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Sandy Walsh

Sandy Walsh

RVT, CVPM

About the Author

Getting Technical columnist Sandy Walsh is a veterinary practice management consultant, speaker and adviser. She is an instructor for Patterson Veterinary Management University and continues to work in a small animal practice. She has over 35 years of experience in the veterinary field and brings her in-the-trenches experience directly to readers.

Written By This Author

Personal/Professional Development

Moving Forward in Veterinary Nursing

Professional development requires the team member’s determination and commitment as well as the practice’s support of continuing education.

Practice Management

The Empowered Veterinary Nurse

Multiple payoffs await if you allow your capable and trusted technicians to take on more responsibilities.

Client Communication

The Exceptional Veterinary Nurse

A great leader elevates everyone on the team as they strive to deliver optimal patient care and thorough client communication.

Client Communication

Leading by Example

From start to finish in a patient’s care, and even after discharge, empowered veterinary nurses stay in close contact with clients.

Practice Management

Rising to the Top

One challenge for every head technician is finding the time to lead the team, manage everyone and work on the floor with patients and clients.

Personal/Professional Development

The Next Step

Veterinary nurses looking to move into management or leadership should pursue specific learning opportunities.

Merchandising

You Can Count on It

Count each item in stock, check expiration dates and flag short-dated items for return or immediate use.

Government/Regulations

Risky Business

OSHA standards outline many of the protocols for handling hazardous waste.

Staff Training

Educate and Document

Every business, regardless of type, is required to train employees.

Government/Regulations

Safe and Sound

Inspections are needed to identify known or potential hazards in each work area of the hospital.

Staff Training

Better Safe Than Sorry

When a team member is dealing with a personal issue outside the workplace, privacy issues should take a backseat to workplace safety.

Client Communication

Nurture the Bond

The pandemic upset client relationships, but you can still provide good customer service.

Personal Wellness

How to Reduce Burnout

The pandemic has made work and daily life even more stressful. You can mitigate the tension if you set expectations for clients, fine-tune staff schedules and practice self-care.

Veterinary Nursing

A Clean Bill of Health

Everyone on the veterinary team, from managers to groomers, is responsible for ridding the hospital of germs and then doing it again and again. Cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing is a never-ending job.

Practice Management

What COVID-19 Has Taught Us

We learned to navigate through the unthinkable and prepare for the unknown.

Veterinary Nursing

A Recipe for Success

Leveraging technicians gives them a greater role in patient care and frees veterinarians to focus on active, rather than passive, revenue streams.

Veterinary Nursing

From Preop through Postop

Surgical outcomes are optimized when the client is engaged and educated at every step, beginning with consent and ending with discharge and at-home care.

Veterinary Nursing

5 things you didn’t learn in school

Your clinical skill set is important, of course, but there’s more to being a veterinary technician if you want to thrive and survive.

Pet Insurance

Take the lead on pet insurance

Veterinary technicians are in a great position to raise the topic of pet insurance — and all its benefits — with clients.

Personal/Professional Development

See You at the CE

Whether accomplished at conferences, online or during lunch and learns, veterinary continuing education is important for skillset development and career advancement.

Personal/Professional Development

The road ahead

A support position doesn’t have to be a lifetime job. You have other options in the veterinary field if you’re motivated to do something else.

Personal/Professional Development

What gets you down?

Suffering from burnout, compassion fatigue or work-life issues? Make time for yourself, and distance yourself from what causes you the most stress.

Veterinary Nursing

Wield Your Influence

What a veterinary nurse says and does can make the difference between a pet owner following a recommended treatment plan or rejecting it altogether.

Client Communication

You make the call

Call the day after any medication is dispensed. Ask if the client is having issues administering the drug and whether the pet is having side effects.

Patient Care

Gray matters

Many practices have developed patient care models to address and resolve specific age-related conditions.

Government/Regulations

Uh-oh, it’s OSHA

Regular and structured safety training is an OSHA requirement. Employees must be trained upon hiring, when OSHA standards change, and annually.

Patient Care

The royal treatment

Remember to keep the patient warm, comfortable and observed throughout recovery.

Merchandising

Do the math

Once the cleanup and consolidation are complete, the next step is to physically count what you have on hand.

Personal/Professional Development

The Efficient Practice

Inefficiency results when doctors are doing “non-doctor” tasks that the support team should be doing.

Patient Care

Make Surgery an Exceptional Experience

Top-notch communication and protocols will wow clients and ensure the best possible care of their pets.

Client Communication

Craft a Treatment Plan Game Plan

Veterinary clients are more likely to accept medical recommendations if you clearly explain the services, provide a high-end, low-end fee estimate and know how to respond to financial resistance.

Government/Regulations

Learn Drug Security Basics

Veterinary technicians play a key role in the oversight of controlled substances.

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