Dealing with Burnout in Veterinary Medicine | Compassion Fatigue and Veterinary Stress Management

Today, I want to talk about dealing with burnout in veterinary medicine, compassion fatigue, and veterinary stress management. It seems that burnout is increasing in helping professions like veterinary medicine and has a detrimental impact on both professional and personal wellness as well as the ability to provide clients and their animals with high-quality treatment.

Over 85% of US veterinarians reported burnout levels on the ProQOL scale that were moderate or high. Both the tendency of burnout and veterinarians' general stress levels are rising over time. For proper veterinary stress management, the most important thing to do to prevent veterinary burnout is to take care of yourself. Making yourself a priority, exercising, and eating well are important actions to do. You can refresh by taking advantage of your vacation time and spending it with friends and family.

People who are ambitious, meticulous, and extremely compassionate frequently choose careers in veterinary medicine. Unhealthy work behaviors and mental states like perfectionism, imposter syndrome, competition, and micromanagement can unfortunately emerge from these strengths turning into problems. We may experience feelings of failure, frustration, and embarrassment in situations that are out of our control, such as an especially difficult case, a string of losses, or an angry client. But instead of identifying the signs of burnout and taking a break, we could push harder and work longer hours in the hopes that doing so will help us deal with our bad feelings, regain our professional satisfaction, and regain our confidence.

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Burnout in the veterinary field refers to a state of general tiredness and a lack of enthusiasm or drive for one's profession. Vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue are two terms used to describe the unfavorable feelings that people experience after assisting others at work. Compassion fatigue can be identified by symptoms such as feelings of hopelessness and helplessness in the face of patient suffering, diminished feelings of empathy and sensitivity, feeling overburdened and drained by work expectations, and feeling detached, numb, and emotionally disconnected.

Burnout and compassion fatigue are very real dangers for veterinary practitioners. We deal with death and disease every day, just like other caregivers. We have to break bad news to owners, deal with animal mistreatment, and witness clients juggle the demands of their pets with their own financial obligations. According to research, veterinarians encounter moral conundrums three to five times per week. This moral stress is a major cause of veterinary burnout and compassion fatigue.

If you enjoyed today’s video about dealing with burnout in veterinary medicine, compassion fatigue, and veterinary stress management, please remember to like, share, subscribe and leave a comment if you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback. I hope to see you here again soon!

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