{"id":2864,"date":"2021-09-20T22:10:14","date_gmt":"2021-09-20T12:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/?p=2864"},"modified":"2021-09-02T17:12:23","modified_gmt":"2021-09-02T07:12:23","slug":"how-to-keep-your-locum-vets-coming-back-for-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/?p=2864","title":{"rendered":"How to keep your locum vets coming back for more"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It\u2019s no news to anyone in the veterinary industry that locum\ncover has been harder and harder to come by in recent times. Prior to the COVID\npandemic, many practice owners lamented the difficulties around finding\nexperienced, reliable locum veterinarians who were able to hit the ground\nrunning and manage a busy caseload in a new environment. However, once the pandemic\nforced border closures, severely limiting even interstate travel and making the\nworking holiday a distant pipe dream, veterinary practice owners began to look\nback fondly on those times when the main difficulties around finding casual\nrelief lay in finding the \u2018right fit\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>In this new world we find ourselves in, finding any cover at\nall to enable practice owners and permanently employed veterinarians to take\ntime off has become a challenge. So, when a clinic does find a willing and\navailable locum, how do they keep that professional coming back for more\nshifts? After all, having a small pool of locum vets to call on is every\npractice owner\u2019s dream. All the better if these vets have worked at the clinic\nbefore and are familiar with the protocols, staff and clientele. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many clinics are already offering flights and accommodation for\nlonger stints to locums who are based interstate. But, is there more that can\nbe done to help relief veterinarians feel comfortable and valued? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what experienced locums have to say about what draws\nthem to a clinic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Good Communication<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The pre-shift communication- Once the shift has\nbeen booked, get in touch with the locum to confirm hours, rates, type of shift\n(eg. Consulting only vs requirements to perform surgery), billing protocol,\nprofessional indemnity insurance, names of support staff and anything else they\nmay need to know for their shifts. At the same time, ask the locum what their\ncomfort levels are with regards to handling particular types of animals, and\nfor surgical or other complex procedures, if they are likely to have these booked\nin during their shifts.<\/li><li>Protocols- Construct a standard document\ncontaining the following protocols which is readily available to the locum,\neither via email or kept in the consult room. If the document is left in the\nclinic, inform them ahead of time where they can find it. You should include at\nleast the following protocols and policies:<\/li><li>Vaccination protocols for all species treated by\nthe clinic.<\/li><li>Billing procedure and examples. This should\ninclude any additional charges for weekends or after-hours.<\/li><li>Basic instructions on how to use the computer\nrecord system and login details.<\/li><li>Expectations on whether the vet should bring\ntheir own stethoscope or can use the ones provided by the clinic.<\/li><li>Details around access to S8 drugs.<\/li><li>Referral policies and preferences.<\/li><li>Policies or preferences around pathology, for\nexample, preference for in-house versus external lab blood tests. Location of\npathology sample tubes and request forms, as well as details of sample pick-up\narrangements.<\/li><li>Policies round booking in of complex procedures,\nparticularly surgical procedures. For example, are there vets who excel at\northopaedic surgery and are happy to have these procedures booked in for them?\nDoes the clinic prefer to only do dentals on Tuesdays and Thursdays?<\/li><li>Any instructions around allowing client\naccounts, for example arrangements to pay in instalments. If there are\nexceptions to this policy for certain clients, this should be noted on the\nclient file so that the locum is not left in the uncomfortable position of\nenforcing a policy that does not apply to that particular client.<\/li><li>List of equipment available for use.<\/li><li>Label cupboards and draws with types of\nequipment they contain, particularly in the consultation room. Having to fumble\nthrough drawers for a syringe or cotton ball won\u2019t help build a new vet\u2019s\nconfidence when they are trying to impress your clients.<\/li><li>Communicate in a timely manner with your\npermanent staff. Ensure they are aware there will be a locum vet on a\nparticular day and the name of the veterinarian. Show the support staff where\nprotocol documents are kept. Instruct them to provide a tour of the clinic on\narrival and guidance to the locum vet on use of the computer system. Request\nthat they avoid over-booking the schedule.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A Supportive Work Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Book a reasonable and manageable schedule-\nImagine walking into a new workplace on a busy day. You don\u2019t know where\nanything is, you haven\u2019t used any of the equipment before (X-ray machine, drip\npumps, etc.), you have brand new colleagues and you are trying to build the\nclients\u2019 trust. On top of all these stressors, you are booked back to back with\nconsultations, some slots are double-booked and the nurses have been instructed\nto accept all walk-in clients as well. The result is that the very clients you\nare trying to impress are already disgruntled when they walk into the consult\nroom due to the long wait times. Do not do this to your locums! Try to fight\nthe temptation to force your locum to \u2018earn their keep\u2019. Yes, hourly locum\nrates are higher than those you pay your permanent vets, but the rates are a\nfunction of the nature of the job, which brings with it instability, poor job\ncontinuity and the challenges of adapting quickly to new situations.\nOver-booking an already stressed out professional is a great way to ensure they\nthink twice about coming back for more shifts.<\/li><li>Support staff- Try to schedule experienced,\nsenior nurses to work with locum vets wherever possible. Having to work with\njunior or inexperienced support staff can add to stress levels of the locum\nvets as well as that of the support staff.<\/li><li>Professional indemnity insurance- Consider\nopting for an insurance policy that covers contractors, or locums. Many\nfull-time locums do have their own cover, but some vets that take the occasional\nlocum shift may not. If your policy does not provide this cover, make this\nclear before the shift is booked so that potential locums can make an informed\ndecision.<\/li><li>Case handover- Leave instructions for handover\nof tricky or critical cases, whether it\u2019s to just leave detailed notes or to\ncall the vet who will be on duty next before the end of the shift.<\/li><li>Case follow-up- Consider providing a follow up\non more serious cases that your locum has been heavily involved in the care or\nwork-up of. This should help them feel valued by the clinic and provide some of\nthe continuity that is normally lacking in locum work.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A few more little things<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Offer competitive rates- Remember, securing a\nlocum may be the difference between having to close the clinic or an entire\nvet\u2019s schedule for the day, and generating a reasonable day\u2019s income. In\nAustralia, locum vet hourly rates start at around $50 but experienced locums\ntend to charge upwards of $65\/hour.<\/li><li>It\u2019s all in the packaging- Train your permanent\nstaff to refer to the locum vet when talking to clients as the doctor or vet\nwho is covering for whichever vet is away. Many clients don\u2019t understand what a\nlocum is and may not realise that \u2018the locum\u2019 is actually a qualified and often\nexperienced veterinarian.<\/li><li>Dress-code- If there is a particular uniform or\nscrub-top that you would like the consulting locum vet to wear, inform them of\nthis before the shift and provide a clean, ironed uniform or scrub-top for them\nto wear during the shift.<\/li><li>Be kind- Resist the temptation to book difficult\nclients or complex cases that you or the permanent veterinarians try to avoid\nfor the locum. If this must be done, take the time to call the locum prior to\nthe shift and prepare them for the challenge.<\/li><li>Payment- Pay the locum in a timely manner.<\/li><li>One big family- If you have a long-term or\nregular locum, consider inviting them to the clinic end-of-year celebration.\nNot being part of a \u2018work family\u2019 can be the downside of long term locum work\nand including the locum this way can go a long way to helping them feel valued.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With some preparation and care, these are ways to not only retain good locum vets, but also to attract new locums. After all, the veterinary profession is a close-knit one and word gets around. While some vets may find a list of instructions to be too didactic, most will likely appreciate the guidance and care taken by their new employers. The guidance may also be useful for induction of new permanent staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Deepa Gopinath<\/strong> is a small animal veterinarian working in the pharmaceutical\u00a0industry, as well as a freelance writer and social media content creator. In addition to her veterinary degree, she has completed her membership qualification in small animal surgery and and MBA through MGSM, Sydney.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s no news to anyone in the veterinary industry that locum cover has been harder and harder to come by in recent times. Prior to the COVID pandemic, many practice owners lamented the difficulties around finding experienced, reliable locum veterinarians who were able to hit the ground running and manage a busy caseload in a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2865,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[2238,2239,2240,721],"class_list":["post-2864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-locums","tag-retention","tag-staff","tag-vets"],"rise-blocks_total_comments":0,"rise-blocks_categories":[{"term_id":67,"name":"Features","slug":"features","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":68,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":63,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":67,"category_count":63,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Features","category_nicename":"features","category_parent":0}],"rise-blocks_excerpt":"It\u2019s no news to anyone in the veterinary industry that locum cover has been harder and harder to come by in recent times. Prior to the COVID pandemic, many practice owners lamented the difficulties around finding experienced, reliable locum veterinarians who were able to hit the ground running and manage a busy caseload in a new environment. However, once the..","blog_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/nick-fewings-XqOBKnxDSfE-unsplash-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"full":["https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/nick-fewings-XqOBKnxDSfE-unsplash.jpeg",1280,853,false]},"categories_names":{"67":{"name":"Features","link":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/?cat=67"}},"tags_names":{"2238":{"name":"locums","link":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/?tag=locums"},"2239":{"name":"retention","link":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/?tag=retention"},"2240":{"name":"staff","link":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/?tag=staff"},"721":{"name":"vets","link":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/?tag=vets"}},"comments_number":"0","wpmagazine_modules_lite_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/nick-fewings-XqOBKnxDSfE-unsplash-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"cvmm-medium":["https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/nick-fewings-XqOBKnxDSfE-unsplash.jpeg",300,200,false],"cvmm-medium-plus":["https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/nick-fewings-XqOBKnxDSfE-unsplash.jpeg",305,203,false],"cvmm-portrait":["https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/nick-fewings-XqOBKnxDSfE-unsplash.jpeg",400,267,false],"cvmm-medium-square":["https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/nick-fewings-XqOBKnxDSfE-unsplash.jpeg",600,400,false],"cvmm-large":["https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/nick-fewings-XqOBKnxDSfE-unsplash.jpeg",1024,682,false],"cvmm-small":["https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/nick-fewings-XqOBKnxDSfE-unsplash.jpeg",130,87,false],"full":["https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/nick-fewings-XqOBKnxDSfE-unsplash.jpeg",1280,853,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2864"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2866,"href":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2864\/revisions\/2866"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theveterinarian.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}