Compassion Fatigue in Veterinary Practice

As a member of the Virbac Animal Health Advisory Council, I was given access to a qualitative and quantitative exploration on Compassionate Care in veterinary practice. The qualitative portion was a discussion entitled Veterinarian Focus Group on Compassionate Care & Related Issues, whereas the quantitative results were obtained during a Compassionate Care Online Survey conducted in April 2010. This data is the first of its kind in veterinary medicine. The forum results include discussions in current and past training, end-of-life care and hospice, euthanasia and post-euthanasia procedures, and compassion fatigue. The objectives of this forum included: assessing the level of current and past “training” given to the veterinarians in the forum group in managing staff and clients in end-of-life care, euthanasia and related issues; gathering insights on perspectives/definitions of “end-of-life” and “hospice” care for pets; exploring euthanasia and post-euthanasia protocols being used in the practices represented at the forum; identifying perceived issues surrounding the euthanasia procedure and any aftereffects among staff; and assessing awareness of the term and the existence of “compassion fatigue” within the profession.

The survey objectives included: measuring the existence of “formalized” policies/practices in place to handle terminally ill patients and euthanasia both medically and emotionally with pet owners and staff; measuring the number of times a clinic typically faces these situations; measuring awareness of the term “compassion fatigue” and use of any coping tools or strategies for the veterinarian and clinic staff; and accessing the level of concern about compassion fatigue. Combined with the presenter’s years of research and experience in veterinary practice and animal care, and compassion fatigue in particular, this presentation will wrap in-the-trenches concepts around numbers to provide an enlightening glimpse at the inner workings of the emotional aspects of animal caregiving in veterinary medicine.

Katherine Dobbs, RVT, CVPM, PHR, began as a registered veterinary technician in 1992. In 2006 she became a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager (CVPM). In 2008, she created interFace Veterinary HR Systems, LLC, a consulting company that focuses on professional development and performance management. Katherine became a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) in June 2008, and a Compassion Fatigue Specialist in 2009, and has studied compassion fatigue extensively since that time. Katherine has been published in various veterinary journals in the United States, UK, and Canada. Her public speaking experience includes many national, regional, and state meetings and conferences.