Q&A: Becoming a Fear Free Certified Practice

In 2021, Thrive Pet Healthcare embarked on a first-of-its-kind partnership with Fear Free, offering hospital teams across our network the opportunity to earn their certification.

With this collaboration, each participating hospital team identifies a Fear Free champion at the customer service representative, technician, and veterinarian level to participate in training with a dedicated Fear Free representative. These champions are then empowered to share the tools, knowledge, and best practices they have gained through their Fear Free training with team members at their home hospitals as they work toward practice-level certification.

The team at St. Francis Veterinary Center of South Jersey, a Thrive Partner, recently earned their Fear Free Practice Certification. We sat down to chat with them about achieving this milestone, what they learned, and how Fear Free techniques can help clients and veterinary teams enjoy a less stressful visit overall.

St. Francis Veterinary Center of South Jersey team members interviewed about gaining Fear Free Practice Certification

Rochelle: Fear Free Certification is very important to the patient, client, and veterinary team. When the techniques are used, you can see a drastic change in the pet’s anxiety and comfort level, decreasing the client’s anxiety and making the appointment smooth for the technician and doctor as well.
Marissa: I have noticed a difference in how I approach our nervous patients. Taking the time to find what practice works best for the patient has allowed me to grow as a veterinary nurse, and I'm able to provide a more comfortable experience for both the client and the pet!
Scott: I have worked in veterinary practice for a number of years, and I was very excited by the prospect of becoming Fear Free Certified. Being more aware of the fear and anxiety in our patients and clients allows us to better advocate for our patients and provide care.

Debralee: One of my most valuable takeaways from the Fear Free course is not only how to create a safe and positive experience for our patients, but also how it can improve the culture of the hospital! The feeling of being stressed about an anxious pet — and having to add to the pet’s stress during the visit — feels defeating from beginning to end. With Fear Free training, we are able to gauge and calm anxious pets, utilizing the learned techniques to create a less stressful environment for all of us.
Rochelle: Some of the most valuable things that I have learned from this experience are the educational tools to pass on to our clients, letting them know that the Fear Free process starts at home and will help make the client’s future visits less stressful.
Marissa: Fear free training has taught me many valuable things, but most important is how little, everyday actions can make a big change in the tone of an appointment.

Debralee: Thrive was super supportive during the certification process by having open communication and consistent touchpoints for the certification process and implementation.
Rochelle: The Thrive Fear Free team has been a huge support system from start to finish. We were continuously communicated with and given the supplies and tools that we needed to succeed!
Scott: It was very helpful in keeping our practice on track during the certification process. I felt like the Thrive Fear Free team was invested in our practice gaining the certification. Also, having the chance to connect with other practices seeking their certification gave us the opportunity to exchange ideas about how to implement Fear Free practices in our hospitals.

To learn more about Fear Free, visit fearfreepets.com.