How to make veterinary CPD investment repay
The Veterinary Business Journal reports that cutbacks in spending often fall on perceived non-essential areas of the practice budget, such as training, but how do you keep staff motivated without investing in their future?
Dave Nicol from the Veterinary Business Journal makes a poignant remark: “Training has always been one of the essential building blocks required to deliver a successful business. Organisational performance and staff development enjoy a direct relationship; the more you invest in effective training, the better the results.” However, Nicol believes that veterinary clinics are often simply going through the motions of allowing their staff to attend courses.
Spending behaviours within the profession have changed and with a larger choice than ever for veterinary CPD, how can we measure a return on this investment? One consideration should be whether training should focus an individual or the entire team - certain topics are important to everyone in the clinic. Behaviour and temperament problems directly affect all members of staff and can often waste time and money (additionally, occasionally leading to injury, re-homing or euthanasia) - imagine how much more productive your consultations with canine clients could be if they readily allowed you to handle and examine them.
The VetPro seminars I run, focusing on canine communication and preventing common behaviour and temperament problems, take staff off-site away from daily clinic distractions, offer intimate access and time with me and allow important networking with colleagues. Some of the best ideas have come from sharing information. With a “current economic climate” that we are reminded of daily, it would be wise to spend on training that you can measure a return on the investment.
Helen Kington, Practice Manager of Coach House Vets in Berkshire, says: “Since our team attended the VetPro seminar in Berkshire, we have noticed a positive difference in all of our canine clients by implementing your advice.”
The PDSA Wellbeing Report 2011 highlighted key concerns veterinary professionals have regarding canine behaviour and my VetPro seminars deal specifically with some of those. I will explain how to prevent perfectly predictable and preventable behaviour and temperament problems - especially anxiety, fear, aggression and hyperactivity, and will discuss the unbelievable ease of aggression prevention. Learn what your canine clients are telling you - and their owners - and how best to communicate with them.
A great opportunity to network, each candidate will receive a CPD certificate, licence-free behaviour resources for use in your practice, a free KONG product of your choice, a discount voucher for Thundershirt, refreshments and buffet.
29th September Wolf Conservation Trust, Berkshire: 5pm-9pm
10th October University of Surrey, Guildford: 10am-2pm
15th October University of Buckingham, Buckinghamshire: 10pm–2pm
Posted in Research & Studies, Resources for Veterinary Professionals by admin
