Final Thoughts

Substance abuse in veterinary medicine has become a widespread problem and has repercussions in the abuser’s personal and professional life, as well as staff, patients, and clients in the workplace.

When floods, fires, hurricanes, mudslides, and other natural disasters strike, chaos ensues. But within the chaos, there is a group of individuals who are organized, trained, and prepared to mobilize and bring order where there is complete turmoil, panic, and upheaval. Within the group of first responders, but often overlooked, are the veterinary response teams.

Many veterinary nurses and organizations across the globe seek to work collaboratively in standardizing credentialing and addressing the challenges facing veterinary nurses.

Burnout prevention in the veterinary profession does not only fall on the shoulders of employers. Veterinary nurses are caregivers, but in addition to helping patients, they need to care for themselves and their colleagues.

In the veterinary community, we must show compassion when talking to colleagues and coworkers who are at risk for suicide.

REDUCING WMSD FACTORS Participatory ergonomics ensures both the operator and patient are comfortable. Participatory ergonomics has been defined as “the involvement of people in planning and controlling a significant amount of their own work activities, with sufficient knowledge and power to influence both processes and outcomes in order to achieve desirable goals,” according to Higgnett …

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are occurring daily in our veterinary profession.2,3 According to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA’s) Introduction to Ergonomics, it’s likely these types of work-related injuries cause physical and economic hardships on personnel and veterinary practices. WMSDs may be preventable and risks factors minimized if veterinary professionals evaluate their working environment through …

All of us in the field know what a blessing it is to do what we do. While there are also hardships, there remains the constant drive to be the best caretakers for those entrusted to our care.

According to the American Psychological Association, resilience is “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress.” Essentially, it means “bouncing back” from difficult experiences.

Mindfulness is a unique concept to every individual. Kim Pope-Robinson, DVM, CCFP, has introduced a framework to help others find their own sustainable path within veterinary medicine.