What is the real solution to fatigue and burnout in the veterinary industry?

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Burnout can affect any profession, but its impact on veterinary professionals and practices is particularly unique. To tackle it, we need to understand it thoroughly—and accept that burnout isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” problem that’s beyond our control.¹

What is burnout?

Burnout is defined as “physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes towards oneself and others.” But burnout is nuanced and can manifest in different ways within the workplace. For veterinary professionals, it can manifest in 1 of 3 forms: overload burnout, under-challenge burnout, and neglect burnout. Each type hurts your practice in unique ways, compromising your team’s ability to function effectively, as well as your ability to deliver on your mission of animal care.

Veterinary medicine is a profession characterized by significant emotional and physical stress. A 2020 study by Merck revealed that 92% of veterinary professionals considered stress to be the most critical issue facing the profession.² Burnout occurs when that stress becomes excessive and prolonged, leading to emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion.

Stress vs burnout: Understanding the difference

It's important to distinguish between stress and burnout. Stress is a natural response to external pressures, but burnout is the result of prolonged, unresolved stress. While stress may cause temporary discomfort, burnout leads to deeper emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion that requires intervention. Without proper management and structures in place, burnout can lead to devastating effects on both individual well-being and the overall health of your practice.

The effects of burnout on your practice

Burnout has far-reaching effects that can ripple through every aspect of your practice. Consider the following impacts:

• High turnover rates: According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), turnover rates in veterinary practices were as high as 25% for veterinarians and technicians in 2023.³ This means 1 in 4 professionals are leaving or starting a new role, leading to disruptions in patient care and team stability.
• Decreased quality of patient care: Fatigued and disengaged team members are more prone to making errors or simply doing the bare minimum, which can harm both your patients and your practice’s reputation.
• Diminished client satisfaction: Burnout can result in mood and attitude changes, leading to reduced empathy and poor communication with clients, further impacting client relationships.
• Negative impact on team morale: Burnout can breed a toxic work environment, creating a dispirited team and hindering the overall success of your practice.
• Increased recruitment challenges: Practices known for burnout often develop negative reputations, making it difficult to attract top talent.

The good news: Burnout can be prevented

While burnout is a real threat, it is not something that your team needs to handle on their own. The solution to burnout starts with the leadership team and must be addressed at the organizational level. There is no single cause of burnout, but several management shortcomings contribute to it. A practice lacking clear values, structure, and leadership is more susceptible to a burnout culture.

Building a healthy organization

A healthy organization starts with a strong mission, core values, and a culture that everyone agrees upon. Practices with strong cultures and well-defined missions create environments where employees feel aligned with the values of the company.

According to a study by Glassdoor, the #1 most important factor in workplace satisfaction is how well employees feel they fit the mission, values, and culture of the company.⁴ This isn’t something that changes overnight — it takes intention, teamwork, and intentional effort to build a culture that supports wellness and reduces burnout.

Communication in your practice

Clear internal communication is critical to creating a cohesive and burnout-resistant practice. A study found that engaging employees around purpose, strategy, and values remains the number one priority for 51% of organizations. When communication breaks down,⁵ it leads to misalignment, loss of trust, increased stress, and ultimately, burnout.

As leaders, it's essential to set an example for communication. Ensure your leadership team is united in how they communicate expectations and foster a work environment where everyone feels supported and informed.

Steps for beating veterinary burnout

Preventing burnout in your practice requires a comprehensive strategy, including:

• Align your team with your culture and mission: Foster a culture where everyone knows and is accountable to the mission. Clear behavior expectations help team members know what to expect from others.
• Prioritize clear communication: Establish protocols that everyone follows, ensuring staff is always clear on practice policies.
• Hire for culture fit: If a team member isn’t aligned with your culture, coach them. If coaching fails, it may be time to part ways.
• Maintain a professional and respectful environment: Kindness and respect should be nonnegotiables in your practice.
• Recognize individual employee needs: Support employees through personal challenges by offering time off or workload adjustments as needed.
• Establish boundaries: Setting clear boundaries helps to protect your well-being and sets a precedent for your team to do the same.

We can’t eliminate stress, but we can prevent burnout

We may never completely get rid of stress in veterinary medicine, but we can significantly reduce burnout by building a practice environment that supports wellness, clear communication, and alignment with core values. As practice owners, it’s our responsibility to lead by example and provide the structure our teams need to thrive.

References

1. A Practice Owner’s Guide to Veterinary Burnout: Common Triggers & How to Overcome Them. GeniusVets. Accessed October 29, 2024. https://www.geniusvets.com/veterinary-marketing/blog/practice-owners-guide-veterinary-burnout-common-triggers-how-overcome
2. Significant Study on Veterinary Wellbeing Reveals Importance of Continued Focus on Personal and Professional Health and Well-Being Among Veterinarians. News release. Merck Animal Health. January 18, 2020. Accessed October 29, 2024. https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/newsroom/wellbeing-study-2020
3. Lederhouse C. Study: Fair pay, appreciation for work top factors in employee retention. American Veterinary Medical Association. Published March 4, 2024. https://www.avma.org/news/study-fair-pay-appreciation-work-top-factors-employee-retention
4. New Survey: Company Mission & Culture Matter More Than Salary | Glassdoor. Glassdoor. Published July 11, 2019. Accessed October 29, 2024. https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/mission-culture-survey/
5. Swift P. 20 Cutting Edge Employee Engagement Strategies for 2024. Cerkl. Published January 17, 2024. Accessed October 29, 2024. https://cerkl.com/blog/employee-engagement-strategie