How to Advocate for Yourself as a Vet Tech

Traci: Speak up! No one else is going to advocate for you, so you have to be your own advocate and speak up for yourself. If there’s a skill you want to do or learn, ask! Seek out an experienced RVT or DVM and ask them to mentor you in whatever skills you are wanting to learn. Be active and be involved. Never be scared to share ideas. Even if your idea isn’t used, it could be the catalyst for positive change. The team is at its best when all staff members are being utilized to the maximum of their potential, so if you feel like you could be doing more, speak up and offer to do more.

Traci: Be an advocate! Advocate for yourself so you can maintain your mental and emotional health. In order to help the patients, you have to take care of yourself.

Second, advocate for your patients! As veterinary technicians, we are the front line. We are doing the nursing care on the patients. We are going to notice trends and changes before other team members, so it is our job to speak up and be our patient’s voice.

Also, client education is incredibly important. In order for our patients to get the care they need, our clients have to sign off on it. That means clients need to know the value of the treatment plan. How are the diagnostics and treatments going to benefit their pet and make them feel better? We always need to partner with the clients to make sure they have all the information they need to make the best decision for their pet.

As veterinary technicians we are part of a team, not just with other staff members, but with the clients too. It is the goal of all team members to help patients and provide the best care possible. Remaining unified with that goal in mind will help create a positive and unified culture between the hospital staff and clients that will only benefit the patients.

Traci: The biggest piece of advice I have is to leave work at work. You need to prioritize yourself and establishing boundaries goes a long way in a healthy work/life balance. You can absolutely share work stories with your family/friends, but you should not be getting calls/messages or checking your work email outside of work hours. That time is you time, and it’s important for mental health to prioritize yourself.

The other big piece of advice I have is to find a hobby: painting, knitting, hiking, running, baking! Whatever it is, find something that you enjoy, even if you aren’t good at it. If it makes you happy, prioritize it. Having hobbies will give you a mental and physical way to relieve stress. It will also make you feel like you have a life and identity outside of being a vet tech and that will go a long way in that healthy work/life balance.

When at work, lunch and bathroom breaks are not optional. You are part of a team, there are other team members that can cover your job for a half hour while you go and sit down and eat. Going all day without lunch or a bathroom break is not a badge of honor to wear. Advocate for yourself, trust your team, and don’t compromise those boundaries that are important to your mental, emotional, and physical health. Prioritizing yourself both at work and outside of work will help you have a long, happy, and fulfilling career helping animals!

Whether it’s Veterinary Technician Week, or any other time of year, it’s important to remember that the work you do is important – and celebrate that! Being a veterinary technician can be a tough job, but every day you go into the clinic and bring your best self, you’re making a real difference for patients and their families.

Learn more about becoming a vet tech and our vet tech program: Vet Tech Unveiled: Expert Answers to Your Burning Questions