By Lauren Jones, VMD, Veterinary Strategist • Shepherd Veterinary Software

The veterinary industry is booming, resulting in help-wanted signs everywhere and more pets than ever needing veterinary care. Keeping up with the industry’s current state can lead to high levels of anxiety, stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout. We risk losing the joy of practicing veterinary medicine. This raises a critical question: how can veterinary practices meet this growing demand while prioritizing the health and well-being of their teams?

Seize today’s opportunity to embrace change and innovation — creating a better future for ourselves, our colleagues, and our patients, clients, and communities.

How to help yourself: Embracing change and reclaiming joy

Begin by answering the question, ”What brings you joy?” The key to finding happiness is focusing on what brings you The Sound of Music mountaintop singing and spinning joy, and also what takes away from it. Find your “why”—and your why-nots.

So why am I here? Shepherd Veterinary Software was founded by Dr. Cindy Barnes, a veterinarian and practice owner, with the belief that vets and their teams deserve joy. Her goal was to develop software specifically for veterinary practices, designed to make daily operations less stressful. As a practice owner, Shepherd user, and Veterinary Strategist at Shepherd, I see Shepherd’s efficiency and streamlined workflows helping vet teams rekindle their joy every day. And you deserve just that – joy!

Additionally, understand that it is OK to change aspects of your career. Change indicates growth, is a healthy part of success, and is often necessary to reclaim your joy. Give yourself permission to make changes so that you can enjoy your work, and then start singing and spinning on that mountain. Remember, you must put your oxygen mask on before helping others.
Here are a few ways you can focus on your well-being and reclaim your joy.

#1: Turn off, unplug, and recharge
Discover what fuels your fire outside of veterinary medicine, and prioritize it. Go for a horseback ride. Read a book. Take a class. Go for a drive. Remember, you’re more than a veterinarian. You’re someone’s spouse, sibling, parent, child, community member, and friend. You’re also YOU, and that is worth celebrating!

#2: Create space during the day for yourself
Intentionally create time throughout the day to use the bathroom, eat lunch, stop, and just breathe. It may sound silly, but if you aren’t intentional, these small moments can easily slip away during a busy workday. Set a timer, the Alexa, your smartphone, or watch to remind you when to take a small break. Your body will thank you!

#3: Lean on current technology
Let’s acknowledge the crazy number of tasks you attempt in a typical day. You likely work on medical records, communicate with clients, schedule appointments, run business reports, meet with your team, and treat patients. And, let’s not forget the tasks at home, such as grocery shopping, working out, calling friends and family, caring for your own pets, watering your plants, squeezing in a little “me time,” and getting eight hours of sleep. How is all this possible? Superhero training? Bending time?

Luckily, no superhero training is required because current technology can make your clinic tasks much more efficient. Always consider veterinary services that work the way you work so you can return to your “why.”

How to help your team: Creating a supportive culture

Veterinarians don’t work alone. From assistants to veterinary technicians to CSRs, each support team member plays a crucial role in shaping your hospital’s culture, brand, and core. Support those who support you by using these suggestions to create and maintain a safe, uplifting work culture.

#1: Examine your practice culture
A toxic workplace can slowly wear down the most motivated team members. Ensure your practice culture is positive and supports every team member. Challenge the “this is the way we’ve always done it” mindset, which doesn’t leave room for personal or professional growth. Instead, endorse kindness, boldness, and open-mindedness.

Shepherd continues Dr. Barnes’s mission to help detoxify the veterinary field by evolving and elevating veterinary careers with brilliant and outside-the-box concepts. You never know what Shepherd will help your team with next! (Hint: Stay tuned; we’re excited for 2024!)

#2: Encourage curiosity
Foster an environment that encourages everyone to feel comfortable asking questions, including the challenging ones. Encourage collaboration. Communicate with your team. Ask about their journey in veterinary medicine—how did they get here, and where do they want to go? Share what brings you joy in veterinary medicine, and challenge team members to identify their joys.

Shepherd’s clinically trained team has been in your shoes. We have felt your pain, known your fears, experienced your wins, and heard the beeping of the IV pump in our dreams, too. We get it, and we want to help you reach your goals and rekindle your joy.

#3: Invest in your team
Team members who are supported by their boss and coworkers tend to speak to clients with greater confidence and knowledge. Encourage constant learning and development by providing education tools such as online access to periodicals, blogs, and CE. Pro tip – ask local specialty hospitals to provide training (and maybe lunch!) to update your staff’s skills or teach them something new. Everyone wins!

Shepherd’s intelligent design invests in your team by increasing staff productivity, providing efficiency tools and tips, and removing software-related frustrations throughout the day. This helps create high-functioning hospitals that run smoothly and attract and retain great employees.

#4: Break the cycle of horrible bosses
Even if you do not have a great mentor, strive to be better and help the next generation of veterinary professionals. Offer words of encouragement. Guide gently. Acknowledge that they will make mistakes—we all did and still do. Newcomers in the veterinary industry should not have to “pay their dues” with the worst shifts, duties, or attitudes like many of us did. Recognize that new team members also deserve a healthy work-life balance—from day one.

How to help your patients, clients, and community: Staying true to your core values

Above all, you pursued a career in veterinary medicine to care for animals and provide expertise, guidance, and compassion for the people who love them. By rediscovering your joy and staying true to yourself, you’ll reignite your passion for helping pets, your clients, and the community along the way.

#1: Educate clients and advocate for the profession
Help clients understand the value of veterinary medicine and the importance of supporting veterinary teams. Don’t be afraid to break the mold and bring up our industry’s challenges. You’ll be surprised to find that many people have no idea that vets are struggling and want to help.

Utilize client communication tools to their fullest, like Shepherd’s pet portal. Clients can access vaccine records, request appointments, pay invoices, and request medication refills. These features help hospitals stay ahead of the competition by providing the best customer service possible and helping clients better understand your value.

#2: Stay loyal to yourself
No matter what, stay loyal to yourself and your medicine, coworkers, and patients. When faced with a decision, choose the path that aligns with your core values. Often, the right path is the hardest. Move forward, lead with kindness, and don’t sacrifice who you are or what you believe.

The veterinary tools you choose should fit your practice and your culture. They should work for you, not against you. Even if you don’t use Shepherd, your chosen veterinary software should be loyal to what you need and what works for your team.

Start small

Embracing change is not an easy or quick road, but it is crucial for the much-needed evolution of our profession. Start small by setting a timer to take a five-minute breather or go for a walk, and inviting your team to do the same. Remember, you don’t have to run a marathon in the first week. Slow but consistent change can help you reclaim your joy, and better help your team, patients, clients, and community.

Changing software may be a small step toward embracing change and encouraging growth in your hospital and career, but with a veterinary service company like Shepherd supporting, you small changes can become monumental. These changes empower us and our teams to excel at what we do best: treating patients.

We are indeed at a crossroad, and we have the power to call the shots. The possibilities are endless, and our own new path can lead to a bright future in veterinary medicine where we can all find joy. So, what are you waiting for?