How Can Veterinarians Protect Their Time?
As a veterinarian, you are on the front lines of safeguarding the health and well-being of our beloved animal companions. But how can veterinarians protect their time to avoid burnout and other mental health concerns? The profession’s demanding nature often leaves you with limited personal time, leading to a work-life balance that can become wildly off-kilter.
The VetBadger practice management software helps you protect your time to find harmony between your work and non-work lives. By guarding your time and energy, VetBadger lets you create a practice that works well for you, your staff, and your clients. Contact us to claim your free demo.
How Can Veterinarians Protect Their Time?
Nearly 87% of veterinarians have moderate to high ProQOL burnout scores. This staggering number demonstrates how difficult it can be to maintain a thriving practice without sacrificing your life outside the clinic. People love their pets, and they trust you to keep them well. And they often expect help at all hours.
But with attentiveness and conscientious gatekeeping, you can guard your energy, time, and well-being. Here are the top three ways to do just that.
1. Set and Keep Clear Boundaries
Scope creep is a significant problem for veterinarians. There is always more work you could do. There are always more clients needing help.
Establishing and communicating boundaries will help you proactively protect your time. Clearly state and display your office hours and the protocol for after-hours emergencies, and then be sure the entire staff sticks with these policies. Choosing a veterinary practice software platform with automated appointment management also helps streamline your communication time.
Perhaps the hardest part of reigning in your schedule is avoiding the temptation to respond to work-related messages during non-working hours. It’s also tempting to say “yes” to everything because there are so many needs. But the more you keep firm boundaries and say “no” when necessary, the more likely you are to achieve an actual work-life balance.
2. Delegate Tasks
Veterinarians in private practice often take on numerous responsibilities, from medical examinations to administrative tasks. Frequently, many of these tasks should be on someone else’s plate. Delegating effectively is one of the best ways for veterinarians to protect their time.
With clear, optimized workflows for everyone on staff, jobs like administrative work, client communication, and managing inventory can leave your list of responsibilities. You’ll free up time to focus on providing the best care to your patients.
3. Implement Time Blocking
Frequently switching gears between very different tasks generally creates a significant loss of productivity - up to 40%. With a finite number of working hours each day, a loss like that is devastating.
Time blocking is a technique where you allocate specific time slots for different tasks, focusing on only one at a time. For example, you could divide your day into blocks for consultations, surgeries, administrative work, and personal time. Or divide your week into patient-facing days and administrative days. By sticking to this type of schedule, you reclaim your productivity, helping ensure you head home on time.
Effective Practice Management Software Guards Your Time
While the march of technology continues to improve veterinary care, it also improves your mental health as a veterinarian. The VetBadger platform works to support your relationship with clients, employees, and yourself. By supporting these three connections, VetBadger allows you to protect your time and avoid burnout while still providing optimal care to your patients. Contact our team for a live demo of how VetBadger can work for you.