She sits at her desk going over the extensive list of supplies needed for our clinic and searches online for the most cost-effective items so that she can pass the savings along to our clients. She has been awake for 12 hours now when she takes a call with an upset pet owner looking for help and gently talks them through their panic as a mother would speak to a frightened child. She then prepares to interview a potential employee as we are understaffed right now, trying to find a capable, well-trained person who will also be reliable to support the team.
I interrupt her with the announcement of a limping pet in room two, so she asks details and looks over the chart, smiles and goes in. I overhear the conversation, and that client who came in frightened is now laughing with her. She walks out with an adorable cocker spaniel in her arms and orders radiographs to be taken, all the while cooing over the dog cradled to her chest. After the X-rays are complete, she examines them and uploads them to her iPad and takes them back to the client to discuss her findings.
All is well with the sweet dog and after ordering the needed medications to ensure his comfort, I discharge the now smiling woman and her beloved pet. The Doctor sits at the computer to write a detailed medical record, then returns to finish her supply ordering. She has another four hours of her shift to complete when I tell her there is a hit-by-car trauma on the way. The client is understandably frantic and will need help getting her large dog out of the car. I wait by the door watching and call the Doctor when they arrive. We rush out and try to calm the panicked owner while lifting her dog onto the medical cart, trying ever so carefully to cause him no further pain.
In the treatment room, the extent of his injuries is accessed, IV catheter placed, and fluids started to help stabilize him. The doctor goes to speak to the owners while I look over and care for the stunned yet charming patient. Coming back into the treatment area, the Doctor tells me what to order, and I take care of the owner’s paperwork as she begins administering much-needed pain medication to the beautiful dog on the cart. He is being hospitalized tonight and after diagnostic testing, we are all relieved that somehow his injuries will not be life-threatening. I set him up a comfortable bed while she fills out his treatment sheet for the evening.
Each shift brings new patients and new stressors, yet somehow her demeanor rarely changes. No question is ever frowned upon, only answered to the best of her ability, one is never is made to feel small when working with her. At the end of long shifts, when it is finally time to go home, she always thanks her technicians for their hard work. She amazes all of us with how calm she can remain amidst chaos and her knack for making everyone feel needed and special only fuels my desire to work harder. Being kind and supportive only leads to more of the same, and I know how lucky our clinic is to have her.