How busy is your practice?

Re: How busy is your practice?

Phrin Vernon RVN — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:09:34 GMT

[quote user="Erica Starling RVN Cert SAN"]

[quote user="*Steph *"]

If your that quiet (consults & ops), why is no one else answering the phones? it could be potential new clients that could make you busier? ..

[/quote]

I do not know the answer to that question. I'm sure some people are scared of being busy and so leave it. I feel that everything seems a little dragged out...... nothing really happens hence the stats but everyone is busy?! I'm so confussed.

I will say that when we do have our 'busy' periods the girls on reception do try to deal with the customer, sort out px and answer phones its just very hap hazzard and never very organised. Everything seems a bit 'last minute'. Not sure how to address this ? Any thoughs.

One of the trainee nurses (yes hello Haley) is following this tread and finially understood how quiet we are when you guys posted your average weeks. I'm thinking of letting the rest of the team know how other practices operate. The trouble is only me and another nurse have ever worked in another practice and that includes the vets.. and so they just don't 'get it' !

[/quote]

Our practice has a lot of reception and repeat prescription work, and so we have added that into the nurses rota, in order to give the single receptionist time to deal with clients.

The reception nurse is responsible for putting up the repeat presc ( we have a 24hrs rule - clients must give us 24 hrs notice for repeats - we then log this on the comp, vet can OK them, and reception nurse then puts them up)

Reception nurses other duties include picking up the phone! Staying at the desk to back up reception, stock control & ordering (since the pharmacy is right behind reception)

None of us nurses like being on this shift, but we get on with it, and it seems to work OK

Re: How busy is your practice?

Sandra Stewart — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:07:10 GMT

Mine is the post below - we have to multi-task no choice. I am currently doing all the back filing when I have a chance - if there is a repeating phone cal whilst in surgery I will leave to get it on the 4th call ask them to ring the mobile if it is a genuine emergency and deal with it whilst surgery continues.

It's great you get a variety our vet finds the older trainess 40s and 50s show more initiative than the 18 year old trainees - but that is to be expected the older trainees also tend to organise the vet and calm her down if needed - she is 30 - works well.

Re: How busy is your practice?

Sandra Stewart — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:57:37 GMT

We have on vet.

5 trainee vet nurses - one each day of the week

Consults vary but includes large animals, racehorses and vetting at the races.

Restricted to one a day - sometimes 2 but none at all this week

This is a rural practice in Australia. A new vet she keeps the phones 24 hours a day.

Re: How busy is your practice?

Steph Phillips — Fri, 28 May 2010 21:28:38 GMT

[quote user="Erica Starling RVN Cert SAN"]

[quote user="*Steph *"]

If your that quiet (consults & ops), why is no one else answering the phones? it could be potential new clients that could make you busier? ..

[/quote]

What you could try doing is lighten the delegating part, and try working as a whole team - all help eachother?.. I know that sounds patronizing, & I swear that is not my intention! But it it easy to "wait for someone else to do it" - your receptionist could be flooded with work on the desk, and the nurse behind her could just be 'looking busy' cleaning a kennel.. my point is: kennal can wait - receptionist needs a hand - or vice vercer..

If staff are scared of being busy, they need to remember that at the end of the day - it's a business which pays their wages.. without the clients there is no business - and therefor no job!

We have been a tad quiet this week and our boss gave us an incentive to get busier.. sooo I've printed all my booster reminders off and we are offering £5 off the price of booster for this month only.. and for every consult we book - we get 50p.. doesn't sound alot.. but it all mounts up

Could you potentially do an offer for your clients and at the same time give an insentive to your staff to encourage and motivate them?? just a thought - by the way.. I love your signature saying! made me smile

Re: How busy is your practice?

Erica Huggins — Thu, 27 May 2010 22:49:22 GMT

[quote user="*Steph *"]

If your that quiet (consults & ops), why is no one else answering the phones? it could be potential new clients that could make you busier? ..

[/quote]

I will say that when we do have our 'busy' periods the girls on reception do try to deal with the customer, sort out px and answer phones.

Re: How busy is your practice?

Deemus — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:34:38 GMT

I honestly have no idea about our place. We run open surgeries 9am - 10am and then again 6pm -7pm. Appointments run 3pm - 4pm.

Head Vet does the little branch surgery (on his own) 5:15 - 5:45 weekdays except Weds

Saturdays are open surgery 9am - 10am and 12noon - 1pm, Sunday 10am start for urgent cases or re-exams.

OOH go to the emergency clinic down the road.

Ops are a little easier to judge but as we have so few staff, blood tests have to be admitted like an op. Pain in the backside for owners and us alike - extra kennels etc.

Two full time vets, one part time (Thurs pm only when assisstant vet has a half day)

1QVN (me), currently 1 VNA (did have two, looong story) and two evening receptionists that have their own days and alternate Fridays.

Re: How busy is your practice?

kaz84 — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:15:58 GMT

we have 3 full time + 2 part time vets.1 receptionist, 2 senior VNs, 3 x junior, 1 x cattery staff and 1 groomer. 4-7 ops daily + inpatients. average 30 consults daily (1/2 hr consults) tones of nurses consults from 8am -7pm and drop off appointments (some boarding cats, grooms, emergencies) we never turn anyone away. no after hours as we refer to an after hours service. oh and closed sunday

Re: How busy is your practice?

Steph Phillips — Thu, 27 May 2010 11:29:53 GMT

[quote user="Erica Starling RVN Cert SAN"]

It s not the consult avaliable slots I'm worrie dtoo much a bout its the fact they are not full! and on average are having 81consults a week?!

an only 7 ops a week!

[/quote]

wow thats quiet!!

[quote user="Erica Starling RVN Cert SAN"]

We have 3 full time VNs 2 Part time 1 1st year SVN +1 ANA student to cover 3 branches.

We are open from 8 - 7.30 and so need a nurse onsite all this time, at two of our branches and only for 2 days at the other. I want another Full time RVN.

Receptionists we have 3 part time at our main branch! not enough! only one during morining consults, two in the afternoon so one can clean etc and then one in the pm. Again phones are ringing and not answered because their is only one person to do all of reception!

and they want another vet!

[/quote]

If your that quiet (consults & ops), why is no one else answering the phones? it could be potential new clients that could make you busier? ..

We are a small practice..

We have

1 vet ,

4 nurses - thats it!

we have 3 nurses in the day, 2 in evening - (we alternate the 'all day' shift), - we all do a bit on reception, it's never left unattended

on average we do

150 (aprox) consults a week

15 - 20 (aprox) ops a week

When it's really really busy - we just have to deal with it, and make do with what we got, but we always get through it.. we have a very good little team

Re: How busy is your practice?

Jolene — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:02:28 GMT

Hope this Helps

My practice is in Edinburgh and we have:

Average of 220 consults per week

Average 26 ops per week

4 vets, 8 nurses, and 3 receptionists, 2 admin staff

Seems to work ok for us

Re: How busy is your practice?

SmegSlayer — Thu, 27 May 2010 07:45:52 GMT

we have 3 vets (1 or which doesn't work weds). if the vets have done a non-call weekend they get friday off, if they do a call weekend they get thursday and friday off.

we have 2 recetionists + the one from the branch covers 2:30-7pm on a wedsnesday.

head nurse is 8-2

2 qualifieds, 2 trainees, 1 auxillary, 1 boarding cattery manager (she's brilliant- can handle any animal and very useful during the morning admit rush)

Re: How busy is your practice?

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Wed, 26 May 2010 23:12:06 GMT

[quote user="Erica Starling RVN Cert SAN"]

How many consults do you have on average a week?

[/quote]

830 hrs, that is just the main branch, and can be more if there is a 3rd vet consulting, which happens a few times per week.

[quote user="Erica Starling RVN Cert SAN"]

How many ops do you have a week?

[/quote]

average 30-50 ops per week, again this is just the main branch

[quote user="Erica Starling RVN Cert SAN"]

How many Vets , nurses and receptionists do you have?

[/quote]

At the moment, we have two qualifieds on maternity leave, so we have 6 qualifieds, 3 students and 2 nursing assistants, and we have 4 receptionists, and one on maternity leave. We have 8 vets , 2 of which work at a branch each day, and one on nights which leaves us with 5, and 2 consulting at least one operating, depending on holidays etc.

Our branches have their own lay staff.

Re: How busy is your practice?

SmegSlayer — Wed, 26 May 2010 22:29:02 GMT

we're really up and down at the moment

we had quite a busy op day today- 9 ops.

we have 1 vet consulting 9-10:30am (10min appts) then they do ops

1st ops vet starts oping at approx 9am

3rd vet does branch surgery 9-10am.

the branch surgery is an open surgery so how many consults happen is like asking how long a piece of string is. it's open mon-sat 9am-10am then mon, tues and thursday evenings 6-7pm.

on mondays, weds and fridays at the main surgery we start afternoon consults at 4pm (sometimes 1 vet will start at 3pm). appts run till 5pm then we have an open surgery 5-7pm. on tues and thurs start appts at 3pm till 4pm then open surgery 4-5pm. on saturdays consults start at 1pm but sometimes the vet lets us book some earlier, then open surgery till 3pm.

we share on call with a neighbouring practice- they do monday and tues, we do weds and thurs then we alternate weekends.

does that sound complicated or is it just me?

Re: How busy is your practice?

Phrin Vernon RVN — Wed, 26 May 2010 22:26:13 GMT

We have 4 vets, often down to 3.5 due to covering other branches, and at least 2 of those are out on large animal all day - so I guess that gives us 1.5-2 vets

5.5 nurses, but 3 days of the week one is at college

One(!!) receptionist

Approx 25-30 consults a day, when full it is nearer 35, and when busy (as usual recently!) can be nearer 40

Approx 3-6 ops per day. Todays we had 9 I think.

The ops and consults vets however, will often have LA visits booked in as well, so they are usually running round like headless chickens!

Of the 5.5 nurses, one nurse will be dealing with the LA side, and another will be covering reception.

Re: How busy is your practice?

Claire Cameron — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:35:25 GMT

[quote user="vickylianne"]356 days a year.[/quote]

365? or do you have 10 days off?

Re: How busy is your practice?

vickylianne — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:01:37 GMT

Hi there!

we have vets consulting at 10mins a time between 9am -1pm & 2-7:30pm mon-fri and 9-5sats & 10-4pm suns

We tend to do up 10 ops a day (weekdays only)

9vets 9 nurses 4receptionists.

We do our own OOH 24hrs a day 356 days a year.

Re: How busy is your practice?

Sally Howe — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:51:14 GMT

There is 1 vet, 1 qualified (me both work from 9am-7pm) and 1 part time receptionist (9am-3pm).

We have a maximum of 4 ops per day but have been known to do 6.

We have 35 appointments per day although have been double booked before now with emergencies.

Re: How busy is your practice?

Nicola Smith — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:43:18 GMT

We have 1 vet, 2 qualifieds and 1 student nurse. We do all our own on call too.

We vary a lot but a busy day possibly 25-30 consults - max of 4 ops per day, plus nurse consults.

Re: How busy is your practice?

PHA86 — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:32:11 GMT

This is a typical day, approximately 100 consults and 15 ops a day.

3 vets, 2 consulting, 1 opping.

2 nurses, 1 ANA (me).

2 part time receptionists in the morning.

2 consulting support staff who receive in-house training.

Re: How busy is your practice?

Erica Huggins — Tue, 25 May 2010 10:53:25 GMT

Hi, our OOH is covered by Vets Now from 6pm till 8.30am. The reduction in working hours was what I was first thinking too. But it is another vet to do the same hours ans share the workload as they say it is too much.

Re: How busy is your practice?

Sal the 1st — Tue, 25 May 2010 10:39:20 GMT

[quote user="Erica Starling RVN Cert SAN"]

Hi I have worked in various practices with different sized teams and with my current role I am trying to work out how many staff we actualy need, vets,nurses and receptionists!.

I would love to know what the rest of guys have?

How many consults do you have on average a week?

How many ops do you have a week?

How many Vets , nurses and receptionists do you have?

Your help would be really appricated.

[/quote]

can I ask if you do your own on call or is this being covered by somebody else? ie are you needing another vet to help reduce the working hours for the vets you already have?

Re: How busy is your practice?

Erica Huggins — Tue, 25 May 2010 10:24:21 GMT

We have consult hours running from 8.30-11.00 and 2-7pm. We have 4 vets and my boss is considering getting a 5th.

It s not the consult avaliable slots I'm worrie dtoo much a bout its the fact they are not full! and on average are having 81consults a week?!

an only 7 ops a week!

My opion is that we do not have enough work for another vet! and when busy then look.

We have 3 full time VNs 2 Part time 1 1st year SVN +1 ANA student to cover 3 branches.

We are open from 8 - 7.30 and so need a nurse onsite all this time, at two of our branches and only for 2 days at the other. I want another Full time RVN.

and they want another vet!

Re: How busy is your practice?

Heather Barlow — Tue, 25 May 2010 10:15:51 GMT

Try working for the PDSA! We see 130 patients per day, around 15- 20 ops per day not including xrays or lab procedures.As well as non appointments and asked to attends. one weekend the poor vet on duty started @ 830am and did not leave the clinic until 1130 that night. On top of this we usually have approx 10 inpatients per day and are dealing with an outbreak of parvo virus for the last 7 months. This does not include nurse appointments. By the way we are by no means the busiest PDSA in the country. We all love the recession!

Re: How busy is your practice?

Fiona Leathers — Tue, 25 May 2010 08:04:26 GMT

We have 1 vet, who does maximum 21 consults per day and a maximum of 4 operations, one nurse who does reception & nurse consults which vary between 2-12 (although nurse consults run for a possible 7 hours a day) We also have a part time student who helps on reception etc.

We are incredibly busy at the moment!!!

Re: How busy is your practice?

Stuart McQueen RVN MBVNA — Tue, 25 May 2010 07:15:06 GMT

[quote user="Erica Starling RVN Cert SAN"]

How many consults do you have on average a week?

[/quote]

we run consults for the vets 9 til 10.30 - 11.30 til 12.30 - 2.20 til 3.30 (i think) - 4.30 til 6.30

VN consults runs 10.30 - 11.30, 2.30 - 3.30, 5.30 - 6.

[quote user="Erica Starling RVN Cert SAN"]How many ops do you have a week?[/quote]

on average we do about 6 - 12 ops a day - we have 2 op vets in the morning and usually 1 in the afternoon...

[quote user="Erica Starling RVN Cert SAN"]How many Vets , nurses and receptionists do you have?[/quote]

we have 13.5 vets - going upto 15.5 vets soon.

8 nurses at the minute - going to 10 at the end of june

we probably have about 14 receptionist? they are mainly part times - so morning and afternoon split shifts.

we are a busy tier 2 equine and farm animal practice and tier 3 small animal hospital with a branch surgery.

how much staff have you got at the minute?