Jennifer Kehoe found her way into veterinary medicine at 30, after a political science degree, a stint in the Army, and jobs ranging from bookkeeping to wallpaper hanging left her looking for something that actually made her feel something. She later earned an MBA while working full time as an ICU nurse, before landing in emergency medicine and eventually relief work, a shift COVID oddly pushed her toward after she lost another job during the shutdown. Now in her mid 40s, she is candid about the physical limits of the job and is building an operations services business so she can keep mentoring younger technicians as her own career evolves. This profile first ran on Relief Rover, the relief-vet community platform that joined Hound in 2023.

In Her Own Words

Everyone has a story, what's yours? What inspired you to become a technician or nurse?

"Turning 30 was my inspiration. I had a B.S. in Political Science, did a very brief stint in the Army, and traveled the country moving from job to job with no true direction. I wanted a family and to settle down, so I asked myself what actually made me feel something. The answer was kids and animals. Teaching was off the table, so I started looking into jobs in the animal world. I was living in Florida at the time with my best four legged friend, Ozwald, a Lab and Blue Heeler mix, and while at a Banfield Pet Hospital I struck up a conversation with the technician there. He was immensely positive and genuinely loved his job, and I wanted that. I decided to apply to the vet tech program at the University of Cincinnati, since that was where my best friends lived and it would keep me close to family."
Jennifer Kehoe

What roles have you had within the veterinary profession, and outside of it?

"I worked in general practice for three years during school, two as an assistant and one as a technician. From there I moved into emergency medicine, where I've spent most of my career, though I've also worked in internal medicine and ophthalmology. During my burnout phase, which we all get to eventually, I moved into operations, which let me help ensure quality patient care across the emergency, nursing, and specialty teams and keep a multi million dollar hospital running efficiently. Outside of vet med, I've had a pretty varied professional background, including bookkeeping, marketing, legal secretary, cashier, executive administrative assistant, office manager, and wallpaper hanger. Yes, wallpaper hanger. I then went back to school for an MBA while working full time as an ICU nurse and handling social media marketing for a social enterprise. Before I became a traveling relief technician, I also worked for an online wedding planning company as a customer service representative, which was the best summer ever, spent hanging out with a friend in Virginia, and then I returned to Cincinnati for a supervisor role at a human clinical trial company."
Jennifer Kehoe

What made you switch to relief practice?

"I would love to say my work as a relief technician was a natural transition, combining my love of travel with my job, but it wasn't. Like a lot of people in this field, I was burnt out, done, and didn't want to touch another animal. My goal was to break into the human working world of real money and leave veterinary medicine behind. Thankfully, life, and oddly enough COVID, pushed me in another direction. I'd lost my job in the human world and was freaking out about how I'd support myself once my unemployment ran out. COVID had effectively shut down the world, so where was I supposed to find work?"
Jennifer Kehoe

How do you feel that relief practice supports the veterinary profession as a whole?

"It gives technicians the chance to step back and rejuvenate without leaving the profession altogether, which leads to a healthier work life balance. Relief work reduces stress on established teams coping with an increased workload and disproportionate staffing. It also gives everyone the chance to learn from each other, share what they know, and improve patient care. As the saying goes, work smarter, not harder."
Jennifer Kehoe

What are your favorite things about being a relief tech?

"My freedom to build a life outside of work."
Jennifer Kehoe

Techs are known for their Mary Poppins pockets that seem to contain the world. What supplies or equipment do you bring with you on the job?

"I'm not that cool. My standard bag of tricks includes bandage scissors, hemostats, suture scissors, pens, markers, a calculator, a pocket notepad, my cell phone with protocols and such saved on my Google Drive, and my radiology badge, all in my very stylish fanny pack."
Jennifer Kehoe

What are your least favorite things about being a relief tech?

"Simple: being around angry people."
Jennifer Kehoe

What do you look for in a practice when deciding whether to cover shifts there?

"For me, the bigger decision isn't really whether to cover a first shift, but whether I'd come back for more. My job is to provide the best patient care possible, so when the atmosphere and work environment allow for that, everything else tends to work out."
Jennifer Kehoe

Do word of mouth observations or online reviews factor into your decision to cover shifts?

"At this point, no. Most of the shifts I cover come from my relationships with various doctors and technicians."
Jennifer Kehoe

Have you picked up any unique practice tips while working relief?

"Sometimes it's the most basic items that hold the world together, and in vet med, that item is tape. When placing an IV catheter, wrap the anchor tape around the catheter before placement. That way, if you've got a wiggly pet whose leg breaks free while flailing like a chicken, it's no problem, since your tape is already on and you can just wrap and roll."
Jennifer Kehoe

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about becoming a relief tech?

"Make sure you understand the difference between relief work as a W-2 employee and relief work as a 1099 independent contractor. Set your boundaries for when, and for whom, you're willing to work."
Jennifer Kehoe

How has the pandemic affected your relief work?

"In an odd twist of fate, it was the best thing that ever happened to my career."
Jennifer Kehoe

What states do you currently work in? Any other states in your sights?

"Ohio is my home state, but I'm also licensed in Virginia and South Carolina, and I'm certified with the vet tech association in Florida. I'm in the process of getting licensed in Illinois too, though their process still involves snail mail."
Jennifer Kehoe

Aside from English, what languages do you speak?

"None."
Jennifer Kehoe

What are your hobbies and passions outside of work?

"Relief work has given me the chance to actually explore what it's like to have a hobby and a passion. I recently bought an inflatable paddle board, and I'm so excited to spend time out on the water. Once I hit my financial goals this year, I'm hoping to take horseback riding lessons in 2022."
Jennifer Kehoe

Anything else you'd like to share?

"Being a traveling credentialed technician has been an amazing experience, and it's given me a much greater sense of financial security while still having the freedom to live my life. The scary part is that at 46, I know my shelf life as a technician is limited. I'm not going to be able to do this forever, so I hope to build my own veterinary and operational services organization and bring experienced younger technicians looking for a change under my wing."
Jennifer Kehoe