You will often hear vet nurses say "I don't do it for the money" The reality is, the vet nursing industry's pay is on the lower end of the scale but that doesn't mean you couldn't or shouldn't get a pay increase. So what can you do to get your piggy bank nice and full?
Some vet nurses want more pay without becoming more and without adding more value to their clinic. They think by working more hours that is adding more value, but it's not. You are not getting paid on the hours you work, you are getting paid based on the results you achieve and what you bring to the clinic. So as a vet nurse, you want to always upgrade your skills, how to become valuable and what can you bring to the table. If you're not sure, ask the vet director what you can do to bring more value to the clinic.
Don't guess or hope and wonder why you do certain things that don't get noticed because you will start to feel unappreciated....because you may be doing things that may not matter to the vet director.
When you speak to the vet director, make sure they are very clear on what they want and what they want you to achieve for the higher good of the clinic and then show them how you can solve problems for them, even before the problem arises. Then you don't become valuable, you become invaluable.
One way to upgrade your skills is by education. Is your clinic primarily cats and dogs? Why not study a certificate in avian care and promote bird care at your clinic? Or how about the certificate in herpetology and promote reptile care? Vet nurses can then bring in more clients, new clients into the clinic because of their new updated skills which in turn will bring more value and more money into the clinic thereby promoting a pay increase.
There are many ways to add value to your clinic without burning out. So remember, add more value to your clinic and ask for that pay increase with confidence.
Good luck!
The International School Of Veterinary Nursing has short courses that will add value to your clinic. For More information, go to www.tisovn.com