Celebrating National Veterinary Technician Week
by Jenny Alonge
The 2023 National Veterinary Technician Week (NVTW) will be celebrated from October 15 to 21. The holiday was started in 1993 to celebrate, recognize, and promote veterinary technicians, who are an invaluable resource in the veterinary profession and who deserve to be honored for all their hard work. Keep reading for ways you can show your veterinary technicians how much you appreciate their service and dedication to your practice.
Ensure your veterinary technicians use their skills and knowledge
Employees tend to feel more engaged and satisfied when they can leverage their jobs to their full potential. Do your veterinary technicians have specialty training or skills they can use in your practice? This will not only improve your technicians’ job satisfaction but will also improve your practice efficiency. Review your staffing levels, and identify opportunities where you can incorporate your technicians’ skills.
Pay for your veterinary technicians’ continuing education
Continuing education (CE) seminars and classes can be expensive, and annual membership fees are also costly. Support your veterinary technicians by paying for their CE and annual membership fees, which will show them how much you value their services, and encourage them to gain specialty training or knowledge to improve your practice.
Provide your veterinary technicians with mental health resources
Many veterinary technicians struggle with burnout and compassion fatigue, and providing mental health resources will show your support and prevent employee turnover. Tips include:
Hold a weekly de-stress meeting — Gather your team for a weekly meeting to discuss stressful or upsetting situations, allowing your technicians to talk about the issues bothering them. These issues may be related to difficult cases, client abuse, or team member conflicts. Keep the discussions open, ensure everyone’s view is heard, and avoid creating a negative atmosphere.
Train your team — Training your team members in communication skills and conflict resolution techniques will benefit the whole practice.
Offer mental health resources — Provide a list of mental health resources your team members can access when they experience difficult situations you and your staff can’t handle.
Allow your veterinary technicians to take paid time off
A veterinary technician’s job is grueling and stressful, and they need time off to reset and re-energize, but many can’t afford to take off the time they need. By providing paid time off (PTO), you show that you value your technicians and understand the importance of downtime, which will help revitalize their enthusiasm, motivation, and passion for their job. They will perform their best when they return to work.
Discount your veterinary technicians’ pet health care costs
Most veterinary technicians have at least one pet, or more aptly named, a four-legged family member. Providing discounts for their pet’s health care will help ensure their family stays happy and healthy.
Schedule a team-building activity for your veterinary technicians
Team-building activities are a great way for your team members to de-stress and get to know each other better outside the workplace. These activities bring team members together in a shared experience, which teaches them better communication and builds a stronger bond. Examples include:
- Escape room challenge
- Ropes course
- Scavenger hunt
- Laser tag
- Community service project
- Trivia night
Recognize your veterinary technicians publicly
Use your social media platforms to celebrate your veterinary technicians. Spotlight a new team member each week, including their picture, personal information they want to share, educational background, their four-legged family members, and reasons they love being a veterinary technician. Also, give shout-outs to veterinary technicians who perform exceptionally well.
Send your veterinary technicians hand-written thank-you notes
Individual, personalized hand-written thank-you notes will show that you sincerely appreciate each veterinary technician and help ensure that they understand how much you value their unique talents and contributions to the practice. This meaningful gesture can significantly boost your team members’ morale.
Commemorate your veterinary technicians’ birthdays and anniversaries
Honoring your veterinary technicians on their birthdays and anniversaries with your practice will make them feel special and valued. Consider celebrating with a cake or another edible treat, so the entire team is included.
Cater lunch for your veterinary technicians
Veterinary technicians are so busy, they seldom stop long enough to eat. And, food that they do take time to grab typically is not nutritious or tasty. So, cater their lunch during NVTW—that will ensure they get a good meal. Also, consider stocking healthy options, such as protein bars, fresh fruit, and yogurt cups, so your team can grab a nutritious snack to keep them going through the hectic day.
The veterinary profession wouldn’t run without veterinary technicians, and the NVTW’s 30th anniversary is the perfect opportunity to ensure they know how much you and your other team members value their hard work, their special skills, and their dedication.
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