What stresses you out?

RE: What stresses you out?

Virginia Campbell — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 11:41:35 GMT

Noise. 3 phone lines plus the grooming phone plus the nurse's phone ringing, the radio on, dogs barking, 4 different conversations going on in the prep room and people firing questions at you about cases you know nothing about when they could have checked the computer record and asked the correct vet for the case instead of the nearest one. I like to escape into theatre or a consult room as quickly as possible.

RE: What stresses you out?

Nicola Cole — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 21:03:10 GMT

Hmm-my laughing emojis don’t appear to be attached to my post!

Attached:

RE: What stresses you out?

Nicola Cole — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 12:57:03 GMT

April Fool’s jokes about increasing RCVS retention fees when you’re too tired to notice the date...thanks Arlo!

RE: What stresses you out?

grumpyoldman — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 09:32:29 GMT

I would disagree entirely its no use grads coming out of university having only seen nice well healed decent people in the referral culture pyramid who are prepared to fund their pets treatment in a reasonable manner and then hitting the harsh reality of all the daily haggling and negotiating that takes place at first opinion level . It is very important that they do not trust them and take everything they say with a massive pinch of salt.

RE: What stresses you out?

Bob Russell — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 10:39:50 GMT

[quote user="grumpyoldman"]

My standard intro chat with the new grads is clients are often terrible people who are dishonest and totally unreliable .You need to have that in the back of your mind all the time dont expect bad people to become good pet owners because they have bought a dog and a pet plan. These people are not your friends and given the choice you would not want them in your life outside of work so do not let them invade it or your personal space. Your not going to win every thing and the best you can hope for is to die in your sleep in the dim distant future. Do not let these people turn their problems into your problem. They have a responsibility to the welfare of their pet ,your job is to help them fulfil that responsibility, they have to pay for that, we sell medicine and surgery, if that is a problem for them they should have invested in a rocking horse.

[/quote]

Clients may be inconvenient, demanding and a pain in the ar+e but I have found very few to be bad people.

Some are looking for a 'bargain' but most eventually work out there is no such thing in veterinary medicine. Best value may not be (probably is not) the cheapest.

Out of the whole depressing 'chat' the only bits I do agree with is that clients problems are not ours, they are responsible for the welfare of the pet and we need to be paid for our services or we will not be here.

A gentle push towards the 'keep a certain distance from clients' is also fair advice.

If this cynicism is what a new graduate is faced with then no wonder some develop a them and us mentality.

RE: What stresses you out?

George Cooper — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 23:30:20 GMT

[quote user="grumpyoldman"]

[/quote]

This is exactly the stuff that I have been on about here there and everywhere - the stuff that actually creates the problems that we have.

Disgraceful and pitiable in the extreme.

RE: What stresses you out?

Julian Earl — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 22:43:17 GMT

The clinical side was excellent. Running a business was terribly stressful. Fish out of water springs to mind for me re. the business-side.. I'm glad to be out of it now, even if my route into retirement was somewhat sudden and dramatic at approximately 7.30pm 8th August 2012.!

RE: What stresses you out?

grumpyoldman — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 21:29:48 GMT

RE: What stresses you out?

Bob Russell — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 13:28:32 GMT

The problem with this is these people never get on with the job and nothing changes. Delegate, chase up once then require an explanation if it has not been done!

Very soon people learn to get on with things.

I delegate by default because my staff know I will forget things that need to be done. They chase me up - works a treat!

RE: What stresses you out?

Wren — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 12:09:42 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"] Like wren, I end up spending more time nagging people about the jobs that I have delegated that haven't been done, or discussing problems with the jobs I delegated...not worth the hassle! [/quote]

I have just checked in on something I delegated someone to do early last week, making it clear that it absolutely needed to be done by Friday. Their reply? 'Oh, I've been meaning to ask you about that, I wasn't sure which number to contact them on'. I have given up and done it myself, but that doesn't change the fact that it is now 4 days late. So I think I've pretty much given up with delegation! It definitely causes me stress.

RE: What stresses you out?

Julie Innes — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 08:46:27 GMT

[quote user="Silvia Maldonado"]No way! With all my respects to managers, clinical directors and the likes, I must admit I don't see myself fit for that job. Be it lack of ambition or expecting others things at work or in life or simply not being the right person to manage a large team in such way..[/quote]

Sensible lady!

RE: What stresses you out?

bevs2251 — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 01:10:58 GMT

[quote user="Silvia Maldonado"]It is not my intention to criticize the work you all are doing. I can only express and share what stresses me from the position I am holding (right now as a night vet) and the situation I find myself in (Brexit, corporations, clients expectations, etc) [/quote]

Doubt you'd have trouble getting another vet job if you do (and like) emergency work. Doesn't solve the other issues, though : Brexit, corporations, clients expectations etc. 21st century problems that can't be solved easily.

RE: What stresses you out?

Silvia Maldonado — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:57:13 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

[quote user="Silvia Maldonado"] Will the corporation close this practice because we are not making enough money? Will my boss sell the practice and new owners make drastic changes? Will I need to go back to day's rota? and the top list, No 1 uncertainty: What will happen after Brexit? ...[/quote]

You sound as if you'll be successful on your own!

Go for it!

[/quote]

No way! With all my respects to managers, clinical directors and the likes, I must admit I don't see myself fit for that job. Be it lack of ambition or expecting others things at work or in life or simply not being the right person to manage a large team in such way... It is not my intention to criticize the work you all are doing. I can only express and share what stresses me from the position I am holding (right now as a night vet) and the situation I find myself in (Brexit, corporations, clients expectations, etc)

I am sorry if anyone felt offended for my comments, that was not my intention, I am not in your shoes.

RE: What stresses you out?

Anthony Todd — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:23:08 GMT

You sound as if you'll be successful on your own!

Go for it!

RE: What stresses you out?

Silvia Maldonado — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:03:01 GMT

Uncertainty: will that dog manage to remove his BC and open his wound again? will that owner make a complain despite mi efforts to find a plan B, C and D? will I be struck off because I run a test and the RCVS may agree with the owner it was not needed? How will I pay my bills if I lose my job? Will I get an email from my managers inquiring why I didn't use that other antibiotic instead? Will they complain I don't do enough tests? Will the nurse leave a bad appraisal about me? Will they hate me for being too hard? What if they find out of my appraisals about others? will the manager hate me for being too soft? Will the corporation close this practice because we are not making enough money? Will my boss sell the practice and new owners make drastic changes? Will I need to go back to day's rota? and the top list, No 1 uncertainty: What will happen after Brexit? ...

(...Will I end up selling my house and packing? or rough sleeping? or begging in the streets?)

RE: What stresses you out?

Anthony Todd — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 10:37:07 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]Your "same" wife may be the exception rather than the rule!![/quote]

I think there has been a major swing in emphasis in the last 50 years. My wife was not the exception then; she would be now.

2 of my son's share the childrens' care and time with their partners which was virtually unheard of BITD.

Not many men worked part-time, I don't think male vets did either and, of course, there were far fewer female vets.

I, and my contemporaries, were happy then and men seem happy now.

RE: What stresses you out?

Jo Dyer — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 10:36:11 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Jo Dyer I hadn't seen this. Thank you, I am clearly in danger of reinventing the wheel. Two things:

I wonder if similar work has been done amongst vet nurses.

Are you aware of this research being used in any practical sense - for example as the basis for any advice or support materials to help reduce stress?

[/quote]

No work done among vet nurses that I have found, although quite a bit on human nurses.

Bartram, Sinclair and Baldwin (2010) wrote a paper 'Interventions with potential to improve the mental health and wellbeing of UK veterinary surgeons'. Also Bartram and Turley (2009) 'Managing the causes of work-related stress'. These were theoretical papers however; very few interventions for burnout have actually been studied. The ones that have, involve either yoga, or resilience training in the individual. Nothing on improving work-place conditions, although arguably increasing resilience and assertiveness may lead to individuals trying to change their workplace or leave for another one. I view the term 'resilience' with some distrust however because I think it can be an excuse for victim-blaming; anyone can break if the various stresses they are under are just too much.

Actually Mind Matters are doing some resilience training and mental health awareness, I'm going to one in Yeovil on Monday. I understand they are being well-received and would like to do some sort of study regarding any short-term and long-term benefits.

Let me know if you want the refs sending.

RE: What stresses you out?

Julie Innes — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 08:45:24 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]There's the fundamental historical difference I think. Pretty well the only part, in my case, and my offspring are now acknowledging the benefits and with undoubted gratitude and understanding, and so is my [same] wife![/quote]

Hmm, maybe....but (devil's advocate) maybe your children would have preferred to see more of you while growing up, rather than cold hard cash. And nowadays lots of wives (especially those that work full time!) would have little truck with a husband that buggered off back to work on his (and possibly her) only day off. Your "same" wife may be the exception rather than the rule!!

RE: What stresses you out?

Anthony Todd — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 20:34:52 GMT

[quote user="Sarah Keir"]

That is not what I am saying either David - perhaps I'll add so winky smiley faces to make it more obvious. I am sure Michael loves his job (I know he does, I have met him). I am just saying that when they come to write your epitaph or when you are lying on your death bed, your life is a collection of everything that went into it and work is one part of that - it may be a huge part but I would hope that it would not be the only part.

[/quote]

There's the fundamental historical difference I think. Pretty well the only part, in my case, and my offspring are now acknowledging the benefits and with undoubted gratitude and understanding, and so is my [same] wife!

It's a choice!!

RE: What stresses you out?

Sarah Keir — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 20:26:52 GMT

RE: What stresses you out?

Anthony Todd — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 20:23:23 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]together with cash flow worries in the past)

[/quote]

This is virtually verbatim and true:

BITD I went to see my Barclays bank manager to borrow more money and he said:

"You come in here with a silly grin on your face wanting more money, don't know exactly how much or for how long and expect me to give it to you....."

But he did! Not today I fear!

RE: What stresses you out?

David Mills — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 20:21:15 GMT

[quote user="Sarah Keir"]I pity you for not taking time to do the things that keep you happy that are not work based.[/quote]

I don't think he was saying that?! This does seem overly harsh.

As I read it, he enjoys work, a lot. So he does that on his days off. He doesn't need to necessarily, he just chooses to. Nothing wrong with that.

RE: What stresses you out?

Sarah Keir — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 20:15:56 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

I can't think of anything worse! What do you do? I'd just spend money or get bored because my other half would be working.

[/quote]

I do non-paid vet work such as SAMSoc organising, reading topics/self-study CPD, dabbling in some EBVM, learning about non-clinical things like leadership and business.... I also have hobbies, friends to visit, a garden that doesn't look after itself... I pity you for not taking time to do the things that keep you happy that are not work based.

RE: What stresses you out?

Anthony Todd — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 20:09:01 GMT

[quote user="Wren"]Well, by the time I've ridden one horse, taken the other to the gallops, tidied up the garden and been for a 6 or 7 mile run with the dog I've pretty much used my half day up! Bloody hobbies, eh?[/quote]

Sorry, and there's the big difference, all I did was work and expand with only some Saturdays and most Sundays, after I had colleagues, not in the early days! [never used the term "assistants" 'cos they usually were better than me [except in derm!].

But, after a long time of multi-managing a rather big practice, I can reap some reward; same wife, 3 boys who thank me for the start I've been able to give them etc. ec.

It's a choice though.

RE: What stresses you out?

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 19:23:58 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]Amen!! And everyone's answer to me seems to be "get a practice manager". Who I will then have to manage! It's not as if I could just say, oh well, he/ she might not have managed to get a locum to cover, but I'll just book my holiday and swan off anyway... Like wren, I end up spending more time nagging people about the jobs that I have delegated that haven't been done, or discussing problems with the jobs I delegated...not worth the hassle! [/quote]

Couldn't agree more!

We had the same issue....too big to manage to do both clinical and management roles, but too small to have enough staff to have lots of spare bodies to cover absence.

In hindsight, I wish I'd worried less about the practice being short staffed for a few days. They will manage. By doing so much extra myself, I made short staffing less of a problem to our other vets and practice manager. Afterall, 'Gillian or Ian will just come in.' Apparently.