A compassionate journey part 4: self and team care

Abstract

Veterinary team members encounter end-of-life situations on a very regular basis, with euthanasia of animals being a common occurence. Over 80% of pets in the UK are euthanased at the end of their life (O'Neill et al, 2013), and almost a quarter of veterinary team members estimated that they had end-of-life discussions on a daily basis (Compassion Understood, 2016a). This is a source of stress for all members of the team, not least the clinical team members who have to actively participate in an animal's death. Further, supporting an often distressed and emotional animal owner, places a further strain. Compassion fatigue is a common consequence ( Figley and Roop, 2006 ) and has a personal impact on the ability of the sufferer to ‘bounce back’ from these frequent stressors. In this final part of the compassionate journey series, the focus is on the impact that euthanasia and end-of-life care can have on the veterinary practice team and individuals and the steps that can be taken to minimise any negative effect.