The perfect job

RE: The perfect job

Sal the 1st — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 15:29:29 GMT

yes I have been extremely fortunate with some of my bosses - there are a few good ones out there. It wasn't always costly stuff either sometimes it could be something as simple as bringing in ice lollies for everybody on a really hot day, or making us a coffee if he wasn't the one that was busy either way we knew we were appreciated.

RE: The perfect job

Alison Clare Hickman — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 10:42:30 GMT

Sal,

Love this attitude. Have always believed in good reward for a hard days toil. Sounds fab!

Ali h

RE: The perfect job

Sal the 1st — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 10:38:25 GMT

This was the same boss who flew us across to France after saying 'we are having a night out bring your passport' and took us to a casino (with spending money included), and the same boss who booked us all in on a paint balling day , and the day trip to the American Adventure, and the balloon ride - we learned to expect the unexpected- incredibly close, play hard/ work hard team tho.

RE: The perfect job

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 07:24:05 GMT

[quote user="Sal the 1st"]we were given a backpack each, a tent between us, a map with the pick up point marked,a compass, emergency rations and a means to make a fire and dropped off at two different locations somewhere on Saddleworth Moor. [/quote]

Crikey, that could have gone spectacularly wrong! I mean, if everyone was expecting a nice stay in some posh country hotel, with a little stroll round the garden after lunch, only to find themselves dumped at the top of some wind and rainswept in the middle of nowhere, with a tent.

I guess 20 years ago, I'd have thought that was great fun; these days it would be my idea of hell!

RE: The perfect job

Sal the 1st — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 00:34:48 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Anyone else had any memorably good team-building events organised by their practice? Particularly interested to hear about ones in the UK.

[/quote]

one very memorable one many years ago. We were basically 2 practices with 1 vet, 1 nursing staff and 1 part time receptionist at each. Bosses idea was to arrange weekend cover and take us all on a survival weekend. We knew we were going somewhere for the weekend and would need to do some walking but he neglected to mention the survival bit

So we arrived at the meeting point somewhere in Lancashire with what we thought were going to be our two teams ie 1 practice against the other. And then all change - as nursing staff were not allowed to be in the same team as their regular vet, we were given a backpack each, a tent between us, a map with the pick up point marked,a compass, emergency rations and a means to make a fire and dropped off at two different locations somewhere on Saddleworth Moor.

By the end of the weekend we were all working together pretty well I have to say. Wasn't exactly what any of us were expecting of a practice weekend away but we all enjoyed it after the initial shock.

RE: The perfect job

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 13:49:24 GMT

And whaddyaknow, almost as soon as the results of the survey are in, news arrives of White Cross Vets nurse team-building event:

https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/b/veterinary-nursing-news/archive/2016/09/14/157821.aspx

I think I want a job with them myself!

Anyone else had any memorably good team-building events organised by their practice? Particularly interested to hear about ones in the UK.

RE: The perfect job

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 10:19:14 GMT

[quote user="Alison Clare Hickman"]Thanks! Gent, scholar, knight in shining armour. I feel very happy . Order is restored to my psyche (well, as ordered as it ever will be... )[/quote]

Pleasure is all mine! I am slightly prone to being a bit tongue-in-cheek / flippant, and need to be told sometimes!

I have plagiarised your suggestions so far, and posted them over on VetSurgeon (anything which helps promote a more harmonious working environment is hopefully a positive thing!).

Any other suggestions from anyone else as to the things that practices do to make you feel valued would be very helpful ...

RE: The perfect job

Alison Clare Hickman — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 12:58:23 GMT

Thanks! Gent, scholar, knight in shining armour. I feel very happy . Order is restored to my psyche (well, as ordered as it ever will be... )

Ali h

RE: The perfect job

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 12:53:27 GMT

I'll change it :)

RE: The perfect job

Alison Clare Hickman — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 12:41:01 GMT

... yeeeees, I know you're an honourable gentleman and it was likely to be a 'funny' / sarcasm but even so, I just can't get my head around the word being used in print next to veterinary nurse. Even in jest, for me, its the wrong message. Say it enough times and it becomes true... Maybe just me... Soz.

Ali h

RE: The perfect job

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 12:32:10 GMT

[quote user="Alison Clare Hickman"]Disappointed you used the description 'slave'...[/quote]

I was being ironic!

RE: The perfect job

Alison Clare Hickman — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 11:37:29 GMT

Hey Arlo,

Disappointed you used the description 'slave'... I know why you did it but still

Ali h

RE: The perfect job

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 10:32:10 GMT

[quote user="VetNurse Anon a/c"]I think this would depend on the wage, well it does for me anyway. With such low wages being offered, I would not be willing to travel more than 30 minutes due to travel costs. It just would not be worth it. For better paid jobs or locum jobs I am willing to travel further as I can afford the tube/train/petrol money and still have some money left over at the end of the month.[/quote]

Good point.

I've published the news story here: https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/b/veterinary-nursing-news/archive/2016/09/08/157817.aspx (and over on VetSurgeon), and will be emailing it to all VS members shortly.

RE: The perfect job

VetNurse Anon a/c — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 22:19:52 GMT

[quote user="Sal the 1st"]

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Nurses are not prepared to travel so far to work

[/quote]

that surprises me a bit seeing as a very large percentage of nurses are locums and I know when I was doing locum work I could be high tailing all over the country wherever the work was

[/quote]

I think this would depend on the wage, well it does for me anyway. With such low wages being offered, I would not be willing to travel more than 30 minutes due to travel costs. It just would not be worth it. For better paid jobs or locum jobs I am willing to travel further as I can afford the tube/train/petrol money and still have some money left over at the end of the month.

RE: The perfect job

Sal the 1st — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 21:21:18 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Nurses are not prepared to travel so far to work

[/quote]

that surprises me a bit seeing as a very large percentage of nurses are locums and I know when I was doing locum work I could be high tailing all over the country wherever the work was

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]

Strikingly similar percentages of each profession say they are not prepared to do OOH

[/quote]

not surprised by this. OOH used to be an accepted norm for the job but I suppose owners have become more demanding and want the same kind of service they get from the NHS (even if they don't want to pay for it). Gone are the days of the sensible owner who respected your time (mostly) and who only called you out for a genuine emergency, but to some extent its our own fault we have turned or been turned into 'service providers' rather than respected professionals. People use vets like they use plumbers these days - just a pity they don't charge a plumbers rate for a call out.

I would be interested in hearing how nurses perceptions of the job and what they should/n't be doing have altered in say the last decade and to compare them with the vets perceptions of how the nursing job has altered in the last decade good or bad.I suspect what some nurses think our job is and what the vets see as the nurses job may be pretty much disparate.

RE: The perfect job

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 17:17:36 GMT

Here we go, the results of the survey of nurse jobseekers are here.

A few things that I thought were notable (and which I am about to run a news story about):

Nurses are more internet-savvy than vets (greater usage of online job boards than vets)
Where vets said the most important job attributes were work-life balance and clinical facilities, nurses said they were to feel valued as part of a collaborative team and PAY!
Strikingly similar percentages of each profession say they are not prepared to do OOH.
Nurses are not prepared to travel so far to work

https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/agContent/jobs/vetnurse-jobseeker-report-v3.pdf

RE: The perfect job

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 10:25:47 GMT

Ali, thank you again for all your help - fantastic, that's a really well thought-through list! And thanks Jo Ireson for that suggestion too.

Any other suggestions - the more the merrier.

RE: The perfect job

Lucy-lu — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 16:32:45 GMT

I fully agree with Alison too.

RE: The perfect job

molladog — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 15:00:01 GMT

[quote user="Jo Ireson"]

Well said Alison - couldn't agree more. The only other thing I would add is being able to buy supplies for your own pets at cost price - this is a big bonus for many nurses who invariably end up with a menagerie of waifs and strays.[/quote]

Totally agree with that,

RE: The perfect job

molladog — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 14:59:22 GMT

I second all you say Alison,

RE: The perfect job

Jo Ireson — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 14:48:52 GMT

RE: The perfect job

Alison Clare Hickman — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 14:12:05 GMT

Hi Arlo,

For me, having a work/life balance option and flexibility is part of appreciation and value. An employer who is willing to consider this aspect means I might be able to stay with them rather than have to leave.

Simply put - it is an employer willing to invest in my career as a nurse.

-give me a career progression ladder to aspire to (can be sideways, can be upwards, can be consolidation, can be specialising. . . whatever works for me and the practice)

-Supporting further education / CPD for the benefit of both the practice and me.

-listening to ideas and supporting implementation

-Recognising that I might need the odd day in the year for a doctor or hospital appointment, with paid time off (within reason). Similarly for home emergencies or dependent care. I envisage a bank of time I can use if I need it but not if I don't - hey, how about a reward/bonus at the years end if I don't use it. Yes, one practice I have worked at did this. It wasn't abused and it worked really well.

-Ensuring that the nursing staff are well supported with VCA/ANA staff.

-Have sufficient numbers of staff, and dedicated day and night teams, as is appropriate to cover all shifts.

-Any shortage in staff numbers is made up if expected to be on-going so we don't suffer from exhaustion spinning all the plates.

-support Clinical Coaches to actually get sufficient time to do their role alongside normal duties

-Say thank you in my salary without me having to prompt it; when I have exceeded expectations.

-Say thank you in person.

-Tell me what is expected of me so I know how to measure my performance.

-Stop bullying and harassment in its tracks. Make it known and certain you will not tolerate this and do not do so yourself.

-Give specific responsibilities to us that we have proven we are good at and allow us to specialise if it's appropriate.

-Throw in the odd surprise like a paid for team-building, fun, day/night out.

-Give me more than two uniforms to wear and happily replace them when they are worn out.

I could go on - - -

In short - it is INVESTMENT in the nurse and being nice about it.

Ali h

RE: The perfect job

Ems — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 10:37:29 GMT

I feel appreciated when asked for my opinion or when my ideas are implemented. Just being thanked for my help also makes me feel appreciated! It's the little things that keep me happy :-)

RE: The perfect job

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 09:28:06 GMT

Not quite ready to release the full results of the survey yet, but very interesting to see that when asked what the most important job attributes are, veterinary surgeons said: 'work life balance', whereas you voted for: 'feeling valued / appreciated'.

I'd like to expand on that, and ask those of you who work in practices where you feel valued and appreciated, how do they make you feel that way?

I'm looking to make a list of things that practices can do to make their employees feel valued, and making it downloadable from both sites. Any help you can give me would be much appreciated!

RE: The perfect job

kerryfeehan — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 09:57:13 GMT

I also think actually getting a rest break (which is actually a legal entitlement!) is a high priority but i guess that comes under having adequate staffing levels?