Vet Tech Week – 5 Great Ways To Celebrate

Veterinary technicians (Vet tech) are heroes. These hard-working team members are integral to the veterinary healthcare team. Veterinary technicians are the face of your practice as they interact with pet parents. These team members also provide endless hours of patient care to your furry patients.

Veterinary technicians have an extensive skill set and many talents. They work tirelessly in your exam rooms, surgery suites, labs, and patient care wards. The specialized knowledge and care these techs bring to your hospital enable your veterinarians to do their jobs.

Education, knowledge, and skills are just a part of what makes your veterinary technician team invaluable to your practice. Veterinary technicians love what they do, and they care for their patients and clients.

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Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week

Though we aim to appreciate our technical staff every day, each year, the third week of October brings a unique opportunity to celebrate these team members. According to the National Association of Veterinary Technicians, this week “has been set aside as National Veterinary Technician Week (NVTW) to celebrate, recognize, and promote the valuable contributions Credentialed Veterinary Technicians make to the veterinary profession and society”.

This week-long celebration is the perfect time to show your veterinary technicians some love. We are here to help you with some creative ideas, beyond just free pizza, that will help you appreciate your staff and retain these highly-valued employees long-term.

Five Ways To Celebrate Veterinary Technician (Vet Tech) Week

1. Get Away With Your Team

Now, more than ever, the entire veterinary team is overwhelmed and overworked. What better reward for a year of hard work than some downtime? Getting away outside of the clinic, and having fun as a group, will not only give the entire team some much-deserved fun but will also help bond your team.

Making veterinary technicians feel valued this week is the goal, and increasing the bonds of the team will help immensely with retaining your staff. Some great ideas for outside of the clinic activities include:

To make these events fun and enjoyable, hold them outside of working hours at the most convenient time for everyone. Inviting the kids and spouses of team members can be an excellent way for everyone to get to know each other. Provide plenty of snacks and drinks, and let the fun begin!!!

2. Pay For Professional Photos With Pets

This has always been a very favorite of mine. Veterinary technicians do the work they do because they love pets! What better way to show you care than by celebrating the human-animal bonds that your staff shares with their own pets?

A great way to accomplish this is to hire a photographer and have employees bring their pets for a photo shoot. This photoshoot can be done at the clinic or outside working hours – whichever fits the technician’s schedule. As always, provide snacks and drinks to make the event fun.

The photos can be framed and hung in the clinic as well as given as gifts to the technicians. Your staff will cherish the pictures for years to come. If you proudly display the photos in your hospital you will not only show your team that you value them, but clients love to see their nursing team with their personal pets too!

3. Set Up A Scavenger Hunt

In the fast-paced and hectic world of veterinary medicine, we all need to take a break and blow off some steam. Veterinary technicians are a fun bunch of people, and they love to compete!

Scavenger hunts are a great way to let them do both. I have set up scavenger hunts for many occasions with my staff, and they are always a huge hit. Again, whether you do the scavenger hunt just around the clinic or at an outside location, provide fun food and drinks.

The hunt can be as simple or involved as you like. Small items such as candy, gifts, and money can be hidden around the area, and everyone can dash like mad to find as many as they can. Alternatively, you can write out a true clue-based hunt, and the team can work together to solve the clues and find prizes along the way. Fun team-based activities are great for morale and long-term employee retention.

4. Share A Meal Outside Of The Clinic

Sitting down to a shared meal, away from the clinic, can be an excellent opportunity to allow your hardworking technicians to relax and take a break. Eating as a group will foster team bonds while celebrating the employees’ hard work.

This meal can be held at a nice restaurant, a favorite local burger joint, or even as a picnic in the park. The important part is to have the meal during off-hours and away from the clinic. This will allow for complete relaxation and give the staff time to bond.

5. Hand Written Thank You Notes

Though possibly not as glamorous as the first few ideas, I have found that a heartfelt, handwritten note of sincere appreciation is one of the most popular veterinary technician gifts.

Veterinary technicians are people, and like all people, they need to know that they are doing a good job and that their work is appreciated. These notes are a chance for you to put into words just how much your staff means to you and the clinic.

We all know that behind every veterinarian, there is a superb technician. You couldn’t do this without them, and this is your chance to let them know! Expressing your genuine appreciation of your team in this meaningful way will help you retain these valuable team members and significantly boost clinic morale.

Final thought

The past year has been challenging for everyone, especially veterinary teams. Your veterinary technicians have worked hard and helped your clinic to thrive. Veterinary technician (Vet Tech) week is your opportunity to show them just how much you appreciate their time and effort. Spending time relaxing away from the clinic, playing games, keepsake photos with pets, and heartfelt expressions of gratitude are all great ways to celebrate your team. Get creative and have fun – your employees and your practice deserve it.