Page 20 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

4 Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant

Meeting Employer Scenario: Punctuality and Presence

Expectations – 10 Behaviors Stew walks in the door right at 8 a.m. or is 5–10 minutes late
to Master every morning. He always has an excuse, from traffic jams to his
dog running off or his alarm not ringing. When he is finally
punched in he is often on his cell phone; arguing with his girl-
Employers in all professions demand behaviors that friend or checking his text or email, which also occurs every chance
reflect competent knowledge and good attitudes and he gets throughout the day. The other staff members often must ask
veterinary medicine is no exception. This section intro­ twice for help or nudge him into action because he is on his phone.
duces the veterinary assistant to the professional behav­ He complains to anyone that will listen to him about his car,
iors specific for success within a veterinary practice. roommate, or girlfriend. He is often moody and tired because he
Whether you are a veterinary associate or a kennel has stayed up too late playing the latest computer game, which he
assistant, all employers have basic expectations of every goes into detail about every chance he gets. Meanwhile, Connie
employee. The following are 10 behaviors to master in arrives at work by 7.50 a.m. every morning, works with a smile,
order to meet these expectations: chats when appropriate but is often on the move all the time. If she
isn’t helping someone directly she is cleaning something. The only
1. Punctuality time you see her on her phone is during breaks and lunch. She
2. Presence does use her phone as a timer for vital signs and as a calculator
3. Flexibility as needed, but that is all during working times.
4. Cooperation At the end of the shift an invitation is made to gather at a
5. Following directions local coffee shop. Stew readily accepts, but Connie declines.
6. Working independently When asked why, she states that her mother is in the hospital
7. Honesty critically ill and she needs to be with her. No one knew!
8. Problem solving
9. Loyalty
• Adherence to the policies and procedures of the Information Check
workplace
10. Commitment and Reflection
• To customer satisfaction and product quality
• To client–patient confidentiality • Describe how Stew’s attitude, presence, and punc-
• To learn now and for a lifetime tuality would wear on the morale in the clinic.
• To take, then act upon constructive criticism • How do you think Connie keeps so focused at
without anger or defensiveness. work, especially with a critically ill mother?
• What two behaviors is Connie demonstrating?
Punctuality, without excuses. Clients are scheduled • Reflect on how you would plan on being at
to arrive at the clinic at specific times to facilitate see­ work on time and how can you stay in the pre-
ing their pet, determining a course of action, and sent when life is tough outside of work.
treating the pet. If the clinic’s personnel are late get­
ting to work, it can have catastrophic effects for the
rest of the day. If your shift starts at 8 a.m. you should Flexibility and cooperation are vital in keeping the work­
plan on arriving 5–10 minutes early. This allows you to flow going throughout the day. The veterinary assistant
put your personal belongings away, stow your lunch, may be asked to assist with anesthetizing a patient one
make sure you have a pen, leash, roll of tape, and moment and to gather a patient in the reception area
scissors in your pocket, and with name tag in place the next. You are the extra pair of hands often desper­
punch in on time. Walking in the door at 8 a.m. means ately needed in the veterinary clinic. Doing all tasks
you have arrived late! asked of you willingly and competently builds trust in
Presence, when you are at work you must concentrate your abilities. This is not only expected, but also appreci­
on work! Whatever is going on in your personal life needs ated by everyone in the clinic.
to be checked at the door of the clinic. Your employer The same is true for working with others in a clinic. It is
may care about you, but still expects you to do the job so important to work well with everyone. Cooperation is a
you are being paid to perform every day for the times you valuable behavior, which can be tough sometimes because
are scheduled to work. Life is hard, but it gets a lot harder each person will often have their own style of accomplish­
if you are dismissed from your job because your personal ing the same tasks. This makes it difficult sometimes, but it
life is getting in the way of performing your duties. is important to go with the flow and provide the best help
Both punctuality and presence can be a morale you can when taking care of patients. Learn how each vet­
buster in a clinic. The following scenario demonstrates erinarian and veterinary technician likes to accomplish
two divergent behaviors regarding punctuality and tasks and be a step ahead of them when setting up or be
presence. thinking about what they may ask you to do.