Double Tap: Staff Training

Double Tap: Staff Training

Staff training and development drive success in any veterinary hospital, ensuring that patient care, client communication and operational effectiveness are executed to an organization’s standards. Inherently, a hospital will hire a team with a diverse set of skills, which presents both opportunities and challenges. More experienced staff will bring deep clinical expertise, while newer employees can bring fresh perspectives and enthusiasm to their work. Regardless of experience, each hospital should have effective programs to both bridge any gaps in knowledge as well as foster the approach and culture of that particular hospital. Our Hospital Manager at Papaya Veterinary Care, Carmel Valley outlines her specific approach below. 

At Papaya Veterinary Care – Carmel Valley we have used a variety of training methods to drive outcomes and culture that works for our hospital. We utilize hands on peer shadowing and feedback to enhance skill development and rigorous onboarding roadmaps and checklists to drive sustainable results. Our diligence has enabled us to establish a well-oiled machine (hospital) that is on its way to running itself.  

New veterinary technicians work under experienced staff, including both vet techs and veterinarians to ensure training is hands-on and immersive., Partnering peer to peer shadowing allowing trainees to apply their knowledge in a variety of everyday scenarios and to learn our veterinarian’s approach to patient care. Alongside daily in-clinic practice and shadowing, we rolled out a 4-week onboarding roadmap to put the practice to paper. Utilizing a roadmap and skills checklist creates a good baseline for identifying areas of improvement and accountability to keep results sustainable. Regular performance evaluations, peer to peer feedback, and communication are key for overcoming hurdles and setting a veterinary team up for success.  

Challenges while training undoubtedly still occur, but I’ve learned that a key part of the process includes a healthy amount of struggle and allowing technicians to “fail” a little to ultimately help them grow. It’s easy as the manager to want to “rescue” staff and do the task yourself, but unfortunately this stunts learning of your team members. Allowing technicians to learn through experience means letting mistakes happen within safe limits and debriefing after errors, turning the experience into learning moments. This approach fosters a learning and continuous improvement culture rather than fear, as well as balances high expectations with patience, support, and realistic goals. 

Last year we made the bold decision to switch our hospital model to staff veterinary technicians to run both reception and treatment. The typical veterinary hospital has receptionists run the front desk and veterinary technicians run treatments. After evaluating our client experience and operational workflow, I believe what sets us apart is our diligent and versed veterinary technicians that run the show. Technicians are always on the floor and working directly with pet patients and doctors, so they’re better informed and have a broader knowledge of veterinary medicine when communicating with clients. The vet tech-based hospital model decreases phone call lengths, phone hold times and transferring calls to a second person. In addition, we are able to have a cross-trained staff to “plug and play” across the various roles at our hospital. Efficient communication and teamwork are essential for patient care and hospital operations and this is an everyday practice.