Student Doctor Network Forums - View Single Post - How to be a better E-Vet Assistant

Member 444192 · 05-11-2012, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittyterran

Hello, I started working at a pretty busy animal clinic on emergency hours. Things were going great in the beginning. I was learning a lot (though it was quite overwhelming how much information that I needed to know). Now that I'm off training and actually working shifts, I feel that my progress in waning and the tech and Dr. I'm working for may be a little less impressed by me. I have come here for some advice. Here are some challenges I am having:

1. Being proactive: The tech that I work with is extremely fast and he expects me to hear a treatment plan and go get all the materials. This is my first vet job, so I don't know anything about treatments or related materials, just basics...like "go get IV catheter supplies", but I don't know to do that if the receptionist comes in saying, "Dog with bloat." How should I be more proactive with treatments? Should I research cases in my free time?
2. Patient Histories: How long am I supposed to take good patient history for emergency cases? I'm really confused because one doctor told me I need to get all signalments and take my time getting pt history. I still miss a lot of information like when the doctor does his assessment and asks me if I asked something, and I didn't. She gets frustrated. Once, I was trying to be really thorough and taking signalments for a dog with a laceration and the client got pissed at me for asking "irrelevant" questions....The doctor got pissed at me for taking too long and making the client angry...but I thought signalments were "essential"( according to the other doctor). How do I take appropriate patient history, especially with animals that have more pressing medical emergencies and clients that are really nervous and angry?
3. Retaining details. How do you remember details as you work, because I can not remember an animal's details (what kind of collar it had, TPR results, age, etc) off the top of my head, especially when the animals are basically coming in one after the other all night on a 12 hour shift. Do you have any tips on how to keep on top of everything?

The desire to do better is definitely there, but I am having trouble proving it. I don't want to get fired. I'm just discouraged by the vast amount of skills that I have not obtained and yet are expected to know. A lot of the people that work there have had years of experience on-the-job and seem to basically read eachother's minds. Feel free to give me some advice, tough love, sympathy, suggestions for how-to guides, w/e. Anything is appreciated!

Im not so sure if this is advice...or just something to make you feel better. But if they hired you knowing that you did not know everything you were suppose too, then I can almost bet that they are understanding of "the learning process". I hope that someone would not hire someone expecting them to just magically know the same as people, who like you had said "have years of experience". That would be an error on their part. It might be all in your head that you are not doing well, and that is only going to make things worse. I would talk to the Dr., and I am sure he will give you a boost of confidence and then feeling better you will perform better (or the exact same if you never were really doing anything wrong in the first place!)