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Anna
Student
Grand Island, Nebraska
2
Questions
Asked
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I plan on working in the animal field one day after college and i got to thinking. Are there any issues or problems that occur more frequently than is talked about that should be brought to future vet techs attention to give them a heads up to prepare? If so, what was an unexpected challenge that was experienced in a veterinary clinic work environment?
What would be some advice to others how to address and fix the issue if others were to experience this?
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1 answer
Megan McCoy
Career Coach
162
Answers
Lakeland, Florida
Updated
Megan’s Answer
Hi Anna,
One of the biggest issues right now in the animal field is mental health. Most veterinarians and staff are extremely overworked and understaffed. There is a national shortage of both veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Long hours and poor work-life balance lead to stress and burnout.
Euthanasia is a hard part of the job to process. Sometimes you are dealing with animal abuse and neglect cases. This leads to compassion fatigue and sometimes depression.
Another factor is misplaced anger by clients. Veterinary medicine is expensive. This is often very stressful to pet parents in a situation with a very sick animal. Yelling, threats, social media bullying, and sometimes even physical harm are not uncommon. It is very hard on your mental health.
There is a lot being done to help deal with the mental health crisis in the vet field. It is important to learn how to not bring your work home with you so that you can have a work-life balance. Learning how to destress and do self-care is important in the vet field. My advice would be to prepare yourself for these tough situations and learn how to decompress after work.
I hope this helps!
One of the biggest issues right now in the animal field is mental health. Most veterinarians and staff are extremely overworked and understaffed. There is a national shortage of both veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Long hours and poor work-life balance lead to stress and burnout.
Euthanasia is a hard part of the job to process. Sometimes you are dealing with animal abuse and neglect cases. This leads to compassion fatigue and sometimes depression.
Another factor is misplaced anger by clients. Veterinary medicine is expensive. This is often very stressful to pet parents in a situation with a very sick animal. Yelling, threats, social media bullying, and sometimes even physical harm are not uncommon. It is very hard on your mental health.
There is a lot being done to help deal with the mental health crisis in the vet field. It is important to learn how to not bring your work home with you so that you can have a work-life balance. Learning how to destress and do self-care is important in the vet field. My advice would be to prepare yourself for these tough situations and learn how to decompress after work.
I hope this helps!
Thank you! I appreciate your response and will keep in mind the struggles this career may face mentally and physically! When I was younger and naive, I always thought being a vet tech would be nothing but fun, maybe a little chaotic. As I do research and ask professionals in the field, a new light has come into my eyes. One that may not be as bright as I imagined but one that is needed to know what can possibly be expected.
Anna