LIFESTYLE AND WELLNESS: EMOTIONAL WELLBEING AND MENTAL HEALTH/BURNOUT


a sense of burnout or lack of job satisfaction. Solo veterinarians or veterinarians in small ambulatory- only practices may often feel “alone.” They often work alone, without support staff and without inter- action with colleagues on a daily basis. Only one third of equine practitioners reported utilizing vet- erinary technicians or assistants in their practices.3 Lack of a social network is a known risk factor for burnout.2 The recent AAEP report also speculated that newer graduates may be more sensitive to this aspect as they are more inclined to be so-called “Mil- lennials” who prefer to work in larger work places with more coworkers, and prefer to work in collabo- ration in workplaces with a teamwork approach.3 The vast majority of equine practices are solo or small practices with one or two veterinarians and do not offer much of a collaborative environment.3 Even in larger practices, equine veterinarians may still spend considerable time alone in their vehicle and on farm calls without the company of colleagues or coworkers. This lack of a collaborative work en- vironment may be a factor why more recent gradu- ates are leaving equine practice for companion animal practice, although a direct correlation could not be made from the data available.3 Large-animal practitioners also have to deal with weather conditions and seasonal variations that small-animal veterinarians do not. While weather may be beautiful some of the time, large-animal veterinarians also have to work in extreme cold, snow, rain, mud, wind, scorching heat, and humidity among many other factors. Seasonal fluctuations in work can also contribute to stress for the practi- tioner. When certain times of the year are ex- tremely busy, it is exhausting and stressful for the veterinarian. However, when certain seasons are “slow” this can create financial stress for the practice owner.


3. Solutions


How can we recognize burnout? What can the in- dividual practitioner do to reduce stress and burn- out? When considering the term burnout, it is important to recognize the signs of burnout. Many practitioners may not necessarily identify as “burnt out”, but when questioned further may, in fact, be experiencing symptoms attributed to burnout. Commonly reported signs of burnout include being cynical or pessimistic about work, not wanting to go to work; lack of energy or focus to be productive at work; having a hard time concentrating; lacking sat- isfaction in accomplishments; feeling disillusioned about your job; using food, drugs, or alcohol to “numb” feelings; abnormal sleep habits; or it can even manifest as various and repeated physical illnesses.2 There are several well-documented general strat-


egies that can help individuals improve mental re- siliency and reduce feelings of burnout. These include recommendations such as eating healthy, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, yoga,


meditation, and practicing mindfulness.2 Addi- tionally, utilizing strategies to set boundaries and preventing compassion fatigue are also important, but will be addressed in other sessions. This dis- cussion will focus specifically on ways for equine practitioners to try to mitigate feelings of burnout or dissatisfaction with their career. One strategy to decrease burnout, decrease the


feeling of “being alone,” improve time management, and improve finances is for the ambulatory veteri- narian to hire support staff. Many veterinarians claim that they cannot afford staff. This author, as a practice owner, would make the argument that veterinarians can’t afford not to have support staff. Having a veterinary assistant who travels with an ambulatory veterinarian can provide many benefits to the practitioner, both financial and in terms of mental health. An assistant, particularly one who will drive for the veterinarian, frees up the veteri- narian to accomplish tasks such as invoicing, writing medical records, returning phone calls, scheduling appointments, and returning emails while driving between calls. When a veterinarian is driving themselves, the so called “windshield time” is often wasted time that is not accounted for financially. Despite charging a “farm call,” the charges rarely truly account for the lost time, fuel, and mileage placed on the vehicle. Many veteri- narians are overwhelmed and frustrated by having sometimes hours of medical records, phone calls, and other administrative work to do at the end of a long day of seeing appointments. By completing some or all of these tasks on the road between calls, veterinarians can gain hours of time per day with a well-trained assistant. If the veterinarian prefers to they should train their assistant to accomplish some of these same administrative tasks for them. Additionally, having an assistant should speed up a veterinarian in many appointment situations. Having someone trained to hold and restrain horses, to set up and put away equipment, and to clean instruments should significantly increase the speed with which a veterinarian can complete farm calls and appointments. If this increase in speed allows a veterinarian to see even one more horse or one more appointment per day, the increased income from the extra work often more than offsets the cost of the employee for the day. Additionally, an assis- tant can complete end-of-day tasks such as process- ing lab samples and bloodwork to either be run in house or sent out. The assistant can and should clean and restock the vehicle for the next day’s ap- pointments. Assistants can also be trained to do other tasks such as invoicing, client callbacks, and appointment scheduling at the end of the day. Having paid staff to do these tasks should free up the veterinarian to either leave work earlier or ac- complish other more meaningful medical-related tasks or practice management tasks. Time is valu- able both from a financial standpoint and from a mental health standpoint, so if paying an assistant,


AAEP PROCEEDINGS  Vol. 65  2019 417


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