BY: SAMANTHA BARTLETT, DVM
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association recently warned about high levels of stress and burnout in the veterinary profession. A survey published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in February of 2020 revealed that 25% of veterinarians had considered suicide in the prior year. About 10% of the survey respondents were Canadian vets.
In response to this ongoing issue in the profession, the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, is teaching students how to recognize, prepare for and deal with stress and burnout. Stressors such as an owner not being able to afford a treatment that could cure and animal and multiple euthanasias per week are things that are often glossed over with students.
The College has developed a curriculum based on three aspects of veterinary medicine that contribute to veterinarians’ emotional and mental health. The first is dealing with ethical decision making, the second is client communication and the third focuses on personal well-being. The College has also hired a mental health educator as a wellness facilitator. This individual promotes awareness of the challenges of veterinary medicine and helps struggling students develop coping strategies.
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden on the veterinary industry. More people are adopting pets, many of them as first-time pet owners. These new pet owners are demanding immediate appointments and requiring more in-depth conversations for questions from diet to behavior and training. This is a huge burden on a team operating in a non-face-to-face environment. This is creating added stress and forcing a new functional routine on many practices. The stress and frustration can lead to burnout at a faster pace.
The American Veterinary Medical Association has also recognized the toll of stress, burnout and compassion fatigue in the veterinary industry. AVMA offers many resources on well-being and coping with compassion fatigue and work-life balance. In addition, the AVMA has resources on best practices during the COVID-19 pandemic to help your practice function more smoothly and reduce some of the stress associated with curb-side service.
