{"id":5131,"date":"2020-05-15T14:40:55","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T18:40:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarynurse.com\/?post_type=articles&p=5131"},"modified":"2022-05-25T17:55:46","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T17:55:46","slug":"wellness-resources-veterinary-professionals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarynurse.com\/practice-management\/wellness-resources-veterinary-professionals\/","title":{"rendered":"Wellness Resources for Veterinary Professionals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are we doing enough for the mental health<\/a> and wellness of our profession? Can the next steps we take in preventing suicide<\/a> in the veterinary profession make a difference? We have taken the first step in acknowledging that mental health and wellness concerns are impacting our practice and profession. Long gone are the days of pretending that mental health concerns and general wellness are best left outside of the practice and that employees should leave their \u201cproblems\u201d at the door. We recognize that addressing employee mental and emotional health is crucial for the wellbeing of our veterinary practices and profession as a whole.<\/p>\n

A report from the Mental Health in the Workplace Summit held in 2018 confirms that mental illness is the leading cause of disability for U.S. adults aged 15 to 44.1<\/sup> In fact, the report found, more days are lost to absenteeism due to mental health than to other illnesses or injuries. Mental illness costs the global economy 1\u00a0trillion dollars in lost productivity.2<\/sup> The costs of chronic disease, work-related injuries and illnesses, stress, and employee disengagement in the U.S. surpasses 2.2 trillion each year\u2014or 12% of the country\u2019s gross domestic product.3<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n

The NAVC\u2019s Amplifying the Voice of the Veterinary Community survey<\/a>, conducted in December 2019, found that of the 608 veterinary professionals who responded, 53% of veterinary nurses reported low mental wellbeing and 46% reported feeling depressed.4<\/sup> On a positive note, 87% reported that helping animals on a daily basis was the favorite part of their job, and 67% said their job is meaningful and has purpose. Despite the overwhelmingly positive response regarding their love of animals, only 15% of survey participants said it was fun to go to work; 34% said they planned to leave the profession within the next 5 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s interesting to point out that while 85% of our coworkers are not having a good time at work, fewer than half of those people are thinking about leaving the field. That means that the rest of our unhappy coworkers are going to keep coming into work. In fact, that unhappy veterinary nurse might even be you. While I don\u2019t want people to leave the veterinary field, I am a strong believer that people who are not happy doing what they are doing should find something else. I\u2019m also an advocate for personal responsibility. As individuals and as a profession, we are responsible for our day-to-day happiness in our work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Contributing Factors<\/h2>\n

As of 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized workplace burnout as an occupational phenomenon.5<\/sup> While burnout is not classified as a medical condition, it is classified as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. WHO further classifies burnout by the following 3 factors (which are specific to the occupational context and should not be used to describe experiences in other areas of life): 5<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n