Thinking Outside the Box

Utilizing Veterinary Technicians in Food Animal Practice

Abstract

Do the veterinarians in your clinic work too many hours and still not have time to get everything accomplished? There are many traditional options to remedy this situation, such as working more hours or not taking any new clients. However, there is another option ... hiring a Registered (Certified) Veterinary Technician. You're probably asking yourself "How will this help me?" We will answer that question during this presentation and have you beginning to "think outside the box"! Each practice situation will bring unique opportunities based upon the type of practice and applicable laws for its location. These tasks, delegated by the veterinarian to the technician, may include both traditional "nursing" skills as well as tasks in your herd health programs. This team approach, though new in food animal practice, has been long used in the human nursing and dental professions. The bottom line is that utilizing technicians as part of the veterinary team will positively impact the clinic business ... the doctors are more efficient, the technicians are challenged to do what they are trained to do and the client gets outstanding service.