The communication skills that follow are essential for the development of a collaborative veterinarian-client partnership, staff member-client partnership, staff member-staff member relationship. These skills constitute the core of clinical communication skills that can lead to more common ground, enhanced relationships and coordination of care, reduced conflicts and complaints. Inclusion of these skills in every day practice requires us to move beyond what we do anyway to a higher level of intention in the way that we interact with clients and one another. These more effective consultations and interactions also lead to improved outcomes of care including: improved client, vet practitioner, staff member satisfaction, increased understanding and recall by clients, increased adherence and practice success.

The communication skills that follow are essential for the development of a collaborative veterinarian-client partnership, staff member-client partnership, staff member-staff member relationship. These skills constitute the core of clinical communication skills that can lead to more common ground, enhanced relationships and coordination of care, reduced conflicts and complaints. Inclusion of these skills in every day practice requires us to move beyond what we do anyway to a higher level of intention in the way that we interact with clients and one another. These more effective consultations and interactions also lead to improved outcomes of care including: improved client, vet practitioner, staff member satisfaction, increased understanding and recall by clients, increased adherence and practice success.

In the US, there are 3 times more suicides in the veterinary profession than in the average population and the ratio is even worse for women. Working as a vet practitioner clearly put us at risk of “compassion fatigue”, a very tricky and devastating disease. We are convinced that good communication with the pet owners and with the staff can contribute to a balanced life and help prevent burnout and other psychological disorders. This is an unexpected but very true reason to improve communication skills.

In the US, there are 3 times more suicides in the veterinary profession than in the average population and the ratio is even worse for women. Working as a vet practitioner clearly put us at risk of “compassion fatigue”, a very tricky and devastating disease. We are convinced that good communication with the pet owners and with the staff can contribute to a balanced life and help prevent burnout and other psychological disorders. This is an unexpected but very true reason to improve communication skills.