First job in field! Need advice??

[LadyVet]

I finally got a job working in a veterinary clinic but I’ll be a kennel assistant. I had volunteered at two veterinary clinics before back in undergrad but I have little experience working in kennels and I’m very excited but nervous about how my first day is going to go. Any advice for new comers on how to prepare before the first day at a veterinary clinic?

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[LetItSnow]

Be likeable. Be enthusiastic. Be willing to do whatever tasks you're asked so long as it's reasonable. If you don't feel comfortable with a task because of safety or knowledge, speak up and say "I'm willing to learn, but ....." Don't agree to do a task you aren't sure how to do, because you'll do it poorly/wrong, and then it will just frustrate people - it's ok to say "I'm not sure how to do that."

Single most important thing for any newcomer is positive attitude and willingness to jump in and help.

 

[Ariel-Li]

Ditto to being positive and likable! Be open to learn. And have a healthy respect (fear) for animals...no matter how cute they appear to be, they could flip out any second and hurt you. I always think anyone working in vetmed should be aware of that and learn about physical traits of fear and aggression.

 

[LetItSnow]

Ditto to being positive and likable! Be open to learn. And have a healthy respect (fear) for animals...no matter how cute they appear to be, they could flip out any second and hurt you. I always think anyone working in vetmed should be aware of that and learn about physical traits of fear and aggression.

Cute is my BANE, I swear to god.

Nowadays, with people leaving in droves, too many of my staff are new/novice. I've had multiple occasions now where some super cute young puppy comes in and they get so distracted with the "ohhhhhhh!!!! he's so cuteeee!!!!! CUDDLE CUDDLE CUDDLE!!!!!" bull**** that in one case, two puppies that REALLY needed to be vomited (think, like, 1500mg/kg ibuprofen within 30 minutes) and in another case, a potential infectious disease case ... either didn't get dealt with swiftly or in the case of the infectious dog got hauled all over the hospital so that everyone could see it (exactly what you want with infectious disease).

With the cute puppies I said "Hey, um, can we focus on getting them vomited?" Five minutes later I had to say it again. Five minutes later I had to be the jerk in the room and tell people "Quit *!@# cooing over the !@#* puppies and make them !@# vomit. Now." Like, how many times do I need to ask?? They'll have a better chance of being cute in a couple days IF YOU FIX THEIR PROBLEM NOW. </rant>

So I guess by way of other advice ---- remember what you're there for: to support medical staff, not to coo over cute animals. Unless you are completely confident it's appropriate given the context, do not get sidetracked playing with patients. You're there to help medical staff Get Stuff Done.

🙂

 

[DVMDream]

Cute is my BANE, I swear to god.

Nowadays, with people leaving in droves, too many of my staff are new/novice. I've had multiple occasions now where some super cute young puppy comes in and they get so distracted with the "ohhhhhhh!!!! he's so cuteeee!!!!! CUDDLE CUDDLE CUDDLE!!!!!" bull**** that in one case, two puppies that REALLY needed to be vomited (think, like, 1500mg/kg ibuprofen within 30 minutes) and in another case, a potential infectious disease case ... either didn't get dealt with swiftly or in the case of the infectious dog got hauled all over the hospital so that everyone could see it (exactly what you want with infectious disease).

With the cute puppies I said "Hey, um, can we focus on getting them vomited?" Five minutes later I had to say it again. Five minutes later I had to be the jerk in the room and tell people "Quit *!@# cooing over the !@#* puppies and make them !@# vomit. Now." Like, how many times do I need to ask?? They'll have a better chance of being cute in a couple days IF YOU FIX THEIR PROBLEM NOW. </rant>

So I guess by way of other advice ---- remember what you're there for: to support medical staff, not to coo over cute animals. Unless you are completely confident it's appropriate given the context, do not get sidetracked playing with patients. You're there to help medical staff Get Stuff Done.

🙂

They'll be super cute when comatose, from their high dose ibuprofen exposure.

 

[LadyVet]

Ditto to being positive and likable! Be open to learn. And have a healthy respect (fear) for animals...no matter how cute they appear to be, they could flip out any second and hurt you. I always think anyone working in vetmed should be aware of that and learn about physical traits of fear and aggression.

Definitely learning about the signs of aggression and fear and the ways of calming the patient down and how to approach. I’m just letting my nerves get the best of me right now because the way I went to visit the hospital during my interview and everything looked too good to be true. I even read a few bad reviews former employees of the hospital saying that they had problems with management since they are ran by corporate and I’m so scared because I don’t to fail in my first job in my field.

 

[LadyVet]

Cute is my BANE, I swear to god.

Nowadays, with people leaving in droves, too many of my staff are new/novice. I've had multiple occasions now where some super cute young puppy comes in and they get so distracted with the "ohhhhhhh!!!! he's so cuteeee!!!!! CUDDLE CUDDLE CUDDLE!!!!!" bull**** that in one case, two puppies that REALLY needed to be vomited (think, like, 1500mg/kg ibuprofen within 30 minutes) and in another case, a potential infectious disease case ... either didn't get dealt with swiftly or in the case of the infectious dog got hauled all over the hospital so that everyone could see it (exactly what you want with infectious disease).

With the cute puppies I said "Hey, um, can we focus on getting them vomited?" Five minutes later I had to say it again. Five minutes later I had to be the jerk in the room and tell people "Quit *!@# cooing over the !@#* puppies and make them !@# vomit. Now." Like, how many times do I need to ask?? They'll have a better chance of being cute in a couple days IF YOU FIX THEIR PROBLEM NOW. </rant>

So I guess by way of other advice ---- remember what you're there for: to support medical staff, not to coo over cute animals. Unless you are completely confident it's appropriate given the context, do not get sidetracked playing with patients. You're there to help medical staff Get Stuff Done.

🙂

Noted! 📝
From reading this, I think people get involved in vet med get distracted by the cute animals and many leave when the going gets tough. I know this industry can get very stressful and busy sometimes so I think I can handle being fast paced from working in retail and childcare and they are plenty of times where it would get busy and I learned how to be quick on my feet and think rationally.

 

[EB73674]

Also, just remember, your job is primarily as a kennel assistant, not a vet assistant - make sure your priority is taking care of the animals in the ward, cleaning, getting pets in & out of the kennels, and focusing on the care aspect. You will likely get the chance to get more involved in the veterinary side at some point, but your CURRENT job is not that, unless specifically asked. If they're willing, you can absolutely pick doctors' & technicians' brains on interesting cases, but prioritize doing YOUR job quickly & well before that.

And just given my most recent experience - even if you don't know something, try to show initiative & willingness to learn. I have two new assistants working with me right now - one knows almost nothing about animals or veterinary care, but is constantly writing down what she learns, always looking for something to do & clean & ways she can help and learn while doing it, all alongside a great positive attitude. The other one, while being more experienced in the field, doesn't really show any initiative, is reluctant to talk to clients, and needs to constantly be pulled into doing things. Which one do you think inspires me to want to teach & develop?