Feeling incompetent... need to vent

[turnandburn]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I was really, really excited to take this job as a vet assistant at a new clinic. It's a small, one doctor clinic and basically I am the only other employee working in the afternoons. I do everything, answering phones, checking in clients, scheduling appointments, putting everything into the computer, restraining animals, doing lab tests, developing radiographs, filling prescriptions, drawing up vaccines, cleaning rooms, stocking supplies, etc. I've done a lot of this stuff before, but not as much of the "techy" stuff like filling prescriptions, running and ordering lab tests, and drawing up vaccines. It wouldn't be as bad if there were other people around sharing the load, but I'm the only other one, so everytime I have a question I have to run and ask the doctor. He's EXTREMELY nice and patient and never makes me feel stupid for asking questions but I get really stressed out when there are 5 people waiting up front, 2 people on hold on the phone, and the doctor needs me to do 8 other things, and half the time I feel like I totally don't know what I'm doing. I am still new at this job and I'm sure it will get easier, but right now I am totally stressed!

On the brighter side of things, I'm learning a TON of stuff and I think this is a great experience for me.

Does anyone have any similar experiences or words of wisdom? I have really high expectations for myself and I want to do the best I can and seem competent at my work =)

Anyway, I just had to vent. I feel better already. 🙂

 

[twelvetigers]

Hey, my clinic is the same way! There are 3 techs there and only one works at a time with the doctor. We actually don't have room for an x-ray machine, so I don't get to see any radiographs, but the rest sounds much the same.

It's so overwhelming at first, but after a while you start to figure out how to handle two people on the phone at the same time, more than one person in the lobby, or just multitasking in general. I still forget this or that at times (crap, I forgot to wipe down the table after the last client. crap, I should have gone ahead and started that fecal. crap, I forgot to write that in the file. etc.) but it's getting easier.

My doctor makes me fel bad for asking questions sometimes... like I should feel guilty because I can't find the alcohol? Sometimes that's annoying. Also, they always point out any mistakes I make... which is fine, I'd like to know so that I can do things the right way... but I never hear a peep about things that I do the correct way. So, I come home with a list of things I did wrong floating around in my head and not much else.

But I'm learning a lot too, and that's what matters most. Just hang in there and try not to make the same mistake twice. In two months, you won't recognize yourself! Haha.

 

[sambone]

Boy, the grass is always greener haha. I had the opposite problem. I was hired as an assistant at a big 5 doctor mixed animal hospital with 13 asst/techs/rec./admin and at first I had nothing to do! It was terrible...It's not that there wasn't work - it's just that the other employees had "seniority," and even though they were all really nice, they weren't about to let me do their work. And in reality, they really didn't need me at the time. It is also the kind of place where you DO NOT want to get caught standing around...the head vet is an older man with a very stern approach to running a business. So I literally would scrub window blinds and sink faucets and walls. I was so miserable I almost quit, but Im SO glad I stuck with it. It's been awesome experience, now that I'm actually assisting! (although I definitely make mistakes and feel super stressed out at times) I guess we should be happy with what we get...😀

 

[david594]

I was really, really excited to take this job as a vet assistant at a new clinic. It's a small, one doctor clinic and basically I am the only other employee working in the afternoons.

If its just 1 tech and 1 doctor then I personally think you guys are understaffed.

With just 2 staff members the doctor is left doing all the "technical" work that should normally be passed off to a technician to free up there time to do more doctor'ish things.

And worse if the single technician needs to answer phones, because then would further hold up the doctor from doing the technical things they shouldn't be doing.

Where I work

Where N = number of doctors
Technicians = N + 2

A doctor can walk out of a room and tell the 2 extra technicians to grab the animal and do X-rays, blood work, radiographs and they can go into the next appointment with the other tech while the first animal is being worked up.

Economies of scale aside, it sounds like you guys would benefit from an additional technician.

 

[pupsforseeing]

turnandburn, i once worked in a very similar environment. it was very stressful (although you'll get much better at handling all the chaos calmly), but you will learn a *ton* by necessity. and aside from the technical skills you'll gain, the ability to multi-task and handle a high stress environment will come in handy in the future.

 

[ImaJerseyGirl]

.

 

[thereservoirdog]

Boy, the grass is always greener haha. I had the opposite problem. I was hired as an assistant at a big 5 doctor mixed animal hospital with 13 asst/techs/rec./admin and at first I had nothing to do! It was terrible...It's not that there wasn't work - it's just that the other employees had "seniority," and even though they were all really nice, they weren't about to let me do their work. And in reality, they really didn't need me at the time. It is also the kind of place where you DO NOT want to get caught standing around...the head vet is an older man with a very stern approach to running a business. So I literally would scrub window blinds and sink faucets and walls. I was so miserable I almost quit, but Im SO glad I stuck with it. It's been awesome experience, now that I'm actually assisting! (although I definitely make mistakes and feel super stressed out at times) I guess we should be happy with what we get...😀

That sounds like a much tougher situation then the OP's, I'm glad you stuck with it! But for her case, all the new things to learn and the pace will be difficult at first, but once you get the hang of things you get the benefit of having more responsibility, skills, and a better relationship with the doctor, IMO. So just hang in there, you'll be fine.

 

[Ben and Me]

Agree with several others that say it sounds understaffed. What is your client service like? Sounds like y'all may have one of those practices where the client gets left on hold for 40 minutes (not your fault!) Maybe point out to the doctor that the client service might benefit from an additional staff person--and if the clients are happy, they recruit others! The practice where I work is more like Sambone's, except that everyone takes turns getting stuck cleaning blinds, faucets, etc 🙂 However, our clients are NEVER on hold for more than the time it takes to grab their file and, unless we have an emergency come in and don't have an exam room available, they are never in the waiting room for more than 5 minutes. I'm glad we can do that for our clients.

 

[twelvetigers]

The clinic I work at is tiny. One appointment is made at a time, in 1/2 hour intervals. So, we aren't really understaffed. The doctor draws the blood, gives the vaccines, does the dentals etc. and that's just how it is (and has been for 20+ years).

 

[InfiniVet]

Thats exactly how it was at my clinic - 2 doctors and 4 techs per shift. No receptionists/kennel staff.
So our job was to check in clients, answer phones, draw blood, run fecals, run xrays & ultrasound, assist in surgery, draw up meds, do dentals, restock, do the kennels, mop the floors, run to the bank, re-order food/vaccines... among 500,000 other little things.

It was hellishly stressful the first 3 months, and I had come in with zero tech experience, but I ended up thriving under the pressure, always stayed professional with the other techs, keeping my manners tip-top, and man it gives you such a sense of empowerment and pride in your job on the days where you just totally kick butt!
It was fantastic but every day I would come home fall down tired, and I ended up developing bilateral chondromalacia in my knees from kneeling on the floors so much.

I also loved how each tech did every job - every tech mopped the floors and folded laundry, which was great because no one gets a big head or feels inferior.

Bottom line is it made me feel good to be trusted to handle that kind of workload, and I worked my ass off to keep that trust. I learned so much, and after a few years I could juggle it all with my eyes closed - and so will you 🙂

 

[charismarl]

Sounds like your practice needs a dedicated receptionist....it's really impractical and inefficient for you to be doing everything. I would have a heart-to-heart with your boss and see what he thinks...you are totally justified. The more you run around nad to 10 things at a time, the more likely you are to screw something up and that's never good. His practice will make more money and be way more efficient if he paid the extra $12/hr or whatever for a receptionist. Pitch the idea...the worst he could say is no.

 

[turnandburn]

Thanks for all the responses... Life's been busy lately but I have been watching this thread. I appreciate the advice and suggestions. I did talk to one of the other techs about if the doctor had ever thought about hiring a receptionist and apparently not, he's been in business over 30 years and this is the way he's always done things. Soooo... just trying to hang in there! I actually had to work this morning again. Everyday I get a little better but I still feel like I don't know what to do half the time! 🙁 It can only get better from here though! 😳