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Here at Mission Animal Hospital, we know how much your pets mean to you, and how scary it can be when something is wrong with your beloved furry family member. To help with the stress, fear, and uncertainty that can accompany a trip to the veterinarian, Mission Animal Hospital is proud to have an amazing client support specialist on our staff! Learn more about Nicole, and how she can help Mission clients!
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I'm Nicole! I'm originally from South Dakota, and I have had dogs my entire life, so I can understand the important role that they play in people's lives. My current dog, Roxy, is pretty much my literal child, and I spoil her any chance that I get, but she has also helped me so much through the move to the cities and getting settled into my life here. She's the first thing I see when I wake up, and she's the last thing I take care of before going to bed.
Do you have any pets?
My puppy Roxy—I say puppy as if she's not a 90 pound German Shepherd—is my baby. I love to take her on walks and play fetch. She's probably more happy about the snow than anyone else I know. I love her and she means so much to me, so it's easy for me to understand our clients when they come in in a state of distress with their own pet who is in need of medical attention. I can see that they want the best for their dog and they want to do whatever they can to make it happen, and if I can help at any point along the way then I am happy to do so.
What do you do here at Mission?
At Mission Animal Hospital, my role as Client Support is to work with the humans while the veterinarian staff works on the animals. This can look like a lot of different things, ranging from grief and loss support after helping their pets pass on, to providing additional resources to them, to working with the veterinarian staff for care coordination to help the clients fully understand all of the treatment options and help them answer any questions that are left unanswered.
What are some ways that you can help Mission clients?
I try to tailor my services to whatever the client is needing at the moment. For Grief and Loss Support I try to help make the clients as comfortable as they can be and to provide them support through the process. I can sit with them if they'd like, I can listen to them while they tell me everything about what makes their pet the best. But I can also provide them with some short term counseling for this immense sadness that they might feel. I can also help with shared decision making if they are having a hard time with deciding which treatment option is the best for them and their scenario, in working closely with the veterinarian staff on the case.
If a client is just needing someone to talk to about their pet, I'm all ears.
If a client has questions that they need answered, I'll go get the answers.
What makes your work meaningful to you?
Like I said earlier, I have a pet of my own who means the world to me. Seeing how I am able to help the clients with their medical needs, but also by just providing them with the support that they need to be able to take their pet home with them at the end of the day fills up my bucket. Working with the staff at Mission is great because they also understand the importance of the pet within the family, so it really feels like we all are on the same team.