Hacks from the hive mind

Whether you are a new technician or more seasoned, every single one of you has learned how to do something either better or different. Sometimes the best lessons are those we learn not to repeat. I reached out through social media asking technicians from all over for tips or skills they have learned over the years. I got a great number of replies. These tips range from how best to practice for various codes, administering oral medications, protecting catheters, to building a better practice culture. 1) Code rehearsals. To ensure your team is ready for any situation, one technician said their practice runs codes to ensure if there is an emergency that comes in, they are prepared for it. This reminds team members where equipment is kept, and how to get things set up and operational in as little time as possible. Quick reaction times without mistakes ensures the patient has the best chance of recovery due to all the key team members being prepared. Practicing various codes and alternating team roles is a way to take that rehearsal to the next level. 2) Mix things up. Another technician shared their simple method of leaving a prefilled syringe of 14 ml of water drawn up to fill a prescription of some of the common dry medications. How often are you so busy that when a client comes in for their pet’s medication you are having to rush to pull that syringe up and mix the medication? Now, leaving water in syringes indefinitely isn’t recommended, so be sure to base your pre-filled syringe inventory on how quickly you expect to use them. Keep a close eye on how clean and sanitary these are kept. 3) Speaking of syringes. You should never put down an unlabeled syringe – even for a moment to grab something. In that short time, someone could come and grab it thinking it is something else, or it could be thrown away. Pre-label your syringes before drawing anything up so you can easily put down a filled syringe if things change on the fly. 4) A syringes trifecta! During research for this article I was perusing social media, and one tip that is blowing up like crazy is how to dissolve a medication capsule in water in a syringe for easy oral administration. A tutorial shows how to dissolve the capsule into the water in a snap. No more shaking the syringe until the medication dissolves. I have not tried this technique, but I would love to know if you have and what you thought about it. Leave a comment and share your experiences below. 5) Rubber sole. Attach a heavy-duty rubber band around the end of the bear hugger hose in order to hold the blanket to it. That way, instead of having to tie anything you can just roll it over and the blanket is kept in position. Fixing the need to constantly reorganize, re-attach, or reposition equipment we use during a procedure is a win! 6) Don’t let the fur fly. Another hack I, myself, have used is during surgery prep. Once you have shaved the patient, use a lint/hair roller to get those pesky, sticky little hairs cleaned up. Lint rollers quickly collect the tiny fine fur that ends up getting stuck to the skin when scrubbing. It’s a quick fix if you keep a dedicated lint roller in the surgery prep equipment. 7) Cats and cankles. Ever had a difficult feline blood stick? One technician shared “cats don’t have “cankles,” so if you have an overweight feline you can go super low on the lateral saphenous. She reported a high success rate with this technique. 8) Make angry dogs move. This bit of advice hits home for me, as I am sure it does for all of us. It’s how to sedate an aggressive dog by following the walking IM sedation protocol: Make sure you have the right equipment for this and confirm the gauge needle you use is going to be the best one for the patient. You will want to get an extension set and a needle and a syringe. Mix your medications as you normally would, adding enough sterile saline because you will lose 2-3 ml of medication through the line otherwise. Walk the dog around the clinic until it starts getting comfortable. At that stage, have a fellow technician come behind the patient and insert the needle into the patient’s muscle. Continue walking the patient; they will focus on the walking more than anything else. As the patient continues to walk, begin giving the injection. Because the dog is walking, the injection should also be less painful as you are not pushing the medication as fast as you would if you were just restraining. There are a few videos demonstrating this technique online, accessible with just a quick search. It can be a game changer for you and the anxious patient. 9) Tape tabs, tape tabs, tape tabs. We can’t go without the absolute most tried and true tech tip, having tabs on your tape so its easier to get bandages off and easier to check intravascular catheters you have wrapped. There’s nothing worse than trying to find an end to the tape or wrap, especially when it is on a moving patient with a questionable catheter in place. 10) Another bandage adage. When wrapping multiple layers of bandage material, alternate the direction they are wrapped onto the patient. This will help prevent the layers from slipping. Also, taking a moment to mark on the bandage where the wound or injury is located will help prevent re-injury during a bandage change. 11) Forbidden fire-able offense phrases. For anyone new or newish to the veterinary world, here are some key phrases you never say in the practice. “Wow, it’s pretty quiet right now,” “Been pretty slow today,” “Look at that humongous vein,” “I have to leave on time today, I have something to do right after work,” or “Maybe Precious won’t be so fractious today.” This tip will save your day, your career, and maybe even your life. So make a note. 12) Another noteworthy tip. Keeping a notebook in your pocket for remembering tasks and orders is very handy. You may feel like you won’t forget, but after you have walked through the treatment room and you have been given a third set of directions from a third person you may start questioning who gets what. Having a little notebook in your scrub pocket makes note-taking quick. It can also be used ongoing as a cheat sheet of sorts for common formulas or situations you need to know at the ready. 13) E-collars as IV guards. Another amazing bit of advice shared was to use an extra-small e-collar as an IVC guard on a giant breed dog to keep them from chewing it out. You can use some tape and vet wrap to help keep the guard in place. Add a bittering agent (spray or wrap) if the patient is particularly eager to get at the site. The individual IVC guards can be quite pricey, so taking something that is not as expensive is genius and cost-efficient for both the practice and the client. Especially since those big breeds can be very dramatic if they have to wear something on their heads. This hack helps eliminate a patient from getting stressed and makes the client happy because there is no cone to hit them in the back of their legs. 14) Don’t be so quick to respond. One of the most important pieces of advice would be to truly listen and consider information that is given. Some of us make the mistake of trying to come up with a guessitimated diagnosis or think about what is needed for a patient while the client is speaking and may miss something important the client could be trying to tell them. 15) It’s not all about you. We can also miss important evidence being presented if we are focused on finding a way to relate it to our own experiences. Some clients may appreciate this, but oftentimes they want their patients taken care of and not hear a technician’s experience. This becomes impactful during a euthanasia. We all know these are hard for all of us. Try to focus on how the owner is feeling and how they might interpret our comments and behavior. It is okay to show clients we hurt for them without making it about us and our experiences. 16) Be open to sharing and receiving wisdom. Be aware of the “I know what I’m doing” or the “that’s the way we have always done it” mindsets. There’s nothing wrong with admitting you do not know something. Being worried about looking bad is when a good technician can miss great learning opportunities. In pop culture speak, technicians who have learned to listen without worry about proving they know it all have reached the final level in the veterinary equivalent of a video game. An open mind is the most valuable asset we can have on the veterinary team. It fosters a sense of open communication and willingness to grow. Learning lives in that place. 17) Appreciation and acceptance of all skill levels. “It takes a village” is very true of a veterinary practice. One of the most valuable things I learned throughout my various supervisory roles in the practice is when the clinic staff is appreciated and valued it makes for a much easier flow and ensures everyone enjoys coming to work. The technical staff showing appreciation to their fellow team members regardless of their role builds a tight bond. If you are not shown the appreciation you would like in your practice, then take the lead and be the example you want set. Your fellow team members will love the relationship building that happens. And patients will benefit from the best care. 18) Never stop learning. I have enjoyed hearing from all the technicians around social media, and I hope some, if not all, of these tips are useful to you. If you have other ideas for tips, please share them in the comments. Helping one another with our daily tasks is one great way to help the industry. I learned some new ideas through this article, and I am always eager to learn more. Rhonda Bell, CVPM, CCFP, CDMP, is founder and co-owner of Dog Days Consulting, a social media and brand management company. She spent 15 years as a practice manager working the day to day challenges of the veterinary practice and experienced firsthand the stresses, joys, communication dilemmas, and wonders of working in veterinary medicine. She now dedicates her work and energy to helping practices succeed online and to coaching team members with the skills that will hopefully prolong their careers.

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Hacks from the hive mind

Fellow techs share 18 best practice tips that make their jobs easier.

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