Align-ju HEALTH MATTERS

DOI : 10.1080 / 1a7415349.2021.1956390

Laura C . Ryan , SVN

Anderson ’ s Veterinary Surgery , Bromley

ENVELOPE lauraryansvn @ hotmail . com

Laura C . Ryan is a student at Central College of Animal Studies and in full-time employment at Anderson ’ s Veterinary Surgery . She became a veterinary care assistant ( VCA ) in 2018 and a student in 2019 . Laura was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 18 . This , and her role as a mother , has given her deeper insight into managing emotions and stress .

ABSTRACT It is well known within the veterinary profession that the job can impact our mental health . Burnout , compassion fatigue and stress are starting to be openly talked about , but more can be done in terms of recognition and conversation . I wanted to share my insight as a student veterinary nurse with bipolar disorder , and discuss how I am trying to change my own mentality and support others . At the end of the article you will find some useful websites with information on how to access support . If you have any concerns , contact Vetlife or your GP .

Keywords Student veterinary nurse , mental health , mental wellbeing , compassion fatigue , stress

Introduction

At the interview for a place on my veterinary nursing course , it was impressed on me that the profession would take its toll on my mental health . It was something I was already aware of , from my time in practice as a kennel assistant , so I expected it to be mentioned . I was honest and disclosed my previous experiences , my bipolar diagnosis and how supportive I had found my practice . I was uncertain whether this would affect my application but , if anything , I think my awareness and honest approach to mental health may have strengthened it .

There ’ s no doubt this profession has its emotional highs , but it also comes with an emotional burden which can be both mentally and physically draining . Life in practice is not linear and neither is our mental health ; as a profession we must learn how to regulate , express and reset ourselves .

Establish and protect boundaries

The first step to supporting and improving our mental health is establishing boundaries and setting our own pace . Life in practice can be chaotic for any member of the team , regardless of whether you ’ re a full-time vet or a part-time receptionist . There is always pressure to be on top of everything and to do as much as possible , as quickly as possible . This isn ’ t always realistic or healthy .

When it comes to my own mental health , I have frequent ups and downs , even on my medication . On the up days I can work at a fast pace and have several ‘ tabs ’ open in my head , but on the down days I don ’ t have the same mental capacity . It ’ s important we respect these mental cues in the same way we ’ d listen to a physical cue , such as pain in our body to indicate we ’ re not up to lifting a 30 kg dog . We should be prepared to adapt to challenges , go at our own pace and not take on tasks we can ’ t manage – even if that sometimes means saying ‘ no ’.

I ’ m also mother to a 4-year-old , so I ’ m well aware how sleep deprivation and exhaustion can alter tolerance and levels of concentration . The ability to say ‘ no ’ and focus

VOL 37 • May 2022

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