Veterinary Voices

Given that Covid-19 has been brought front-and-centre back into our lives and our businesses this week, I thought it might be a good idea to have a chat about the latest business subsidy available to clinics – and thus their teams – this week, what to do if one of your team members tests positive – the subsidy available to you, and then what you need to do if you or someone in your clinic needs to...

Now that there’s talk the Covid-19 vaccine being rolled out in Godzone Aotearoa New Zealand – and with a bit more of a concrete timeline than we’ve had before, can your employer give you an ultimatum – the jab or your job? Employers cannot force medication or any kind of medical choice onto staff.  If they do, they’re breaching the NZ Bill of Rights Act. Many employers offer flu jabs free of charg...

Reference (and background) checking - why you absolutely must see it as an investment rather than a cost  why you should do it – even when you think you can’t spare the time,  what questions to ask,  what answers might raise some red flags,  what to do with those red flags, and what you can and cannot do in relation to reference checking and NZ law In Godzone Aotearoa New Zealand there are some th...

As you’ll hear from Vanessa’s accent – she’s not a kiwi - she left her family and friends in Canada to come to New Zealand 8 years ago to fulfil her dreams of studying in NZ to become a veterinarian … she’s lived here ever since! Vanessa is a recent Massey University graduate with 3 years experience who works in a busy South Auckland practice as their fulltime companion animal veterinarian.  When...

Today’s episode is about the importance of having a GROWTH MINDSET vs a FIXED MINDSET and how to use take that approach to bring about positive change in your life and veterinary clinic.  E ither you’ve got a growth mindset or you’ve got a fixed mindset .  They were coined by Carol Dwek, an American Psychologist, about 6 years ago.  Dwek earned her PhD in Social and Developmental Psychology from Y...

This is the fourth episode (004) in the series supporting the parliamentary petition at GetVets. NZ . Today we look at some strategies to help you counter compassion fatigue – both as an individual veterinarian and, if you’re a clinic owner or practice manager, a few different things you can implement in your clinic. We hear an excerpt from a Ted-X talk, as well as a couple of sound bites from vet...

This is the fourth episode in the series supporting WHY I’m launching a parliamentary petition requesting the government to designate veterinarians as critical workers to let more into NZ to help the dire shortage we have right now.  You can sign the petition online at getvets.nz .  All online signatures ate 100% confidential . Late last year I received a letter from a very globally experienced co...

This is the third podcast in the series giving the background info as to why I’m supporting NZs veterinary sector by petitioning NZs parliament to change the classification of veterinarians to that of critical workers because the way it is now isn’t working. In this week’s episode we’ll talk about some of the other absolutely critical roles veterinarians play in the NZ economy because being a vet...

This week we look at some of the mental stresses that your favourite veterinary professionals are under so you can get a better understanding of what it’s like to walk a few kms in their shoes. This episode touches on some painful issues - like suicide. [You don’t have to listen to those facts if you don’t want to.  I’ll let you know before we get to those so you can stop listening at that point.]...

The first of a multi-part series looking at the dire veterinarian shortage New Zealand faces. This shortage impacts the humans doing the caregiving - the veterinarians, their colleagues and families, the animals and the animals' owners. New Zealand is home to approximately 4.35 million companion animals - almost as many pets as there are humans! In this series you and Julie will catch up with...

If your clinic is open 6 or 7 days a week, then this episode is for you because calculating public holidays isn’t as straight forward for 6 and 7-day clinics as it is for Monday-Friday clinics. We’ve got four days of statutory holidays coming up:  Christmas Day + Boxing Day and then one week later, New Year’s Day + the Day After New Year’s Day. In this episode I’ll tell you how to calculate the up...

9 ways to get "Hire Ready" in 2021 by starting today Today we’re going to look at how you can get hire ready in 2021. This episode is for you if:  1.       you think it’s about time you had a pay rise and you’re planning on asking for one; or 2.       you think it’s about time you changed employers – it doesn’t matter why – what’s important is the thought is going through your mind; or 3...

Are you wondering if locuming’s for you?  If you’re thinking of chucking in your day job to pick up the Instagram-glamorous lifestyle of the footloose and fancy free, high rolling life of the locum, then this episode is for you! Here are 11 considerations I recommend you take into account before you rush to hand in your resignation: #1 – unpredictability  #2 – admin #3 – follow up and follow throu...

Why do locums earn more? This is the third of a three part series about locuming – whether it’s for you or not – things to consider.   This week we’re going to look at why it appears locums earn more per hour than employees doing the same job inside a clinic. This episode is for you if you’re about to start out as a locum or you’re employed at a clinic and maybe feeling a little resentful because...

This is the first in a 3-part series about veterinary locums – either working as one or hiring one in your clinic.    This episode is purpose built if you're a veterinary professional who's already a locum (or thinking about becoming a locum) and to veterinary clinics that hire locums.    Employees and independent self-employed contractors each have different legal rights. It’s important...