There I was many years ago, a faculty clinician educator and scholar at the University of Missouri’s Middlebush Equine Center and an unofficial sounding board for veterinary technicians. The technicians found in me someone who would listen, and they shared everything from their career aspirations to the barriers encountered daily to their personal challenges. They loved caring for patients, supporting devoted clients, helping faculty clinicians and teaching students. Their jobs were fulfilling.
The technicians weren’t complaining as they worked tirelessly with salaries that wouldn’t sustain an individual or family long term. They just wanted someone to listen, understand what they did and were capable of doing, support them, help them progress professionally and inspire them. They wanted veterinarians to treat them as the vital veterinary professionals they were. Sound familiar?
Persistent Negatives
Flash-forward to today, when almost every important discussion about current issues within the profession includes veterinary technicians. With the passage of decades, the discussions are the same. Recruiting and retaining veterinary technicians are persistent challenges, with a 23% to 50% turnover rate and an average career of five to seven years. Their salaries rarely sustain a long-term career. Many of them aren’t allowed to work at the top of their licenses despite glaring needs in the practice and their strong desire and ability to contribute more.
Veterinary technicians recognize their capabilities in the context of the needs of the practice, but they often feel underutilized and underappreciated. In fact, the top reason veterinary technicians quit is because their skills are underutilized. They want someone to help them see what they could become and help them develop a viable career path. When that does not happen, they leave. Why do we let it happen?
The Role of a Leader
It would be easy at this point to make the obvious recommendation to use technicians at the top level at which they can be trained and reward them financially for doing so. Yes, that is absolutely true, but I want to address another essential aspect of what veterinary leaders can do for veterinary technicians and for themselves, their practices, clients and patients — all with few to no financial implications.
As leaders, we must inspire individuals, teams, organizations and ourselves. We are first and foremost responsible for creating and maintaining the desired culture throughout our organizations. Today, that culture must include clear signals about the importance of each and every person on the team. The culture should foster positive attitudes about change, including using veterinary technicians at the top of their licenses and taking risks in pursuit of excellence.
The environment must be one in which veterinary technicians feel free to suggest improvements. They should be encouraged and rewarded for doing so. They should be acknowledged openly and praised for their positive contributions, even those not adopted immediately or tried unsuccessfully.
A tradition of contributing ideas, trying new things and being rewarded accordingly becomes contagious throughout an organization. It is nothing short of amazing to watch organizations evolve favorably in an authentically supportive environment in which people are valuable and valued and leaders show empathy.
Culture Matters
It is essential to recognize that culture change does not happen overnight. Additionally, most employees do not feel meaningfully connected to the culture of their organization, so patience is important. Leaders must determine and communicate the desired culture, such as through vision and mission. More importantly, they must live the culture themselves, model desired behaviors and motivate others to do the same. Any deviations from the ethos must be addressed appropriately.
Imagine for a moment a veterinary practice that achieves a culture in which everyone feel valued and recognized for their hard work and contributions. Imagine a practice in which the suggestions of veterinary technicians are heard and implemented swiftly. The expected results are better recruitment and retention of the most talented people, improved personal well-being, higher engagement and productivity, better client experiences and patient care, and positive financial outcomes. In other words, the expected results are a more successful practice or organization.
Remember that veterinary technicians sought their role and love the work. They must be nurtured to become all they can be and to contribute all they can contribute. That’s a win-win.
Change Is Overdue
I have often reflected on those Missouri veterinary technicians and how they identified me as their sounding board and shared their perspectives. Their pleas for help inspired me to step up and enter academic administration rather than continue my passion in patient care, client care, teaching and clinical research.
Until then, I could only listen and be empathetic. I lacked the authority to make changes. I had to accept things as they were, or I had to put myself in a position to help. That philosophy has stuck with me ever since. I have never forgotten the value of veterinary technicians. Let’s not just “listen so hard that it hurts.” Instead, let’s make the needed changes now.