By Katie Davy BSc(Hons), RVN. Katie graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2021 and currently works as an RVN at Vets4Pets Charlton, overseeing hospital proceedings and inpatient care. She has a keen interest in medical nursing and is particularly passionate about improving patient welfare. She is also an ISFM cat friendly clinic ambassador and strives to advocate for patient wellbeing in practice.

ABSTRACT The term ‘fear-free’ veterinary practice can be misleading because we cannot guarantee a truly fear-free experience for all patients, as the majority will experience some level of stress or anxiety during a visit to a practice. This anxiety can start before the patient even leaves their home and escalate when they reach the practice, which is an unfamiliar and often fear-evoking environment. This article aims to provide a guide to reducing stress for patients through changes to practice techniques and protocols to create more positive patient experiences. As veterinary nurses, we can help manage our patients’ stress levels by using evidence-based research to develop positive approaches to patient visits and, particularly, inpatient stays. This involves a whole-team approach, with a focus on creating and maintaining more positive experiences.
Keywords patient, animal, enrichment, wellbeing, stress management

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56496/SFCS6883

To cite this article: Davy, K. (2024) Reducing patient stress in practice. Veterinary Nursing Journal 39(5) pp 28-31

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