Veterinary Practice Management

Everyday life in a veterinary practice or animal hospital can be extremely challenging for the vets working there. It is essential that practices are well managed. Above all, each practice should be efficiently organised and run smoothly with time set aside for staff to take adequate work breaks.

Effective Breaks Can Improve Well-Being and Performance

A typical day in a veterinary practice or animal hospital is often dominated by a tight schedule of consultations. For many vets, their daily routine also includes dealing with patients without an appointment and treating emergency cases. Often, it is difficult to find the time to take an appropriate break. This is particularly the case for vets who work shifts.

Nevertheless, it is important to remember that breaks are vital for all team members to protect their personal health and well-being as well as maintaining performance levels. "Many staff choose to work without breaks, usually because they fear losing too much time. However, this feeling is deceptive. After a good break, our productivity and concentration return to such high levels that we can easily make up the time we think we lost", explains Dr Lisa Leiner. In her talk entitled "Breathe in, breathe out – take a good break!" at the 12th edition of the Leipzig Veterinary Congress, she will take a look at the questions of "How regular and how long should breaks be?" and "What should you do in your breaks to ensure optimum regeneration?"

Dealing with Daily Stress

There are many private and work situations that can lead to stress. When working in a veterinary practice or animal hospital, a typical stressor could be a difficult pet owner. Stress can also arise if a treatment does not go as planned or a member of the team gets stuck in traffic on the way to work. If stress levels remain high for a long period of time, this can result in somatic and psychological stress symptoms. There are various ways to prevent this happening, including the optimisation of consultation scheduling, good communication and feedback and clear rules for dealing with unreasonable pet owners and complaints.

Since it is not possible to fully eliminate stress at work, it is essential that each individual thinks about the best ways to personally cope with stressful situations and how to avoid similar things happening in the future. In her talk entitled "Doing away with stress – how to better cope with difficult situations", Dr Lisa Leiner will be informing interested listeners of possible steps they can take.

Lecture Programme on 20 January 2024

On 20 January between 9 am and 3:45 pm, attendees at the Leipzig Veterinary Congress can look forward to fascinating lectures on the following topics:

• working 24/7 in harmony with your body clock and taking biorhythms into account when drawing up shift plans
• breathe in, breathe out – take a good break!
• willingness to make changes is not just a matter of willpower – what your colleagues or staff need to help them embrace change
• inner strength and external impact – how well-considered communication can boost self-assurance
• safety – how can I protect myself – and from what exactly?
• education, preparation, professional development – how to ensure my team is ready for the night shift
• self-care – the most important person to look after is yourself!
• doing away with stress – how to better cope with difficult situations
• when an emergency at work becomes a personal emergency

The programme was drawn up in cooperation with the German Federal Association of Veterinary Practice Management (TPM).

About the German Federal Association of Veterinary Practice Management (TPM)

The aim of the German Federal Association of Veterinary Practice Management (TPM) is to give a voice to practice managers in the veterinary sector, work on management topics and provide support. The 170 members of the TPM and anyone wishing to become a member can take part in regular live seminars and workshops. The TPM offers interested members the opportunity to complete a six-month qualification programme by joining the course entitled "Management in Veterinary Practices and Animal Hospitals" as a part-time student at the University of Applied Science in Neu-Ulm. Furthermore, a new Bachelor of Science degree course is expected to begin in the second half of 2024.