Tackling Burnout in Veterinary Nursing

Veterinary nurse awareness coincided with mental health awareness this month. Perhaps this is no coincidence as veterinary nurses and technicians (VN/Ts) are twice as likely to experience high/very high levels of burnout compared to the general population.

A recent study published in Animals, confronts this critical issue by shifting the focus from identifying burnout to solving it — and offers a roadmap driven by the insights of 40 international VN/Ts wellbeing and leadership experts (of which 33 VN/Ts themselves) from Canada, the USA, Australia, the UK and New Zealand.

The leading cases of burnout in VNs

The study breaks new ground by developing 39 workplace strategies to tackle the leading causes of burnout, including excessive workload, poor leadership and negative team culture. Notably, these are not just theoretical ideals — the panel rated them as highly or very highly effective. The study’s strength lies in its contextual nuance: it recognizes that implementation success depends on a clinic’s existing culture, leadership quality, and readiness for change.

Top tips from the experts

Among the standout proposals:
– Improving staff retention was rated more effective than simply hiring more staff.
– Leadership accountability and training were key to addressing poor management — the factor experts deemed hardest to fix.
– For workload issues, workflow system improvements and team communication structures offer realistic, scalable interventions.

Leadership education for vets and VNs

In addition, the study identified the need for broader change initiatives, including development of clearer regulation of VN/Ts, and inclusion of leadership education within veterinary and VN/T training programs, to better support veterinary clinics in achieving positive change within the industry.

With the people, not to the people

Crucially, this study emphasizes that “solutions must be tailored to existing barriers” such as unclear regulation or entrenched workplace norms. One participant aptly noted, “It needs to be done with the people, not to the people.” This approach aligns with ACOVENE’s mission to support quality and sustainability in veterinary nurse education and practice across Europe.

A toolbox for change

For VN/Ts, practice managers, and educators alike, this paper is not just a call to acknowledge burnout — it’s a toolbox for change. Read the full study by Angela Chapman, Pauleen Bennet and Vanessa Rohlf here.

*In some countries, they are called veterinary technicians, veterinary auxiliaries, para-veterinarians or simply carers for sick animals. European standards for the education and training of these professionals have been set up by ACOVENE.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that what veterinary nurses can and cannot do legally may differ per country.