How has it already been a month since I started working as a Vet. Looking back on the first month there's been some highs and lows. Today I wanted to reflect on Euthanasia's and Communication with your team.
Euthanasia's:
They aren't easy, most of the ones that I have done have been ones where the owner has made the decision themselves, or with one of the other vets at the practice the owner has come to the decision to put their pet to sleep. There have been 2 cases where I have discussed it with the owner and the owner has come to the decision to put the pet to sleep. These were definitely the hardest ones because at the end of the day it is your final call on whether the animal lives or dies, in these cases I remind myself that the oath we all swore to enter into the RCVS was to uphold animal welfare. As horrible as it is when it comes to a treatable issue that the owners aren't willing to treat due money issues or something else, then in cases like that having a QOL discussion is something that has to happen.
The actual act of putting an animal to sleep is something that has to done with a laid out process, communication is key. For me I find that acknowledging the difficulty of the situation with the owners helps, assuring them that they are making the correct decision and that you can see how much they love their animal. From there I try to explain exactly what is about to happen, I get them to sign the consent form, and talk them through the steps of placing an IV catheter with the nurses help (I do this in the room 9/10), if the animal is fractious then I will do an IM sedation so that they are calm for the IV placement. For me I always place a catheter, as it means I can be more hands off when it comes to giving the injection and the owners wanting to be close to the animal. Once the catheter is placed I will then make sure the animal is comfy and gets cuddles with the owners. From here I explain that I will give the injection into the catheter (always draw up more lethal injection that you need just encase), and I state that the animal might twitch, do a big breath or wee itself they are all normal things. I inject slowly and once the full calculated dose has gone in then I will listen to the chest, for what feels like forever but I like to be 1000% sure because my anxiety can go wild with me! Once I have confirmed the heart is stopped and there are no ocular reflexes left, I state clearly "X has passed away". I leave the owners with the animal for a while and let them know I'm around in they need me, I like to offer a nose/paw print and a hair clipping encase they want a memento of their pet. A line that I use commonly which puts me at ease when thinking about animals I've previously lost or family members I've lost is, "They will be in the sunrises and the sunsets watching out for you, pain free and knowing you loved them until the end".
At the end of the day a Euthanasia isn't nice, but I try to view it as a privilege to be able to ensure that the animal leaves this world calmly and surrounded by it's loved ones so that it is no longer suffering. Communication is key to this whole process and mastering your non-verbal communication too.
Communication:
That takes me perfectly onto my other point for today which is Communication in the work place. With every single thing we do as vets, communication is key. Whether you are talking to an owner who is super compliant or an owner who is tricky and not satisfied with the care you are offering. Discussing cases with other vets or even checking with your nurse who is monitoring your anaesthesia that they're happy. All of this takes the basic skill of communicating and honing your ability to get information out of people and build a relationship with others.
When it comes to clients, laying out their options and ensuring that they fully understand the way forward with their animal is vital, allowing an owner to feel as though it is a collaborative effort is such a helpful tool when it comes to building a rapport with clients. If you are unsure, just be honest, at the end of the day I'm a new grad I don't know everything and it doesn't mean I am a bad vet if I say I'm unsure and go get another vets opinion, an owner would much rather that and you be honest than you fake confidence and don't treat their animal in the correct way. Just being open and honest will go so far. When it comes to open vs closed questions, this is something I am 100% still working on, I find that I tend to get into a rut of asking lots of closed questions especially in my routine booster consults, I'll start with an open question and go straight to closed after that, which I am actively trying not to do as much anymore. Everyday I work out new ways to ask things that get me the answers and information I'm looking for. Most of the time when things go wrong with a client-vet relationships it is because somewhere down the line something has been misinterpreted or the trail of communication has broken down, with good communication and honesty I think many run ins can be avoided.
Communicating with your colleagues. There is a fine balance, you want to make the environment relaxing to work in but at the same time professional. With nurses I always make sure they are aware I am here if they need me, most of the time they don't need me because they're amazing but I'll always be there just in case. With other vets I never take any of their advise or tips in a negative way, everyone has their own ways of doing things and them commenting isn't an attack on the way I do things. Veterinary is always a collaboration as everyone has their own strengths and knowledge sets. Respecting your co-workers and taking on board their feedback and advise will take you very far, having a growth mindset and always being willing to learn and progress will mean you'll be a wonderful vet.
Feedback, as a new grad this is part and parcel of the job, talking to your manager/boss can be stressful, but telling them the type of feedback you would like and ensuing that that channel of communication is always open and honest, they are there to give you feedback and much as you are there to give them feedback and a healthy workplace will always feel like somewhere that those conversations can take place, without fear of repercussions.
That's all for today, remember to smile today because you never know your smile could make someone's day :)
