Vet Tech Appreciation Week: Recognition Goes Beyond One Week a Year

Vet Tech Appreciation Week: Recognition Goes Beyond One Week a Year

As veterinarians, we always want to see pets receiving the best care possible. That would certainly not be possible without the unsung heroes of our profession: veterinary technicians. Thankfully, the NAVTA has recognized this and created an awareness and appreciation week that happens annually. This year, Vet Tech Appreciation Week falls on October 16-22. What do you plan to do to show your vet techs you value and respect them?

As much as we love to celebrate these deserving heroes with a week of gifts and treats, showing recognition and respect to your veterinary technicians goes beyond one week a year. How can you demonstrate your ongoing appreciation for your vet techs?

Recognition: How We Show It Matters

One way is to implement the use of Recognition Forms. These forms help leadership understand how each individual employee prefers to receive recognition and deliver that appreciation in a way that matters most to the individual. Download and print your own copies to start getting to know your staff better!

Some people thrive when they are congratulated in large groups of people, while some people prefer to get taken aside to be thanked one-on-one, with many preferences in between. By using a Recognition Form, you can begin to understand your staff on a deeper level, and deliver well-deserved recognition in a way that is meaningful to them.

GVMA Employee Recognition Form Download now

Maximize Your Licensed Techs: It’s Good for Business

Another way to appreciate your technicians is understanding just how beneficial to your business they are. According to research by the AVMA, there is a clear link between increased use of credentialed veterinary technicians and increased revenue. Research done by the NAVTA also demonstrates that job satisfaction is closely tied with full utilization of skills and knowledge.

Veterinary leaders can show technicians they are valued by really maximizing all of the skills, knowledge, and training they worked hard for when earning their license. When was the last time you asked your technicians individually what areas of practice they are interested in? Many technicians have or would be interested in learning specialized skills. Give them opportunities to assist in surgery or provide specialized technician care. Well-trained technicians with the right skill sets are capable of a huge array of clinical tasks that go beyond taking history and administering medication. Oftentimes, technicians are underutilized and are left by the wayside, eager to take on opportunities to learn new skills.

The more you utilize your technicians in a way that tells them they are a critical part of the veterinary team, the more energized, focused, and productive they will be. Are your technicians qualified and confident in the day-to-day skills in your practice? Take what you learned from those one-on-one conversations and offer professional development opportunities or specialized training to these techs. Offer to cover the costs of the advanced training. If that is not an option, offering to cover a portion of the fees or giving them paid time off for the days they are training is another way to show support.

This Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week, we hope you find unique ways to show your technicians how much they matter to the profession. Spoil them, celebrate them, let them know how much we count on them! Schedule a client email that lets owners know just how critical technicians are to delivering the best care to their pets. Many times, clients don’t understand how skilled our technicians are – being the ultimate multitaskers, keeping calm under pressure, and serious attention to detail. Our profession is often a thank-less one – hopefully shouting out your hard-working technicians to owners will generate some extra kindness, even if it’s just for the week.