Effective work flow

RE: Effective work flow

Sarah Keir — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 20:56:00 GMT

As above - get some receptionists! That will then free up a nurse for clinical duties and the receptionist can do the jobs that Gillian has suggested.

RE: Effective work flow

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 07:32:00 GMT

Ideally 2 nurses/VCAs per vet, who actually stay nearby and don't need looking for constantly, ... and ensure the vet is able and willing to delegate. Many vets try to do everything themselves, rather than handing on the dog for its bloods and getting on with something else.

I find that in some practices with perfectly adequate staff numbers there is still an issue as the vet is still doing everything! Little things like having someone else dispense the meds, return the animal, help book the next appointment at the desk, sort out referral paperwork etc frees up the vet to do the stuff that only the vet can do. Where this isn't happening, it is often due to the vet not managing the situation rather than the support staff being unwilling.

RE: Effective work flow

Mark Welsh — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 07:01:36 GMT

The setup is quite complicated to get into. So Maybe it would be easier if I rephrased the question.

What are your top tips to increase the work flow.l?

RE: Effective work flow

Dinu Catilina — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 22:08:15 GMT

We find that everything moves slower now than before COVID, we are running behind as well and we have a good team with good work ethics. What we did to improve things was to create 20 minutes consults. We never fully book, every consulting vet should have a minimum of one appointment free each morning to catch up, see unexpected things etc. Every afternoon has a 40 minutes slot blocked for the same thing.

We avoid booking the last appointment in the day for routines as it's almost always booked on the day.

What I also found is that stress is not always related to the amount of work but more to how it is perceived. An afternoon with 20 appointments of 20 minutes stressed people more than the same 20 appointments of 15 minutes and gaps in between.

We also stay slightly overstaffed.

[quote userid="8858" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/29250/effective-work-flow/224534#224534"]Let them think through the problem and find solution themselves.[/quote]

I wouldn't do that, most vets are not very good managers.

RE: Effective work flow

Jill Butterworth — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 19:32:31 GMT

Ask them. Let them think through the problem and find solution themselves. They're more likely to implement it, in my view. It seems like a low vet:assistant ratio.

RE: Effective work flow

Glen McIntosh — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 13:46:21 GMT

Agree that more details are needed.

But my guess is that you probably need more support “out back” - ie at least one, but possibly 2, additional assistants/nurses, who are solely dedicated to providing support for the other teams in the form of collecting and running bloods, shooting rads, in patient care and post op monitoring etc.

This really helps speed things along since the vet can be divested of these time consuming tasks and just crack on with consulting etc.

RE: Effective work flow

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 13:29:30 GMT

Ideally with 4 vets I would aim to have someone on for the 'unplanned' work. I'd never book us all solid.

I guess we need lots more info - is this just Monday to Friday? Do you do OOH and weekends?

How many vets needed to consult at one time, and when are you consulting (morning, dinnertime, afternoon, evening)?

I'm genuinely surprised that a 4 vet practice needs 2 vets operating each day. How many clean and dirty ops per day (on average)?

Do vets work 5 day weeks? What are the hours? Any half days etc?

Do you want the assistants to work with the same or different vets?

Do you want all vets to do the same or do some have a surgical or medicine interest?

No where enough info so far!