Employment of New Veterinary Graduates

Policy

NZVA believes that veterinary graduates must be given professional support and opportunities for improving knowledge and practical skills in order to achieve acceptable levels of competency.

Background

New graduates in the veterinary profession are well educated, but have limited experience and ability to deal with the immediate demands of veterinary practice.  It does not benefit clients, the employer, the employee or the profession in general if junior staff are expected to deal with situations that are beyond their experience. Their first job can make or break a newly graduated veterinarian.

NZVA believes that graduates should be given as much assistance as possible from employers and experienced colleagues to improve knowledge and skills, and to interact with other veterinarians.

The employment of a new graduate carries certain responsibilities (see Section 6.2 of the Code of Professional Conduct) and requires greater input and support from the practice than employment of an experienced graduate. Not every practice has the resources to employ and appropriately support a new graduate. Some practices, even with appropriate resources, may not wish to expend the time and effort to employ a new graduate.

The accompanying template programme can be adapted to suit the particular requirements of a practice. It can be used for the employment of all staff, not just new veterinary graduates.

Practices achieving accreditation under BESTPRACTICE standards have demonstrated that each component of this policy is implemented. Independent verification is provided by external audit of practices upon application to join BESTPRACTICE, and of accredited facilities biennially. Accredited practices can thus be relied on to provide a new graduate with induction and training that exceeds the standards defined in this policy. Accredited practices may use this to commercial advantage.

Guidelines

Employer Responsibilities

Employment agreement

Under the Employment Relations Act 2000, written employment agreements (contracts) are mandatory. Employment agreements should specify responsibilities, including clinical and/or field work, salaries, after hours requirements and designated authority.

Support

Practices must take into account that new graduates may not have had the opportunity to develop sufficient competence or communication skills to perform at all times to an acceptable standard.  Practices must ensure that the inexperienced practitioner is supervised and supported at all times until competency is achieved. A new graduate needs immediate access to the advice of an experienced veterinarian for the first several months in practice (this time will vary depending on the new graduate, but will probably be 3-6 months). This advice may be available by telephone but the physical presence of an experienced veterinarian is often required, particularly to assist and provide guidance in diagnostic and treatment procedures. In small practices with only one other veterinarian, the experienced veterinarian should make arrangements with a colleague or neighbouring practice to provide meaningful support for the new graduate when the experienced veterinarian is unavailable.

The principal and staff, including lay staff, should have a positive attitude to the employment of a new graduate and so provide a supportive work environment. The practice should have regular staff meetings and provide regular opportunities for discussion of cases. There should be adequate nursing assistance for the new graduate.

New graduates in rural practice should go on calls with experienced veterinarians to common farm problems before going out alone. As many calls will be to established clients, this also serves to introduce the new graduate to clients of the practice.

Experienced practitioners must be available for consultation and practical help when new graduates are on after hours duty or in a sole charge position.

The employer must make time to discuss employment issues with new graduates.

Every effort should be made to involve new graduates in NZVA branch activities, and to allow attendance at continuing education courses and conferences.

If appropriate, the employer should assist the new graduate with finding suitable living accommodation.

Working hours

New graduates should not be expected to perform after hours duty or remain in sole charge until they are fully conversant with workplace procedure and back-up facilities and have achieved adequate levels of competence. A new graduate should not be required to attend after hours calls without adequate support for the first 6-12 months of practice. This should involve, where required, the attendance of a second veterinarian at any difficult call for the first month. For the first 3-6 months (depending on the new graduate) there should always be another veterinarian who is on back-up call who is available for immediate advice by telephone and can physically attend the call to assist with surgery or other procedures if necessary. It is preferable that the veterinarian be from the same practice but it may be necessary to arrange support from another suitable practice.

The new graduate’s working hours should be reasonable. Although the definition of reasonable is open to debate, it should be recognised that new graduates may perform below their abilities if their inexperience and anxiety about developing skills is compounded by fatigue induced by having to work long hours.

Safety and health

Employers must ensure that new graduates are adequately inducted and trained in the occupational health and safety policies and procedures of the practice.

Induction programme

Employers should have mechanisms in place to induct new graduates into the practice, including workplace procedures, customer service, drug prescriptions and staff responsibilities. See the appendix for a template induction programme that can be adapted to meet the needs of any practice.

New Graduate Responsibilities

New graduates:

• should endeavour to realistically assess their career needs and interests prior to accepting employment.
• should make a realistic and fair commitment to their first job for at least 12 months, unless unforeseen circumstances arise or employment conditions are untenable.
• should be familiar with and appreciate the practice philosophy and objectives. This includes such areas as the payment of accounts, treatment of bad debtors, treatment of wildlife, treatment of unowned animals, dress standards.
• should appreciate and respect the role that lay staff play within a practice. Lay staff can impart much knowledge and experience to the new graduate and this and their roles and responsibilities in the practice should be respected.
• should fully understand the employment agreement offered prior to accepting a position. This includes pay, working hours, after hours responsibilities, and holidays.
• should appreciate that veterinary science is a profession, not just a job.
• are responsible for ensuring that they are eligible to practice, i.e. that they are both registered as veterinarians and hold a current annual retention certificate.
• should exercise their professional judgment and accept that cases will arise where assistance from an experienced veterinarian is mandatory.
• are encouraged to join the NZVA as their professional organisation. Discounted subscriptions are available for the first two years following graduation.

References and Legislation

·Code of Professional Conducts section 6.2

·Employment Relations Act 2000

APPENDIX I - NEW EMPLOYEE PRACTICE INDUCTION PROGRAMME

This programme provides a template that can be adapted to suit the particular requirements of a practice. It covers the employment of support staff and more experienced veterinarians, as well as new graduate veterinarians. It is written with a mixed practice in mind, and can be modified as required.

Note the mandatory requirement for each employee to have an employment agreement and for each workplace to have a written OSH plan. Employers of new graduates have particular responsibilities, which are detailed under Section 6.2 of the Code of Professional Conduct. 

Policy Files: 

1h - Employment of new graduates - Nov 08.pdf