Advice & information at work

The services our Charity provides are free, confidential and completely independent of any other veterinary organisation. Working in the veterinary industry can be an immensely rewarding and fulfilling career after many years of hard study. However, there are several common issues that impact your ability to perform well whilst maintaining happiness and good mental health. These include but are not exclusively:

• Working in challenging environments with varying levels of support.
• Dealing with ethical and moral issues including aspects such as financial or practical limitations to care.
• Allocating enough time to the tasks that require your focus daily, managing decisions under pressure.
• Navigating differences in priorities between the business, the client, the team, individuals and the animal.
• Managing and meeting expectations of those involved in patient care
• Lack of confidence in your role within the team.
• Challenges navigating and overcoming threats to resilience
• Fear of making errors and mistakes, performance anxiety and dealing with perfectionism.
• Prioritising good health and wellbeing practice even when the pressure is on.
• Having energy and enthusiasm for life outside of work.

The welfare of the animals is, and should be, top of our agenda but it is sometimes used as an excuse for neglecting working relationships with colleagues. Modern veterinary practice involves people working together as a team. If the team is not healthy, it is not possible to provide a safe level of care for our patients or service to our clients.
If you need support at work, it’s worth checking if your employer has an EAP (employee assistance program). Most major veterinary employers provide this service and can offer mental health support and other practical resources that you may find useful.