VSPN STAF167-0722: Moving Through the Ranks: Technician to Supervisor

The real time sessions for this course will be presented via Zoom webinar platform.

Presenter: Kelly Cronin, MBA, BS, LVT, RVT, VTS (ECC), PHR
Course Open: July 28-September 4, 2022
Real Time Sessions (RTS):Thursdays, August 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2022; 9:00-10:30pm ET (USA)   World Clock Converter
Total CE Credit: 6
RACE Category: 6 hours Non-Medical

Enrollment is closed.  

Tuition: $132 ($119 early bird special if enrolled by July 14, 2022)
* Students currently enrolled in an AVMA accredited or CVMA approved Veterinary Technician Program may be eligible to receive a 50% discount off the regular rate for this course (upon verification of student status).
Prices are listed in US dollars.


Course Information:
Are you a lead technician or in middle management at your clinic? Do you want to be? Do you have previous management experience? We will be examining the path to become a lead technician, how to manage a team, how to perform human resource functions, how to create a productive clinic culture and how to work with coworkers and upper management. You will be given tools and resources to transition to your role as lead technician easier. You will have the opportunity to learn tips and tricks for the difficult situations that will inevitably come up in the clinic. The class will also give us all an opportunity to brainstorm the situations we have encountered as technical leads.

Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to:
  • Understand and discuss balance in your personal and professional life.
  • Demonstrate stress management and stress reduction.
  • Support others in achieving a life/work balance.
  • Identify traits of a veterinary leader.
  • Understand the routes to entering veterinary leadership and your strengths/weaknesses as a prospective leader.
  • Understand shift traffic control.
  • Influence clinic culture.
  • Understand and implement progressive discipline.
  • Enlist the team, give feedback and understand the WIIFM principle.
  • Learn tips, tricks, dos and don’ts of interviewing.
  • Create orientation and training programs for their team.
  • Provide performance reviews for your team.
  • Understand inventory management techniques.
  • Learn effect methods of keeping track of team performance.
  • Weigh scheduling options and implement a staff schedule.
Level and Prerequisites: This basic VSPN CE course will be open for enrollment to veterinary technicians and assistants that have been promoted to a management position or would like to pursue management in the future.

RACE Accreditation: This program has been approved for 6 hours of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. (#20-800085) This course is approved by the VHMA for CVPM credits. (VHMA program #14-01).

Course Agenda:

Week 1 (Real Time Session August 4): Rise to Leadership Role
Identify traits of a veterinary leader, understand the routes to entering veterinary leadership and your strengths/weaknesses as a prospective leader, and understand shift traffic control.

Week 2 (Real Time Session August 11): Creating Your Culture and Your Team
Influence clinic culture, understand and implement progressive discipline, enlist the team, and give feedback and understand the WIIFM principle.

Week 3 (Real Time Session August 18): Day-to-Day Operation
Learn tips, tricks, dos and don’ts of interviewing, create orientation and training programs for their team, and provide performance reviews for your team.

Week 4 (Real Time Session August 25): Keeping Your Team on Track
Understand inventory management techniques, learn effect methods of keeping track of team performance and weigh scheduling options and implement a staff schedule.

Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course. To learn more about the requirements for earning a CE certificate, please refer to Receiving Your CE Credit and Course Completion Certificate.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.

Enrollment is closed.  

Tuition: $132 ($119 early bird special if enrolled by July 14, 2022)
* Students currently enrolled in an AVMA accredited or CVMA approved Veterinary Technician Program may be eligible to receive a 50% discount off the regular rate for this course (upon verification of student status).
Prices are listed in US dollars.


*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on August 4, 2022 at 5 pm ET (USA) or when the maximum number of participants is reached.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

Enrollment qualifications:
  1. VIN CE Courses:
    1. VIN CE courses are open to VIN member, VIN student member, and non-member veterinarians.
    2. Veterinary support staff must be VSPN members in order to enroll in a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. VSPN CE Courses:
    1. VSPN CE courses are open to veterinary support staff and veterinarians.
    2. Only VIN and VSPN members can enroll in a VSPN CE course.
    3. Veterinarians will only receive credit for those VSPN CE courses that specify in the Accreditation statement that the course is accredited for veterinarians.
  3. Please check the course Level and Prerequisites, Accreditation, and Tuition before enrolling.
  4. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses.
    1. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  5. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.


Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN office 800-846-0028 ext. 792 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VSPN's upcoming CE courses, check the VSPN Course Catalog.

VSPN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 792
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357