The client support team is probably one of the most critical roles in practice, when it comes to client satisfaction. The client's journey will often start with a phone call to the veterinary practice, or a face-to-face discussion with the receptionist. This is no-less-true for the end-of-life client journey. As part of the client support team, you are expected to be able to deal with an emotional client and tread carefully through euthanasia and end-of-life discussions on a regular basis. This can feel isolating, and front-of-house team members don't always get the necessary training in the required and specific communication skills needed for these conversations.
Veterinary Support Teams Benefit from Pet End-of-Life Training
In our research with veterinary practices, client support team members tended to take their cues from the veterinary staff, who themselves have probably received very little training in end-of-life patient and client care. So the approach of a practice and its cultural norms, can be at odds with what is needed for best practice. CPD doesn't tend to focus on end-of-life, and client support teams can find themselves low on the priority list for training.
Understand the Client Pet Loss Journey
Through the Compassion Understood course, we aim to give you the necessary skills to feel confident in your end-of-life interactions with upset pet owners. We'll help you understand the deep bond that exists towards end-of-life, and look at why that may make pet owners sometimes irrational or unclear in their communications with you. We'll help you to walk through the client journey, and give you information on what to do and say at all the touchpoints along this journey. From the initial client phone call, to the steps you need to take following a euthanasia or discussion of aftercare, we'll give you protocols to feel confident that you are delivering what the client, and the patient, ultimately needs at this sensitive time.
Teamwork is encouraged and we help integrate front-desk interactions, with consultation steps, so that the client team and clinical teams work seamlessly together.
Accreditation Points
Everyone who completes and passes the course or components will be awarded with a Downloadable Compassion Understood certificate, and earn accreditation points which stay with you, even if you change practice.
You can read more about the content, course structure and number of CPD hours earned in our Courses pages.