Are you being- well?
The elephant in the room
Do we really need to talk about well-being?
One in four adults could be facing a problem with their mental health and we, as veterinary surgeons (but also veterinary technicians or receptionists) are not immune.
So yes, at VetCrew we want to discuss about well-being and organisational psychology in a practical way.
As a team, we believe in the importance of individual wellbeing and that of the entire staff.
Burnout: do you know the signs?
Burnout can affect all the members of the staff of a veterinary practice, from the small clinic to the bigger organisations
The WHO has included burnout among occupational diseases, and its prevention is part of the obligations of employers (Law on Safety at Work).
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The symptoms of burnout can be summarised in three categories:
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Depersonalisation (moral distance from the work environment and cynicism)
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Sense of failure (or lack of professional effectiveness)
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Lack of energy (especially emotionally)
Practically, burnout can cause "presenteeism" or absenteeism, sleep and immune system disorders, demotivation and isolation.
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The Maslach Burnout Inventory is usually the most used questionnaire to evaluate symptoms related to burnout (you can find it with a simple Google search).
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We do not know the consequences of burnout in the veterinary-patient relationship and the exact prevalence in our profession. Still, a study at the University of Davis, California, highlighted high burnout levels in internal residents and clinicians.
How can we prevent it?
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Remove/diminish the specific cause of burnout (if known) - personal + organisational.
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Know the symptoms to seek help as soon as possible
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Mindfulness
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Know and define your boundaries and communicate them to the rest of the team.
Chigerwe, M., Barter, L., Dechant, JE, Dear, JD and Boudreaux, KA, 2021. A preliminary study on assessment of wellbeing among veterinary medical house officers. PloS one, 16(6), p.e0253111.
Maslach C, Schaufeli W, Leiter M. Job burnout. Annu Rev Psychol 2001; 52:397–422
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The information reported on the Site, in the various articles, in the contents, and any responses to comments are for informational purposes only and have in no way the claim or the objective of replacing the opinion of the doctor and/or specialist, other operators health professionals or professionals in the sector who must in any case be contacted for the formulation of a diagnosis or the indication of a possible correct therapeutic program, and more generally for the comparison of the information above.
In case of emergency, contact 911. The following contacts offer 24-hour telephone assistance:
Vetlife 004403030402551
Samaritans 0044116123
Wellbeing crew
Are you interested in non-clinical topics to improve your wellbeing and performance and that of your team?
Do not keep your head in the sand and contact us via email or DM on our social networks with the topics you would like to be covered in the webinars or on social networks
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