Wellness for Veterinary Professionals

Veterinary social workers provide much needed support to those working in clinical practice—and to clients, too.  Here’s what you should know about the help they offer, as well as details on how to seek the aid you need.

A clinic whose leadership acknowledges that transitions are part of life and work creates a place where people want to come to work. But transitions can be hard to navigate. This article outlines the three stages of transitions: honor what’s lost, rewrite the “shoulds”/Inner Critic, and look for signs of the new, to help clinics thrive through transition.

Meet the 2024 AAHA VTOY honorees, hear their thoughts about the field, and learn what motivates them.

In collaboration with Admired Leadership, check out their article from their Field Notes newsletter, which is a blurb about daily leadership wisdom you can read in about a minute.

In collaboration with Admired Leadership, check out their article from their Field Notes newsletter, which is a blurb about daily leadership wisdom you can read in about a minute.

From expert expressors to surgery savants and spicy cat whisperers, AAHA Con 2024 was packed with vet med superheroes across all roles.

In collaboration with Admired Leadership, check out their article from their Field Notes newsletter, which is a blurb about daily leadership wisdom you can read in about a minute.

Opportunities for career advancement can help improve retention in clinical practice—and there are several ways to make sure the people who keep your practice running are getting the opportunities they desire.

Ever wish you could have valuable insights from an AAHA webinar at your fingertips to go back to whenever you need them? Now you can with our Cultural Competency Toolkit, full of actionable insight and resources!

What are you hoping to gain from a mentoring relationship? We’ve got the questions to ask—and the steps to take—to make sure your mentorship experience is a successful one.

Can you recycle carpet-covered cat furniture? Not likely. And it turns out, breaking down the components of the carpeting, adhesives, and backing might not be so healthy either, as it can release the potentially harmful stuff underneath. So what is an environmentally conscious person to do?

This summary of the new Veterinary Visionaries Psychological Health and Safety Guidelines Exploring will lead you through the origin story of Veterinary Visionaries (VV) and into a body of work that provides insight into the language, framework, and world of Psychological Health and Safety.

Job flexibility looks different for everyone, but opening up the conversation about what flexibility really means can be a move in the right direction towards shifting practice culture and retaining good teams.

Is flexibility possible as an employee? These veterinary team members say yes, share what it means to them, and give advice on how to achieve it.

With the goal of addressing the concerning issues related to mental and emotional health in the veterinary profession, a task force with the collaborative group released what authors of the guidelines say can be a “wake-up call” for checking in on team psychological health and safety.

Looking for inspiration on how to provide more flexibility to your team? Check out some of the creative ways hospital leaders are making it work.

On July 22, celebrate eight years since AAHA Day launched by showing us how you celebrate accreditation! Tag us on social media using the hashtag #AAHADay.

The phrases “hiring for fit” and “hiring for culture” are often used as guiding recruitment principles, and on the surface, they seem like a great way to build a harmonious team. However, it’s important to understand how these practices can also foster bias.

Meet all the hospitals nominated for AAHA’s 2024 APOY award and hear from our four finalists.

Hurricane Ian left a path of devastation when it hit Florida in 2022. Now, almost two years later, the destruction of VCA’s hospital on Sanibel Island allowed their team to rebuild not only a bigger practice but one that provides more comprehensive pet care.

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”?

Mindful micro-breaks are an evidence-based approach to increasing your energy and cognitive function while at work. And they’ll even make you more resilient when navigating stress and conflict.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 veterinary 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 veterinary 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