Meaningful work and well‐being: a study of the positive side of veterinary work

Abstract

ObjectivesMental health is a growing concern in many healthcare professions, including veterinary medicine, as research suggests that veterinarians report higher levels of distress, burnout and suicidal ideation than other healthcare occupations and the general public. A recent literature review found that about twice as many articles published on veterinary wellness refer to the negative aspects of mental health (eg, stress and depression) compared with the positive aspects of well-being. Little attention has been devoted to examining the positive aspects of veterinarians’ work, and few models have been developed to explain their well-being. This paper empirically assesses a veterinary model of work-derived well-being based on the theory of eudaimonia. Eudaimonic well-being reflects having fulfilling work that contributes to the greater good. Three core clusters of job characteristics are hypothesised relevant to veterinarian well-being that include: actualising self, helping others (animals or people) and a sense of belonging (to team or profession). In addition, meaningful work is proposed as the mechanism through which situational job characteristics may exert a positive influence on well-being.MethodsSurvey data from 376 veterinarians in clinical practice were analysed using path analysis.DiscussionMeaningful work is important in understanding the well-being of veterinarians. Job characteristics (self-actualising work, helping animals and people and a sense of belonging) contribute to a sense of meaningful work, which in turn is related to eudaimonic well-being. Excessive job demands (work overload, financial demands and physical health risks) appear less relevant in understanding meaningful work but are clearly important in having negative consequences for veterinarians’ well-being.While strategies that cultivate meaningful work may be effective in nurturing veterinarians’ well being, several limitations of this study should be noted. First, due to the cross-sectional data, definitive statements about the causal ordering of variables cannot be made. Second, the data were derived from a single source such that monomethod bias may be an issue. Third, the data rely on self-report measures and the responses may be influenced by social desirability or response biases. Lastly, while the sample may be representative of the veterinarians throughout a large geographic area in Canada, it may not represent the work arrangements of veterinarians in other countries.ConclusionsThe significance of these findings is that they may shift research attention from focusing on the harmful, demanding aspects of veterinary work to better understanding the deeply meaningful aspects that improve veterinarians’ well-being. In addition, the results may stimulate consideration of strategies that move beyond individual-level interventions that focus on veterinarians adopting better coping strategies and becoming more resilient. This may lead to adopting organisational and occupational-level strategies that can involve promoting more positive and supportive workplace cultures and developing more professional resources for promoting wellness and meaning in the profession of veterinary medicine.

Veterinary Technicians and Occupational Burnout

“…Second, using one's skills and knowledge, particularly in terms of making a valuable contribution to practicing veterinary medicine, is key in mitigating all three components of burnout, especially in terms of reducing cynicism and enhancing a sense of professional efficacy. Using one's specialized skills and knowledge in contributing to the care of animals is important in making work meaningful (25,27). Recognition for individuals' efforts and contributions to the shared goal of providing the best animal care is one strategy that veterinary practices may employee to support technicians sense of value to the animal health care team.…”

“…In the case of veterinary technicians, our results suggest that if they feel that using their skills, which likely involves performing dirty tasks, translates into better care for the animals being treated in their care, they are significantly less emotionally exhausted, less cynical and feel more professional efficacy in their work. Wallace (27) found that veterinarians who felt their work was fulfilling and meaningful had increased feelings of well-being. Future research might explore how workers successfully manage stigma associated with dirty work so that they reframe their work as meaningful, important and less stressful.…”

“…More recently, studies have explored the role of enabling resources that may enhance worker engagement, meaningful work and well-being while reducing feelings of burnout and compassion fatigue (25)(26)(27). Work factors that appear to mitigate burnout, for physicians and veterinarians alike, include schedule control, opportunities for professional development and the use of skills and knowledge, the ability to develop and use their skills, respect from colleagues, and a feeling of satisfaction with one's position/job (4,16,18).…”

“…Using skills and knowledge contributes to a sense of accomplishment, personal growth and engagement. Technicians who have the opportunity to solve complex problems and contribute significantly to animal care will feel their work is more meaningful and fulfilling (27). Opportunities for learning and success are key to enhancing a sense of accomplishment and personal growth that result in meaningful engaging work (25,26).…”

The Effect of Organizational Changes on the Psychosocial Work Environment: Changes in Psychological and Social Working Conditions Following Organizational Changes

“…All data were collected by questionnaires; hence, both selfreport bias and common-method bias could influence responses (Moorman and Podsakoff, 1992;Donaldson and Grant-Vallone, 2002). Precautions were taken in order to minimize such effects, e.g., a temporal separation of measurements, forced-choice items (Nederhof, 1985), baseline adjustments for all outcome variables and differences in wording and response options for predictor and outcome may all reduce the risk of commonmethod variance (Podsakoff et al, 2003). However, one cannot rule of the potential effects, the study had a prospective design with a 2-year interval between baseline and follow-up.…”