Veterinary Visionaries release Psychological Health and Safety Guidelines 

Veterinary medicine is a path of passion for many. No one goes into the profession imagining the short hours and easy days ahead. And though many find a deep sense of purpose in daily work, purpose is not the only emotion that can linger at the end of a long day.  

Veterinary Visionaries was founded in 2022 as a collaborative, future-focused “meeting of the minds” aimed at addressing the increasingly pervasive, concerning issues related to mental and emotional health in the veterinary profession. Two years later, members of a cross-industry task force released the Psychological Health and Safety Guidelines, which can be found on their website.  

We asked members of the task force about why implementing these guidelines in practice culture matters, and what teams can expect to see when they apply these to day-to-day practice life.  

Why are these Psychological Health and Safety Guidelines important to you?

Makenzie Peterson, DSW, MSc: Practices wanting to advance or bolster their workplace culture will find value in having a comprehensive set of factors that they can integrate into their leadership development plans, DEIB and wellbeing initiatives, and strategic planning. If veterinary medicine wants to innovate and advance the profession, we must create and strengthen environments where challenging the status quo is not only allowed but encouraged. 

 Coral Doherty, RVT, CPHSA: I feel that if we are not able to have a continuous improvement mindset when it comes to the stress you’re experiencing at work—and the risk of burnout and compassion fatigue, and secondary vicarious trauma if we don’t have a way to bring light to these types of phycological injuries at work—then we’ll never be able to move forward and improve the way we can help animals and their owners. It’s hard to pour from an empty cup. 

Philip Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CCFP: Knowing the impact that this has on not only our own wellbeing and job satisfaction, but seeing the impact it has on patient care. One of our guidelines is civility and respect, and what’s fascinating is, when that’s not in place, how challenging it is to communicate effectively in a medical workplace.  

What can practices expect to see internally if they not only read but adopt these guidelines?

Peterson: When leaders integrate and support aspects of psychological health and safety into their workplaces, they will start to see their team sharing new ideas, taking calculated risks and making mistakes, and greater transparency around feedback and accountability. All of this leads to greater workplace efficiency and innovation. 

Doherty: You know, I would love to give the rose-colored glasses play-by-play, but I honestly feel we’re asking the practice to reflect on painful areas of their workday. When we start to talk about these things in the workplace it creates a cycle of stress and upheaval. I would love to say it improves things immediately, but I actually feel it’s a barrier of self-reflection that becomes a bit of a wake-up call.  

Richmond: These guidelines can really open up communication and questioning with a sense of curiosity and say, “What are the things we can do that we haven’t been intentional about?” 

What would you tell someone who is about to read the guidelines?

Peterson: While this document was drafted to be for those in decision-making roles of authority, there is a role for everyone in this document. And while everyone plays a part in contributing to a positive workplace culture, it is the responsibility of leadership to intentionally build one.  

Doherty: I would say to try and determine where your team is, in terms of their awareness of the factors that you are looking at. Where do you think it’s easiest to start? Celebrate what your staff is already doing well as a win. Then go from there and determine the state of changeability. Are they able to have an agile mindset or a continuous improvement mindset where they would like to improve one of these factors? 

Richmond: We’re potentially going to be drinking from the firehouse. We’re going to get a lot of information that we weren’t aware was there. Take that in and try not to say, “Oh my gosh, here’s a list of things I’m not doing as a leader that I should be doing.” Be curious; tiny efforts matter. What is one of these things we could do tomorrow to positively impact one of the sections in these guidelines—and how can we do that as a team? 

Photo credit: © Maria Stavreva via Getty Images Plus 

Disclaimer: The views expressed, and topics discussed, in any NEWStat column or article are intended to inform, educate, or entertain, and do not represent an official position by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or its Board of Directors.