How long have we been working? Reflections from daily veterinary practice

Energy, focus and compassion are limited. An honest look at daily veterinary practice – and why not everything comes down to a lack of knowledge, but is often simply multifactorial.

Fortunately, I have never had to undergo surgery myself. If that ever becomes necessary – and if I’m fortunate enough for it to be planned – my first question when scheduling would be:
How many hours have you already been working before my surgery, and who was treated before me?

The fact that none of us are perpetual motion machines, and that our energy and attention are limited, is something I notice almost every day in my work.

Personally, I need to drink a lot of water for my brain to function well. When things become intense in the clinic and eight hours pass without a break, I can manage without food – but my concentration remains stable only if I can drink something in between.

My patience and compassion are not unlimited either; they fluctuate noticeably over the course of the day. Compassion fatigue is not something I experience only after several intense weeks, but sometimes already after several demanding patients in a row – when one case follows the next and there is no space to pause, even briefly.

As veterinarians, we do not only make a difference through our knowledge, but also through our engagement, our curiosity and our genuine interest in medicine, in animals and in their owners.
When you consider that both veterinarians and pet owners are human and subject to emotional fluctuations – and that our patients belong to a different species altogether – it almost feels like a small miracle when everything runs smoothly for everyone involved.

There are many factors at play, and much that can go wrong – and yet, when something does not work out, the first thought is often: “It’s my fault.” We often assume it may be due to a lack of knowledge.
It may sometimes simply be that there was no time for a glass of water. Or that the previous patient is still occupying our thoughts. Or that the owner had an argument just before the appointment. Or that the dog was unsettled by the hum of the air conditioning.

We are not perpetual motion machines, not machines at all – and far from perfect. No one is.

The most honest answer to the question “What happened here?” is often simply:It’s complicated.

In a healthy working environment, the next step is to recognise and analyse mistakes together, improve processes and continue developing knowledge.

Integrating the word “multifactorial” into everyday language can be surprisingly helpful – to reduce stress, relieve pressure and assess situations more realistically.