Petplan are pleased to raise awareness of #OurProfessionMyResilience and celebrate the abundant capabilities and strength of all the Veterinary Nurses out there!

As we all know too well, the impacts of Brexit and the aftermath of the pandemic has compounded what can be a demanding and high-pressured role. Petplan would like to reflect on the importance of team work and how Veterinary Nurses and their teams have managed to adapt during such unprecedented times.

Supporting your team & planning for a stressful day!

Petplan’s Tegan and Sharon work as Territory Managers as well as active Veterinary Nurses, with 30 years’ experience combined. They were asked what their key take away was from the last couple of years. Tegan said, “It helps to look at your team as your extended family.” Sharon agreed, saying, “I like to check in with everyone, not just during working hours but out of hours too because we are family and friends to each other. And the stronger the team, the better the working environment – which means better efficiency at the everyday tasks.”

When asked how they can plan for a stressful day, they laughed. “You can’t plan! But you can get ahead with admin and you can be prepared for who walks through the door. You can also ensure the team is functioning at their best by ensuring they are as qualified and skilled as possible. And if the practice is quiet… do not mention it! The ‘Q-word’ is a curse”!

Innovation to maintain a strong bond with clients

Petplan’s 2022 Vet of the Year winner, Mark Lowrie joined Petplan in reflecting on the last few years in practice and the new strategies Veterinary Nurses and their teams have used to ensure the continued strength of their relationship with clients.

Mark commented “Our nurses have been at the frontline of the closed door policy, which was introduced as a result of the pandemic. This meant they were exposed to a variety of behaviours that could be severely detrimental to their wellbeing”. Petplan’s Sharon added, “There have been some exceptionally tough moments, where it has been key to pull together as a team supporting colleagues wherever possible. Plus, when it comes to client care my goal has always been to get the pet and their owner the help they need as fast and stress-free as possible. And as Mark says, “During the pandemic, we found new strategies and virtual ways to interact with our clients which helped us to maintain a strong bond with our clients”. Mark went on to explain that in his practice an owner will often report a problem, and pre-pandemic it was normal to just book a consultation and that pet would be brought in for examination. “Our team now gets video footage of patients before the owners attended the practice, which helps break down these barriers and gives a more engaging, yet virtual, consultation space.”

Change and evolution for the future

All practice teams have been forced to adapt and change at unprecedented speed to ensure they can continue to offer the best care to pet owners across the country. Petplan’s Tegan commented, “Veterinary Nurses have shown their resilience and tenacity to continue to provide care in even the toughest times – I’m so proud of what we have managed to achieve. We have all adapted to new processes and even created new strategies which will prove valuable to client care and efficiency in practice”.

Petplan would like to thank each and every Veterinary Nurse for the amazing work they do to keep the heart of a veterinary practices pumping and their sense of community and loyalty of one another is infectious. Petplan are always proud to work with so many inspirational people. Keep up the fantastic work!