I’m Back…
I’m back, which means InspireDVM is back…
Oh boy, I’ve been absent from this space for a long while and I am so glad to be back. I had some other life stuff going on that needed a whole lot of my time, energy and attention and that kept me from doing all but the necessary-for-survival-type things.
But, the other life stuff has settled down, and I’m so excited to get back to you all here. I have been working, mostly at my small animal GP gig, during all the other life stuff because, you know, bills, but also, because I generally, really like my job. And while I’ve been working, I’ve been ruminating on ways to make our work life, as veterinarians in clinical practice, better. Because, if you generally like your job, it’s easier to go back to that job every day for a good many years and it’s also easier to generally like your life outside of work and the people in it. And, ohmygosh, life is short, let’s not spend it doing something we don’t like.
You see, I believe one of the big challenges facing our profession is the retention of generally content vets. There are a multitude of studies and even more anecdotal evidence indicating the high levels of burnout in our profession. We are losing great people all the time because of work stress, overwhelm and long hours and I believe it doesn’t have to be that way. I’ve been researching, polling, trialing (and sometimes erroring) ways to help us all make this profession more enjoyable and, therefore, more sustainable.
I believe the answer is in leaving work at work. Showing up, doing your best work during your scheduled shift and then, and this is magical, walking out the door on time with all your work done.
Imagine what it would feel like to leave on time, consistently, without a pile of unfinished medical records weighing on you… Imagine how good it would feel, how light and accomplished and happy you would feel to have finished everything you needed to do in your work day… What would you do with an extra one or two or three hours every day?
I leave work on time, with all my files done, nearly every day now, but it wasn’t always this way. I used to stay late all the time. Even on the slower shifts, I would still find myself with incomplete medical records at the end of the day and once you get into that cycle it can feel nearly impossible to get out of it. But, I did. I committed to making this wonderful, challenging, rewarding career work for me. I was burnt out, and feeling trapped and let down by my dream job, but, over the last couple of years, I’ve changed the way I do things and I can honestly say I love being a vet again.
This change is not because I work at a great practice with great colleagues, though I absolutely do. Truth is, ever since I started working as an assistant in a clinic, I have had the privilege of working with amazing people in the field of veterinary medicine. It’s not because I work at a clinic that is adequately staffed (tech shortage, anyone?) or has really efficient systems in place. It’s because I have changed the way I do things. In true scientist fashion, I’ve gathered information from books, studies, friends, colleagues and strangers. I’ve developed hypotheses about what might work and then I’ve tested the most promising (and unexpected) techniques. I used the results to refine my hypothesis and I think I now have a pretty good working theory on how to get everything done that needs doing and leave work on time.
And, I am so. much. happier. in my work life and my personal life. I can honestly say I love being a vet again. It’s easy for me to give it my all when I’m there, and still have lots of me left-over for all the things I want and need to do outside of work. Our profession is jam-packed with brilliant, amazing, caring people. It would be an honour and a privilege if I could help any of you find happiness in your work and reclaim your life outside of work so you can have an enjoyable and sustainable veterinary career.
Thank you for being here with me, it’s really good to be back.
Jessica