Overcoming Veterinary Stress and Compassion Fatigue with Vetstoria

From demanding workloads to a lack of support, veterinary professionals are often faced with more stress factors than they signed up for. That’s why professionals working in the veterinary space experience higher risks of occupational burnout and compassion fatigue, which can significantly affect their overall well-being. The good news is there are actionable solutions that veterinary professionals like you can count on to mitigate the impacts of daily stressors in their clinics, providing each team member with a greater sense of joy in the work they do for pets.

What causes stress and compassion fatigue for vets?

Clinic staff endure several psychological stressors in their daily routines. The negative impacts of stress can worsen when dealing with the more emotional toll of the job, such as when caring for critically ill pets and discussing best next steps with their parents. The hard-working individuals in the veterinary field are often selfless people who are known to keep their personal lines of communication open for pet parents at all times, especially when a pet is severely sick or injured. This ultimately puts their work-life balance at risk by mixing their professional and personal lives, and not allowing themselves enough time to relax and unwind.

Over time, this daily stress can significantly compound and cause a veterinary professional’s mental fortitude to decline throughout their career, potentially turning into a severe case of compassion fatigue. By knowing what to look out for—and by equipping your team with the right knowledge, support, and technology—you can identify and prevent daily stress factors in your own clinic.

What warning signs should I watch for?

• Lack of Interest: Being visibly withdrawn from daily responsibilities, career advancement, socialisation, or activities that one typically enjoys participating in.
• Always Overwhelmed: It’s not necessarily easy to know when someone is feeling anxious or not in control, but any signs of constant worry or concern are risks for compassion fatigue.
• Being Hard on Oneself: When a person feels like they’re making mistakes more than they should or is having doubts in their ability to get the job done, it can significantly impact their confidence levels and lead to them becoming disconnected from their passion for veterinary care.
• Pessimistic Perspective: A decrease in individual or team morale is often caused by developing a negative perception toward the overall veterinary profession.
• Feeling Disengaged: Team members may be or appear to be dissociated from their careers if they’re completing regular tasks without being fully present or engaged in the moment.
• Forming Bad Habits: Changes in behaviour can be a result of risky habits including substance abuse or not getting enough sleep each night.
• Disconnection with Pet Parents: You can sometimes better gauge one’s stress levels by the way they interact with pets and pet parents. A lack of interest or struggling to have productive conversations could be a sign of high amounts of stress.
• Late or Missing Work: There are many reasons for someone to be late for a shift or call out every now and then, but regularly missing work or consistently being late is a red flag.

Get our free report: Alleviating Psychological Stressors in Veterinary Clinics

How can I show more support to prevent staff fatigue?

• Provide Flexible Scheduling: Let your team members work from a more comfortable, remote location as much as you can, and be sure to offer convenient work hours so that your staff can better balance their professional and personal lives.
• Explore Additional Resources: Whether it’s therapy, counselling sessions, or peer support groups where they can collectively share their experiences, you can offer your veterinary team personalised health resources made to fit their needs.
• Host Workshops: You can consider putting together a no-pressure training course to teach your team different ways to reduce stress and relax.

Which strategies can I use to better manage clinic stress?

• Take Care of Yourself: Encourage your team (and yourself!) to exercise on a regular basis or participate in hobbies with friends and family.
• Stay Organised: Learning efficient time management and how to prioritise responsibilities are key lessons in preventing high levels of stress.
• Make Healthy Decisions: You can genuinely motivate your team to become more active and enjoy healthier lifestyles by eating well, getting good sleep, and exercising often. A healthier way of living will allow your staff to feel more prepared for work each day!
• Learn to Relax: Teaching meditation and other mindfulness techniques can go a long way in reducing daily stress levels and promoting a more positive mindset for your team members.

How can I let my veterinary staff feel more connected?

• Get Involved: Offering opportunities to volunteer and become more active in the community outside of the clinic can equip your team with a better sense of pride in the work they do.
• Be Proactive: Put together fundraisers or host awareness-raising events related to veterinary care to get closer with your community and create stronger connections with like-minded individuals in the industry.
• Have Group Discussions: You can create or join a support group and invite your veterinary team to share their experiences, opinions, or ideas with other veterinary professionals and their families.

8 solutions for overpowering veterinary stress and fatigue

1. Move Forward: You can’t control every aspect of a pet’s health, so be nice to yourself and continue to do your absolute best by staying focused on the factors you are in charge of.
2. Maintain Momentum: Rather than harping on outcomes, focus on your response to adversity and learn from your missteps. Every challenge you have and haven’t yet passed will further develop you into a more experienced, well-rounded professional.
3. Remain Present: Mindfulness and breathing exercises like meditation can help lower levels of stress and anxiety, helping to keep you concentrated on what’s most important in the moment.
4. Protect Your Passion: Remember back on the reasons you decided to join the veterinary profession to begin with, and reflect on all the accomplishments you’ve made to get to where you are today.
5. Keep Learning: Create or join a collaborative environment where experienced veterinary professionals can mentor one another through shared experiences, knowledge, and solutions for everyday pain points.
6. Love What You Do: Happiness is in the details, and you can find delight in regular to-dos by reminding yourself about all the positivity you’ve created for pets and pet parents throughout your career.
7. Exercise and Unwind: If you’re feeling stressed, a simple breath of fresh air can often do the trick—but you can also keep yourself active to improve your overall outlook and maintain a more positive attitude. Plus, be sure to treat yourself to some comfort food or take some well-deserved time off!
8. Surprise Your Staff: Find ways to lift your team’s spirit by working with local companies to surprise them with personal gifts, or consider taking them out on a fun team-building adventure outside of work.

Continue loving what you do, without the stress 🐾

Stress can certainly become serious, especially high levels of stress that can lead to occupational burnout and compassion fatigue. By knowing the warning signs and staying vigilant to your team’s (and your own!) well-being, you can establish and maintain a supportive workplace culture where every person and pet can find success.

If you’re looking for more ways to manage and prevent clinic stressors, we’ve put together Alleviating Psychological Stressors in Veterinary Clinics. This free report highlights the different causes and impacts of clinic stress, and how you can stress less by retaining more clients, reducing daily pain points, and getting extra help from Vetlife—a leading charity in support of veterinary mental health.