Work-Related Fatigue in Veterinary Technicians

In the Literature

Foxx F, Orpet H. The need for recovery: an investigation into short-term work-related fatigue in veterinary nurses. Vet Rec. 2024;194(10):e3898. doi:10.1002/vetr.3898

The Research …

The veterinary technician/nurse role is physically and mentally demanding, putting these staff members at risk for acute work-related fatigue. The need for recovery (NFR) scale can be used to determine the impact of work demands on an individual and quantify the need to recuperate from work-induced fatigue¹; a higher NFR score signifies a greater need to recuperate.^2,3

In this study, an anonymous 15-question survey was distributed to veterinary nurses registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. For inclusion, participants were required to have fixed-term or permanent full-time employment in a small- or mixed-animal practice and spend at least 50% of each day performing clinical duties focused on small animals.

Of 387 respondents, 63% had one or more additional roles in the clinic (eg, clinical coach, head nurse, department senior) and reported lower NFR scores, although the difference in scores was not significant. Most respondents (60.7%) had no additional responsibilities outside the clinic (eg, parenting, additional job, caregiving, school), but those who did had significantly lower NFR scores. Those with ≥2 additional responsibilities had the lowest NFR scores of all respondents. More than half of respondents (58.1%) had at least one hobby (eg, sports, fitness, volunteering) outside of work and had lower NFR scores than those without hobbies.

Median shift length was 8.75 hours. Longer shifts resulted in higher NFR scores. Many respondents (62.8%) worked overtime or additional shifts at least once per month and had a significantly higher NFR score than those who did not. Most respondents worked as part of a team with an average of 4 to 6 other nurses. Respondents who worked alone had higher NFR scores. Scores appeared to decrease with increases in team size.

… The Takeaways

Key pearls to put into practice:

• Working as part of a team can increase work satisfaction and decrease the amount of recovery needed among veterinary technicians. Providing resources to meet emotional demands, encouraging support from colleagues, and improving organization culture can also increase work satisfaction.

• What staff members do during their time off matters. Practice owners and managers can encourage staff to develop meaningful hobbies. For example, sponsoring a clinic sports team can encourage a hobby and support team building. Staff with creative hobbies (eg, painting, writing) can be encouraged to write a blog for the clinic or paint murals or patient portraits.

• Technical staff should be allowed and encouraged to perform all duties permitted by their licensure. In the current study, having additional responsibilities in the clinic increased job satisfaction and did not create additional need for recovery from fatigue. Practice owners and managers should be familiar with technician utilization guidelines (see Suggested Reading).

• Creative scheduling (eg, four 10-hour shifts per week, three 12-hour shifts per week) can be helpful. Although technicians may be more tired following longer shifts, having additional days off to recover, handle outside responsibilities, and enjoy hobbies can be beneficial to maintaining a healthy work–life balance.