture of team accountability. Make sure the practice has a clear vision and defined core values so that the entire team understands where the business is heading and what behavior is expected.
Strive to open lines of communication so that team members are comfortable reminding both owners and leaders of their roles to walk the talk. Hold regular leadership meetings to review practice goals and discuss roadblocks that are impeding leaders from walking the talk.
Managers need to let owners know if their behavior is inconsistent with what is re- quired from the rest of the team. For example, an owner who takes off for a week without notifying the staff until the last minute, even though vacation notice of one month is a staff requirement, can wreak havoc with the schedule and set a poor example. This may be a very difficult conversation to have, but it is essential. It can be helpful to point out to owners how their behavior has negative effects, such as reduced morale and productivity.
Consider using outside resources, such as books see the resource list at the end of this chapter , seminars, and consultants, as a means to improve leadership skills, and discuss how enhanced leadership will drive the success of the practice. If your mission or vision and core values are just words on paper, start efforts to bring them to life by discussing them at the next staff meeting.
You can look here to find a list of consultants to assist with human resource management issues. Smith, Carin A. Establishing specific communication protocols helps to ensure continuity of care for patients and consistent client education for pet owners.
It is essential to create verbal communication protocols, which will help the team to discuss cases, and to follow written com- munication protocols, which will facilitate accurate medical records and enhance client education.
Most practices have rounds each morning and whenever there is a shift change for personnel. The primary purpose of rounds is to ensure everyone understands the current medical status of hospitalized patients and what has been communicated to the client. Team members can also review the daily schedule so everyone has the same information about pa- tients to be seen that day and relevant client education.
Remember to include front office personnel in rounds or at least to give them an update after rounds. In addition to rounds, continuity of care and client education should be topics for discussion during regularly scheduled staff meetings.
This affords team members an opportunity to discuss any problems with patient care or breakdowns in client communication. Written communication protocols are a must for every practice. Timely, accurate, and complete medical records are indispensable to achieve continuity of care and document client education. Other internal communication protocols involve using logs, dry erase boards, or computer software to enter messages for co-workers. Communication protocols for clients include using written commu- nication tools such as client handouts on medical conditions and take-home instructions to enhance client education.
The American Animal Hospital Association, www. In addition, AAHA provides pet behavior brochures and pet health brochures on a variety of topics. Breakdowns in communication or outright conflict between techni- cians and receptionists can be a challenge, especially as the practice grows. In large part, this can occur because these two staff groups have different job duties and priorities.
To address this problem, strive to open up the lines of communication within the team. To foster open communication, facilitate dialogue between the two groups at your regularly scheduled monthly staff meetings. When communication problems arise, ask each group to brainstorm solutions rather than just complaining. Try to cross-train your employees whenever possible. Employees who are cross-trained can jump in to help wherever they are needed on a busy day.
For ex- ample, technicians can answer the phone, help a client, or make an appointment, and receptionists can take a client to the exam room to get things started if the technicians are running behind. As part of your cross-training efforts, be sure to set job expectations so all employees know they need to work together as a team to maximize patient care and client service.
In this way, the receptionist can see how hectic it can be in the treatment room, which may account for unanswered pages on the intercom. Likewise, technicians who spend time at the front desk can experience the difficulties inherent in interacting with multiple clients during busy times. Your job will be easier if you establish clear policies and standard operating procedures SOPs for the hospital. SOPs can be developed for everything from how to take a phone message to resolving conflict between co-workers.
SOPs provide a written reference for all staff so they know how to handle various situations and to whom to go for direction for questions and problems that arise on a daily basis in the hospital. Enlist the as- sistance of senior staff members to serve as mentors to new hires to help with training and to answer questions.
Establish clear expecta- tions with mentors and trainers, and give them adequate training tools so they can be effective in their jobs and held accountable in assisting new hires. When an employee comes to you with a question or problem that should be handled by another supervisor or qualified team member, ask whether he or she has checked with this other individual, and then direct the employee to the appropriate person. Make sure you establish and adhere to a clear organizational chart so employees understand the proper reporting structure in the practice.
This means your area leaders must be trained and qualified to answer staff questions correctly. Encourage team members to speak directly to each other and try to resolve issues on their own. You should also coach your team members to come to you with ideas or solutions to problems rather than just questions or complaints. This will show staff that you value their input and help to empower the team. Before offering to promote an employee into a leadership position, carefully evaluate whether that team member has the necessary skills, including communication skills, to succeed and whether he or she is respected by the team.
Good candidates for leadership roles have proven that they excel in their position and have already gained the respect of their co-workers by demonstrating leadership quali- ties. Before moving someone into a leadership role, confirm that the person wants to move up and is willing to assume the responsibilities that come with the new position.
Be sure the employee also under- stands that this will change his or her relationships with co-workers. Once the decision has been made to promote an employee, inform the team about what duties this person will have and support the employee in the new role. Advanced Search Find a Library. Showing all editions for 'The veterinary fee reference : vital statistics for your veterinary practice. Refine Your Search Year. Displaying Editions 1 - 8 out of 8. Your list has reached the maximum number of items.
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The veterinary fee reference : vital statistics for your veterinary practice. Veterinary fee reference : vital statistics for your veterinary practice. The manual provides pertinent informationon parasite life cyles, importance, location in the host, zoonoticpotential, current literature, diagnosis, and treatment. It alsoincludes step-by-step instructions for the most common diagnosticprocedures used in routine veterinary practice.
Sections are organized by animal host species, including dogs;cats; cattle, sheep and goats; llamas; horses; pigs; birds; ratites ostriches, emus, and cassowaries ; and laboratory animals, as wellas wildlife, reptiles, marine mammals, and humans.
There is asection in which common artifacts found in fecal samples arepresented, and the last section includes conversion tables and alist of abbreviations. The Fate of Liberty.
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