Episodes

Send us a text These 8 predictions are in no order of priority as they’re all important. #1 - vet clinic employer branding #2 - job sharing and genuine part time roles #3 – how remuneration is “packaged” #4 - veterinary nurse job satisfaction #5 – the really good employers will get better and the vet clinic employer brand divide will widen #6 – personalisation in recruitment will be crucial - AI – artificial intelligence and computerised recruitment bots will be used more and more, which ...

Send us a text How professional or collegial is the veterinary profession in New Zealand ? We pick up today where Dr Paul Unsworth gets on his self-professed soapbox about the requirement for veterinarians to work after hours. He parallels the after hours requirements and expectations of veterinary medicine versus human medicine. I’m interested to hear your thoughts and ideas on this – please feel free to comment wherever you’re listening to this episode. I’m sure ...

Send us a text What makes a "good" veterinarian and/or a "good" veterinary clinic. Today Dr Paul Unsworth challenges me - Julie South - with specificity. As he says, "good" and "bad" aren't easily classified. If getting fit is on your to-do list for 2023, then stay tuned to the end to find out how to save $500 on an ebike. Today, UK-qualified New Zealand locum veterinarian, Dr Paul Unsworth talks about and reflects on: · What determines a “good”...

Send us a text Crystal Ball Gazing Today we do a bit of crystal ball gazing with Dr Paul Unsworth – Companion Animal Locum Veterinarian. This is the first of a multi-part series. We’re talking about some of the changes Dr Paul has seen since he started his career. Gender Equality and Diversity We also talk about gender equality and professional representation which always a topic that results in passionate debate. Using my words, not his, the veterinary profession has evolved in...

Send us a text The old model of running a veterinary business no longer works - it's time for a fresh look and different approach. This is the final episode (of 3) is Dr Jade Hackney’s series about life after veterinary burnout and recovery. At the Christchurch wellness symposium I - Julie South - spent the first day sitting next to a part-time vet - she: worked 3x 10-hour days... was a fully engaged, high producing, veterinarian totally committed to her clinic... had...

Send us a text This is the second in the multi part series where Companion Animal Veterinarian Dr Jade Hackney shares her path to living life to the full as a healthy and loving, long-term life partner and fully engaged veterinarian. Dr Jade talks about: the moment she and her life partner realised they no longer wanted to work fulltime in jobs they didn't enjoy to pay someone else's mortgage;their journey to owning their own home in their 30s - mortgage-free;what 'living life to the f...

Send us a text You can take the person out of vetting but can you take vetting out of the person? This series of episodes with Dr Jade Hackney was recorded a few months’ ago but I thought the topic was very relevant – especially for veterinary professionals who may be reconsidering their careers in the veterinary space… especially the clinical veterinary space. For example, when you reconsider your career as a veterinarian – not once, but twice – what might that look like and wha...

Send us a text This is the second of the two part series with Dr Jane Ough – Companion Animal Veterinarian at South Wairarapa Vets – who’s wearing her very new New Zealand Veterinary Association Climate Change Ambassador’s hat. If you haven’t listened to the first part – 105 – I recommend you do that, to give you context for today’s continuation of our chat. We join the conversation where Jane expresses how worried she is that not enough people are taking steps to offset their own carbon foot...

Send us a text Today we’re with Dr Jane Ough – Companion Animal Veterinarian at South Wairarapa Vets – who’s wearing her very new New Zealand Veterinary Association Climate Change Ambassador’s hat. This is the second time Dr Jane has been on Paws Claws Wet Noses. You can listen to her previous episodes 87, 88 and 89 – where she introduced the climate change initiatives South Wairarapa Vets has implemented. Today, Jane talks about how the NZVA Climate Change Ambassador vol...

Send us a text The second in the two part series where Professor John Munday talks about his world-first RAS research to treat cancer in cats and dogs. After graduating, he worked for 2 years in a mixed animal practice in Whangarei. He then returned to Massey and completed a PhD. After completing his doctorate John then did a 2-year residency in veterinary pathology at Michigan State University before working as an assistant professor at the University of Georgia f...

Send us a text Professor John Munday is a Massey University graduate. After graduating, he worked for 2 years in a mixed animal practice in Whangarei. He then returned to Massey and completed a PhD. After completing his doctorate John then did a 2-year residency in veterinary pathology at Michigan State University before working as an assistant professor at the University of Georgia for 4 years. It was at this time he decided to return home and joined the veterin...

Send us a text Dr Megan Alderson, Companion Animal Veterinarian + principal and partner of the Strand Veterinarian in Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand, introduces her new initiative The Vet Thrive Collective. In this episode Dr Megan and Julie talk about the six shields (tenets) that form part of the Vet Thrive Collective wellbeing programme: BreatheRestNourishFlowForgiveCompassionDr Megan (and Dr Francesca from last week) will be presenting at the NZVA Wellbeing and Business Symposiums ...

Send us a text Continuing on from episode 100 is part 2 of Dr Francesca Brown's research about what vet clinic clients want. The importance of training front line staff. Regard staff training as an investment, not a cost. A valuable strategy vet clinics can copy from dental clinics to help improve their bottom line. How important (or not) is pet insurance? How the 20 / 80 Pareto Principal plays out in clinic and how you can implement strategies to get more clients like the 20% y...

Send us a text Dr Francesca Brown is a veterinarian who graduated from Massey University’s class of 1998. Since graduating and gaining experience in clinical practice she moved to education and then leadership in Allied Veterinary Professional education, at both Otago Polytechnic, as the Head of the School of Veterinary Nursing and nationally as the Chair of the Educational Standards committee for Allied Veterinary Professionals. Over her career Dr Francesca’s seen first-hand, an...

Send us a text EVP – Employee Value Proposition – the tacit understanding about how an employer treats its employees What an employer promises its employees goes beyond the legal requirements of being paid for the work done (by the employee) and the health and safety obligations employers have. It’s about whether your clinic allows a blind eye to be turned when someone’s bullied … or a sexist, ageist or racist comment is made … it’s about whether you might experience an eye-roll because you’r...

Send us a text When you – or your team – show up for work at your vet clinic, what is it you want them to feel and think about working at your clinic? Do you – or they - feel excited or exhausted? Delighted or filled with dread? Full of optimism or cynicism? Culture exists whether you like it or not. Whether the culture at your clinic is positive or negative, you’ve still got a cultural vibe happening. Signposts indicating whether the culture at your clinic is positiv...

Send us a text Here are six make-sense steps to help increase staff retention at your clinic by 82% and increase staff engagement by 70% Onboarding is the bridge between the final stage of recruitment and the first step in employee engagement. Onboarding is more than asking your new hire to fill out a whole bunch of forms on their first day. Onboarding is a systematic process to ensure your newest employee believes they've made the right decision to accept your job offer! The...

Send us a text What is "constructive dismissal" - 101 employment law overview with Julie South. Dr Cath Watson - Chair of Healthy Pets NZ talks about ways supports can get involved in fundraising. Cath talks about "Dogs Day Out" and Kerikeri artist Tessa Smith. Julie South announces last week's leader board in the VetStaff annual "Love Your Vet Nurse" competition in honour of Vet Nurse Awareness Week 2022. Struggling to get results from your job advertisements? I...

Send us a text Part 2 of 3 chats Julie South had with Companion Animal Veterinarian and Chair of Healthy Pets New Zealand, Dr Cath Watson. This week Julie and Cath chat about some of the research that Healthy Pets NZ has undertaken. #LoveYourVetNurse annual competition in honour of Vet Nurse Awareness Week - Julie announces the leader board results after the first week of competition. It's the best competition VetStaff has ever run - the enthusiasm from clinics has been almost overwhelming...

Send us a text Dr Cath Watson, BVSc - Companion Animal Veterinarian - has worked in a range of practices, both in here in Godzone Aotearoa New Zealand and in the United Kingdom. She’s been a locum, an employee, and a business owner. Right now, Cath’s based in Central Otago but travels the country as a locum. The reason Cath and Julie South of VetStaff are talking today is because of Cath's involvement in Healthy Pets New Zealand – a really special New Zealand research charity.&nb...

Send us a text Before you start looking for your next vet or vet nurse job – there are some things you need to do first – to avoid heartbreak and stress further down the track. In summary Get clear on why you’re considering a new job. If you like where you are, give your current clinic the opportunity to meet you in the middle. If you’re a good vet or nurse and you match the culture and vice versa, they’ll want to keep you. Giving them the opportunity ahead of you...

Send us a text What makes a great leader? Are people born natural leaders or can leadership be developed and taught? What’s the difference between a LEADER and a MANAGER? Did you realise that when you, or someone on your team is a great leader (or not) it affects your clinic’s ability to attract and recruit great vets and nurses? Three differences Leadership vs Management 1. Process vs Vision 2. Organising vs Aligning 3. Position vs Quality Five Qualities of ...

Send us a text One small word - four different situations when you probably don't even realise you're using it + examples of how to swap to a statement more empowering and powerful (without being bossy or aggressive). A world first (as far as we can tell) initiative from VetStaff - we're looking for pilot veterinary clinics to be part of our Beta Launch. You don't have to be an existing VetStaff client to participate. If you want to DIY your own recruitment then this new initi...

Send us a text Pressure is not Stress - Nick Petrie - Presenter at the NZVA 2022 Conference - VBB session Nicholas Petrie What "human rumination" is. Julie shares one of the ways she gets out of downward rumination spirals when she recognises them playing out in her life. Nick Petrie's White Paper - Pressure is Not Stress - 4 steps to be resilient in disruptive times Dr Jane Ough - Companion Animal Veterinarian and Conservationist - part 3 of 3 VetStaffleading veterinary sector recruitme...