059: How Open & Honest Conversations Can Help You Heal w/ Nicole LaForest

Feb 20, 2019

We are coming to you live from the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas at the Western Veterinary Conference. Such a wild city requires a badass guest, and Nicole LaForest definitely fits that description. An LVT and RVT and the face behind @VeterinaryTechnicians on Instagram, Nicole has a confident and no bullsh*t approach to being a veterinary technician.

A fellow spouse of a veterinary surgeon, Nicole is diving into everything from why veterinary medicine was her third choice, to how to best utilize your doctor-nurse-patient relationship and why we need to continue to advocate for education in whatever form possible. We are talking about Nicole’s struggle with addiction, the need to support our fellow colleagues in the veterinary community dealing with depression, and opening up a conversation that allows both positive and negative spaces in order to heal.

Nicole is passionate about using veterinary medicine as a way to provide public service and uses the platform of Instagram to create transparency on some big issues. She is intuitive, compassionate and quick thinking and is bringing awareness to everyone struggles in order to help lift each other up.

How has an open and honest conversation helped you heal? Was it difficult to initiate? Let us know in the comments on the episode page!

 

In This Episode

• Bringing awareness to the highs and lows of the veterinary profession
• What addiction has taught Nicole about herself and medicine in general
• How and why we should be utilizing all positions of the veterinary field
• Building a community on Instagram to help others heal and connect
• Tips for those starting out on Instagram and how to be authentic

 

Quotes

“For doctors, you don't have to do it all. You have qualified technicians and assistants who are there to help you and to bounce ideas off of you” (16:57)

“There is no other greater feeling than seeing the look on your veterinarian's face or your managers face being like, they trust me. This is what I have been working for, for so many years” (21:31)

“Awareness and transparency are really what is going to save our colleagues. And we as a profession and a society need to take a certain type of responsibility” (38:42)

“I would rather see my career fail than risk somebody else's health and life by not talking about it. I want to have that conversation with people and I want them to know they are not alone” (51:05)

“We don't aim for money by any means, but if we can make a difference and raise the standard of care, we can all agree that we are actively working together (1:23:55)

 

Links

Follow Veterinary Technicians on Instagram

 

Find the full show notes here 

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