Lauren S. Grider, DVM, CCFP Naya* is a twenty-six-year-old veterinarian who is seeing her last patient of the day. The patient, a seven-year-old Golden Retriever named Clara*, is bright, alert, responsive, and very affectionate. Clara’s owners explain that they are seeking humane euthanasia because of Clara’s chronic skin problems. Currently Clara has severe alopecia and…
Lauren S. Grider, DVM, CCFP When we last saw Katie,* a young veterinarian whose demanding job was significantly interfering with her life satisfaction, she had decided to improve her physical and mental wellness by adding her favorite hobby back into her routine. She used the S.M.A.R.T. Goals paradigm to create a realistic initial goal of…
Lauren S. Grider, DVM, CCFP Mark,* a twenty-eight-year-old emergency veterinarian, started getting serious about creating his self-care plan after a particularly difficult week. He had drawn holiday weekend duty in the ER, and his last shift was exceptionally busy, with a heavy load of trauma patients, many of which didn’t survive. Toward the end of…
Lauren S. Grider, DVM, CCFP Sydney* is a 41-year-old credentialed veterinary technician with more than twenty years of experience in the field. She typically works 40-50 hours a week at a busy small animal specialty practice, and she loves her job despite the high level of stress. Recently, her 10-year-old son was diagnosed with a…
Lauren S. Grider, DVM, CCFP In the last article we met Sydney*, a longtime veterinary technician who was experiencing feelings of guilt surrounding her need for a job change. After examining the ways in which her work in the veterinary field both contributes to her core identity and impacts her other roles and responsibilities, she…
Lauren S. Grider, DVM, CCFP In the last article, we followed longtime veterinary technician Sydney* as she investigated job opportunities and identified potential areas of career interest. After using the O*NET Interest Profiler to learn about her RIASEC code, Sydney was able to feel more confident about evaluating potential jobs and finding a good fit…
Cations may be the cutest of the ions, but they are only part of the equation. This lecture will cover all things homeostasis, electrolyte balance, fluid shifts, ions, buffers, and more. The many systems involved, as well as their derangements in our patients will be the focus of this presentation for veterinary technicians and assistants.…
In today’s modern workplace, employees are no longer motivated by traditional, extrinsic (financial) compensation approaches alone. Building an engaged and cohesive team requires a combination of both extrinsic incentives and intrinsic motivators. Date & Time Wednesday, May 10, 20236:00pm – 7:00pm (Central Time) Please note that registration for the webinar will close 15 minutes prior…
How do you thrive in your veterinary career for 5, 10, or even 50 years? You learn to make self-care a priority. This lecture will begin with a brief review of the state of mental health in the veterinary profession. A discussion of recognizing burnout in ourselves and our team will follow using Dr. Boatright’s…