Vet Tech Communications – Full Exam Flashcards

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering essential vocabulary and concepts in vet tech communications.

Gateway locations

Guelph, Toronto, Eramosa, Smithville, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Pembroke, St. Thomas.

Communal cremation

Cremains go to a deeded cemetery.

Ossuary

A 4-ft vault for storing cremains.

Cremains

The correct term for cremated remains.

Morgue

The correct term for a facility that stores deceased bodies.

Contaminants retention

Kept for 6 months.

Allowed materials

Plants, organic fibers, and treats.

Not allowed materials

Batteries, pacemakers, fireworks, glass, whole coconuts.

Annual visitations count

Approximately 320 visitations per year.

Aquamation

A process involving water for cremation.

Private cremation

Involves a multi-chamber cremation process.

Individual cremation

Involves a single chamber cremation process.

Interview types

One-on-one, panel, group, phone, online.

CLAMPS

Challenge, Location, Advancement, Money, Prestige, Security.

Perception

Based on experience, assumptions, expectations, senses, and culture.

Importance of perceptions

First impressions matter and stick.

Influencing perceptions

Be specific, address concerns, and remain open-minded.

Causes of poor service

Poor training, uncaring staff, and perception gaps.

Characteristics of exceptional service

Exceeding expectations, using names, responding within 24–48 hours, encouraging complaints.

Vet selection criteria

Based on recommendations, location, and price.

Client frustration causes

Usually stems from poor communication.

Positive phrasing

Words used to enhance communication.

Phone introduction components

Greeting, clinic name, your name, and a question.

Interruptions policy

Only allowed for emergency or urgent calls.

Dealing with difficult clients

Use active listening, remain calm, ask questions, take notes, set limits.

Benefits of good communication

Leads to better understanding and solutions.

Confidentiality definition

Protecting private information

Ethics definition

Moral and principles

Ethical obligations

Guidelines to follow in the work place makes sure your doing right thing. Patients needs come first; medical records confidential, dvm makes all final medical decisions

Wrong actions

Breaking laws, lying, and moral deviations.

Decision-making steps

Involves dilemma, facts, and principles.

CLICK acronym

Consequences, Legal, Image, Culture, Knot.

Thinking types

Ends-based, rule-based, and care-based.

Ends based thinking

Ethical approach that determines the morality of an action based on its consequences, aiming for the outcome that produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people

Rule based thinking

A cognitive process and decision-making approach that relies on the explicit application of predefined rules or logical "if-then" statements

Conflict based thinking

Approaching situations through the lens of social conflict, opposition, and a desire to "win" at the expense of others.

Care based thinking

a moral philosophy that emphasizes relationships, empathy, and responsiveness to the needs of others, rather than relying solely on abstract principles or rules.

Professionalism definition

Adherence to ethical standards and professional conduct.

Importance of communication

Ensures accuracy, adherence, care, reduces complaints, enhances satisfaction.

CVO

Regulates and protects the public, ensuring standards are met.

Communication definition

The exchange of meaning.

Purposes of communication

Information sharing, persuasion, catharsis, and relationship building.

Persuasion

Someone tries to influence another person or group of people to change their beliefs or behaviors

Intrapersonal

internal dialogue a person has with themselves

Interpersonal

process of exchanging information, ideas, and feelings between two or more people through both verbal and nonverbal messages

Phatic

The use of speech to establish or maintain social connections, rather than to convey information

Catharsis

the release of strong emotions, such as frustration or anger, through expressing them verbally

Mass

sharing information, ideas, and messages with a large, diverse audience through mass media, such as television, radio, newspapers, and the internet

Animal

observing and interpreting body language, vocalizations, and trained behaviors like commands

Elements of communication

Sender, message, receiver, and interpretation.

Forms of communication

Animal, interpersonal, intrapersonal, mass, and non-verbal.

Barriers to communication

Include technical, semantic, environmental, assumptions, and emotions.

Communication statistics

55% of communication is nonverbal.

Verbal characteristics

Include loudness and pitch.

Nonverbal communication

Involves clothing, space, and gestures.

Effective verbal communication

Should be slow, clear, and repeat important points.

Effective nonverbal communication

Includes eye contact and open posture.

Listening definition

Active process of receiving and interpreting messages.

Reasons to listen

To capture key points, clarify, and provide support.

Listening retention statistics

People remember about 4% of what they hear.

Characteristics of poor listeners

No eye contact and multitasking.

Question types

Open, closed, leading, and hypothetical questions.

Client education definition

Process of informing clients about relevant topics.

Skills of an effective educator

Requires skills plus understanding of learning styles.

Communication styles

Action, process, people, and ideas-oriented styles.

Action Oriented

Is proactive, practical, and takes initiative to solve problems rather than just talking about them

Process Oriented

Focusing on the how and the steps to achieve a goal, rather than just the final outcome

People oriented

Prioritizes the needs, well-being, and development of individuals, focusing on strong relationships, empathy, and support over purely task completion

Ideas oriented

Curious minded, they want to understand the “why” behind things

Learning styles

Include visual, auditory, and tactile.

Adult learning principles

Self-directed, experience-based, and goal-oriented.

Giving instructions guidelines

Confirm understanding, provide clarity, and set milestones.

When to avoid giving advice

In situations like euthanasia, diagnosis, and cosmetic surgeries.

Positive ways to deal with conflict

See from their perspective, take a break.

SWOT analysis

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.

Resume types

Chronological, functional, and combination formats.

Cover letters

Types include application and inquiry letters.

Resume pitfalls

Avoid lying, including salary, references, photos, or personal information.

Strongest Sense

Hearing

We recall

20% of what we hear and 30% of what we see

What % of info comes from client when diagnosing a pet

85%

If unsure what to disclose

DON’T disclose anything

Happy clients tell _ people, dissatisfied people tell _ people

Happy - 3-5, Dissatisfied - 20

Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR)

The professional bond formed between a veterinarian, the animal's owner, and the patient