ABSTRACT: Compassion fatigue within veterinary nursing is a daily occurrence. Veterinary medicine attracts compassionate, caring individuals, but caring for others who are in emotional and physical pain is at a cost to the veterinary professional involved. Compassion fatigue can damage a person mentally and be problematic to the physical work that they do, contributing to an unhappy work environment and clinical errors being made. It is important that mental health within the Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) profession is explored further and the preventative measures discussed to help minimise the risk to the whole veterinary profession.

Author

Jodie Thompson-Hughes, Dip AVN (small animal) Dip HE CVN RVN

Jodie Thompson-Hughes qualified as a Registered Veterinary Nurse in 2013 from a small mixed practice in Cheshire before moving to ChesterGates referral hospital in 2014. In 2016 she joined Northwest Veterinary Specialists, and is currently specialising in oncology. She gained her Advanced Diploma (Small Animal) and HE diploma in Clinical Veterinary Nursing earlier this year from Myerscough College.

Email: J.Thompson-Hughes@ NWSpecialists.com

Keywords: burnout; compassion fatigue; depression; stress; trait perfectionism

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 34 (10) • October 2019 pp266-268

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