Launchpad: Don't Discount the Power of Veterinary Technicians

This month, I’d like to spotlight some of the most valuable teachers and resources you will ever have: veterinary technicians. 

Technicians have coached me through many new tasks that I would go on to perform hundreds or even thousands of times. (Shout out to Heidi, a fantastic LVT who taught me how to express anal glands! Truly a gift that keeps on giving.) They’ve also stepped in to do things I was used to doing myself. This had the dual effect of making me teary-eyed with gratitude and letting me actually eat lunch regularly, which probably made everyone else in the hospital grateful, too. 

They have talked me down during dentals that made my eyes cross and surgeries that made me sweat bullets. 

They have cried with me when things went wrong.

They have saved patient lives in front of me, with me, and instead of me. 

They have given statements to the state veterinary board on my behalf.

They have pushed the euthanasia solution and collected samples for rabies testing on days when I just could not do it. 

They have literally saved me by trusting their gut instincts, including by physically throwing me out of harm’s way. And they’ve taught me more about animal behavior than anyone else, hands down. 

They have spoken up when I wrote prescriptions wrong, and they’ve advocated for more pain control, more anti-anxiety meds, and sometimes “less is more” handling for patients they knew better than I did.

One of my first criteria now, when I’m deciding whether I want to work somewhere, is whether the technicians are given a voice and the autonomy to do their jobs well without micromanagement. I’ve seen techs underestimated over and over again, both by others and by themselves. Associate veterinarians can profoundly influence practice culture by showing the technical team that we want to work alongside techs, using our different knowledge and skills to complement each other. 

Speak up on their behalf in doctor meetings. Show them you’ve got their backs, tell them you want to hear their opinions, and start to build trust together. Patient care—and your own job satisfaction—will benefit.