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|VET105 Veterinary Office Management Research Project |
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|Software |
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|Cori Shepler |
|21987331 |
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|10/31/14 |
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|VET105 Veterinary Office Management Research Project |
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|Interpersonal Communication |
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|Cori Shepler |
|21987331 |
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|10/31/14 |
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In the field of veterinary medicine, one thing is for certain, we cannot, not communicate. A day in the life of a veterinary technician may include answering clients’ questions, providing written or verbal instructions regarding care of an animal, answering the telephone, scheduling appointments or providing empathy during a difficult decision or crisis situation (Study Unit). “While the scientific, technical, and clinical skills of the veterinary profession remain high, there is evidence that veterinarians and their support staff lack communication skills necessary for success in private practice” (Shaw, 2006). The responsibility of a veterinary technician is to not only attend to the well-being of the clients’ pets, but also to attend to the well-being of the client. In a survey of veterinary clients, participants identified listening and providing useful information among the top factors affecting veterinary choice. These factors emphasize the importance of effective interpersonal communication as it relates to being a successful veterinary technician in a thriving veterinary practice (Hall, 2012). No form of communication is simple, due to the number of variables involved. At the forefront of client satisfaction and a good client relationship is being a good listener. As stated in the Job Survival Instruction Book, “Listening is generally more important than talking.” It is important to demonstrate your interest in the client and your desire to understand what the client is saying. When taking a client history, inquiring about the presenting problem or dealing with a complaint, one should eliminate distractions and focus attention on exactly what is being said (Student Unit). It is also important to keep your nonverbal messages in check and assure they are positive. “Making eye contact, maintaining an attentive and open body posture, establishing a closer distance, nodding and gesturing, using a caring voice tone and displaying emotion have all been associated with enhanced patient satisfaction” (Shaw, 2006). While listening is important, observation and picking up on the nonverbal cues of clients is a much needed skill for all veterinary technicians. If you notice a client tearing up, looking away, checking their watch, biting their nails or displaying a concerned expression it is important to respond (Shaw, 2006). For example, if you notice a client checking their watch, reflect back to the client what you see. Veterinary Technician: “I noticed you glancing at your watch.” Client: “I’m sorry, I have to pick my daughter up from school. How long will this take?” Veterinary Technician: “After the Veterinarian and I consult, we would like to talk with you about approaches we might take to investigate the presenting problem. Do you have time in your schedule today or should we book another appointment tomorrow?”
By reflecting back and responding to the client’s nonverbal cues, the veterinary technician is able to tune in on what the client is feeling and work together to not only care for their pet, but begin to build a relationship. One of the most difficult things about being a veterinary technician, is sometimes the clients do not show you the same respect they show the veterinarian and also tell the veterinarian different information than they told you (Study Unit). At times this is due to the technician not knowing the client or the technician not showing confidence in their role. “Respect for the client’s perspective and interests, asking for the client’s opinion, recognition of the client’s expertise in caring for their pet and acknowledgement of the role the animal plays in the family’s life should be incorporated into all aspects of care” (Shaw, 2006). This will greatly assist in fostering the development of a collaborative relationship between the veterinary staff and the client. Another way to exude confidence and be prepared in the examination room is to do your homework. A self-conscious technician should review the patient records and do their research on specific presenting problems. Handouts, brochures and other literature can also be a great tool in explaining information. If you show the client you have background knowledge about their pet, it will impress them and hopefully gain their trust (Study Unit). Lastly, a health care program or aftercare of a sick animal is very important and the information provided to the client needs to be consistently given from all members of the practice and reinforced during all aspects of discharge (Study Unit). For example, if a miniature pinscher needs to take medication for an infected toenail, the exchange might look like the following. Veterinarian: “Bella will be on 5mg of Clavamox for 10 days, 2x per day. The veterinary technician will be right back with the medication.” Veterinary Technician: “Thanks for waiting. Bella will take Clavamox for ten days, 2x per day. The instructions can be found on the label if you need a quick reminder.” Receptionist: “Your total for the day will be $100.00. This includes the exam and the medication. Do you have any questions about the dosage or frequency of administration? Client: “No, I think I got it – One pill twice a day for ten days.” As stated before, no form of communication is simple. Osmo Wiio, devoted years to the study of organizational communication in hopes to alert us to the pitfalls associated with the communication process. He gives us some communication maxims similar to Murphy’s law to remind us of the difficulty of accurate communication. - “If communication has the ability to fail, it will.” - “If a message can be understood in different ways, it will be understood in just the way which does the most harm.” - “There is always somebody who knows better than you what you meant by your message.” - “The more communication there is, the more difficult it is for communication to succeed.”
In order to combat some of the communication trials and tribulations illustrated above, veterinary technicians should master the art of reflective listening to include echoing, paraphrasing and summarizing. This presents a “one –way mirror to the client, allowing the client to see oneself and to know that he or she has been heard” (Shaw, 2006). This also gives the client the opportunity to clarify, correct, confirm, combat or add additional information. Additionally, This is a great way for a technician to check if their interpretation is correct. This lets clients feel you are actively engaged and invested in helping their pet. Echoing involves repeating the last few words a client said (Shaw, 2006). For example, “So, Athena had diarrhea three times last night?” Paraphrasing is restating in your own words the client’s message. For example, “Athena has not eaten or drank any water since the diarrhea last night.” Summarizing is presenting all the information gathered in a condensed way. For example, “Athena is having diarrhea and is not consuming any food or water.” Research findings indicate reflective listening is underused in veterinary practice and only 50% of veterinary visits including paraphrasing techniques (Shaw, 2006). Often times using the above mentioned techniques allow the client to open us and discuss the root cause of the problem and bridge the gap to a solution and effective treatment (Study Unit). Veterinary technicians will come into contact with clients and co-workers from different social classes and with different skin colors. They may be a different race or have a different sexual orientation. Respecting others requires veterinary technicians to treat all clients as people first (Study Unit). Not only that, but it is important to consider ethics during interactions with clients and co-workers. Ethics are the study of good and bad, of right and wrong and of moral and immoral