VETTECH U 2024 / HOUSTON, TX
IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING BURNOUT AS A VETERINARY TECHNICIAN ADDIE R. REINHARD, DVM, MS, FOUNDER & CEO, MENTORVET, LEXINGTON, KY
Sponsored by
SUNDAY AM • SEPTEMBER 22 10:15 – 11:15 AM
ABSTRACT It is estimated that around 75% of veterinary technicians are experiencing moderate to severe burnout. Fortunately, burnout can be prevented and reduced when individuals are given the right tools, resources, and support. In this seminar, we will discuss research findings regarding burnout within the veterinary profession including the incidence of burnout and proposed causes. You will learn to recognize the symptoms of burnout in yourself and others as well as some individual and organizational strategies that you can use to reduce and prevent burnout within the veterinary profession. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Discuss research on burnout within veterinary medicine, including incidence & proposed causes 2. Recognize symptoms of burnout within yourself and others 3. Discuss individual and organizational strategies to mitigate burnout within the veterinary profession
• Cynicism: feeling of irritability, negativity, indifference, or distant attitude towards your work, patients, or clients • Inefficacy: feeling ineffective at work, being a failure, not competent, low morale, inability to cope, and lack of successful achievement at work
IMPACTS OF BURNOUT IN VETERINARY MEDICINE 3 • Increased medical errors • Lower quality of patient care
• Inadequate well-being • Poor physical health • Employee turnover • Decreased productivity
CAUSES OF BURNOUT • Burnout caused by chronic stress on the job • Stress levels higher for veterinarians than the general population and early-career veterinarians have the highest levels of stress 4,5,6 • Many stressors in veterinary medicine including conflict, ethical dilemmas, student debt, inadequate support, making mistakes, discrimination, and client behaviors and interactions 4,5,7,8 • Other causes include work overload, lack of control, insufficient recognition and reward, poor relationships at work, lack of fairness, values conflicts, and ethical dilemmas 2,9
WHAT IS BURNOUT? Burnout high among veterinarians and is defined as a psychological syndrome that occurs due to prolonged response to chronic stress on the job. 1
SYMPTOMS 2 (TABLE 1) • Exhaustion: feeling emotionally overextended, worn out, loss of energy, depleted, and fatigued by your work
TABLE 1. WORK-RELATED BURNOUT SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, AND PREVENTION
Burnout Symptoms
Burnout Causes
Burnout Prevention
Exhaustion Cynicism- indifferent, negative Inefficacy- lack of accomplishment
Work overload Lack of control Insufficient recognition and reward Poor relationships at work
Change work patterns Coping skills & professional development Relaxation strategies Build workplace community Social support Self-care Seek professional help
Lack of fairness Values conflicts Ethical dilemmas
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SEPTEMBER 20-22, 2024 | PROCEEDINGS | VETGIRLONTHERUN.COM
VETTECH U
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