Being bitten or scratched by a dog or cat is a common occurrence in a veterinary practice. Dealing with pet owners who lash out is part of the job, too, unfortunately.<\/p>\n
A British Veterinary Association survey found that 85 percent of veterinarians reported that they or a team member had felt intimidated by a client\u2019s language or behavior. Moreover, veterinarians who were younger or female were more likely to experience intimidation.<\/p>\n
The friction often originates over money. Ninety percent of veterinarians reported that they or a team member had been challenged over fees or charges. In addition, 98 percent of practitioners revealed that \u201cat some time they feel under pressure from clients to waive fees or to accept the promise of late payment,\u201d the BVA stated.<\/p>\n
BVA President John Fishwick, MA, VetMB, DCHP, DECBHM, offered a suggestion for dodging conflict over veterinary fees.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese figures emphasize the importance of managing expectations around fees by ensuring a two-way discussion about options and costs so clients can make a decision in collaboration with the veterinary team,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sam Morgan, president of the British Veterinary Nursing Association, wasn\u2019t surprised by the survey results.<\/p>\n
\u201cWorking within practice, we have all either been subject to or witnessed that difficult client, but we must remember any form of harassment is unacceptable,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cIt\u2019s important not to feel alone in these situations and to ensure there is awareness and support throughout the veterinary team.\u201d<\/p>\n
The BVA and the British Veterinary Nursing Association provided these tips for dealing with intimidation:<\/p>\n
Veterinarians, particularly those who are younger or female, may find themselves in an intimidating situation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":1264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-online","column-news","clinical_topics-news"],"acf":{"hide_sidebar":false,"hide_sidebar_ad":false,"hide_all_ads":false},"yoast_head":"\n