Euthanasia is one of the hardest parts of this career field. There is never an easy way to go about starting the dialog or helping owners through the decision making process. It is important to keep a sympathetic yet professional grace about us when we are helping our clients through the difficulties and sadness that comes from losing their beloved pet. Not all euthanasia’s are the same, and this is true for the manner in which the owners might react or process their grief. Our ability to anticipate and answer owner questions, prepare the patient, and an appropriate level of formality, can make a difference in either the owner feeling that they made the correct decision, or being scared and questioning if they should have waited or not done
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Staying aware of how much effort we place on thinking of others and their wellbeing is tough because there are so many other things we must keep track of everyday of our lives. Self-analysis and finding time to nurture one’s own contentment can easily be placed on the back burner. Compassion fatigue: “has been defined as a combination of physical, emotional, and spiritual depletion associated with caring for patients in significant emotional pain and physical distress (Anewalt, 2009; Figley, 1995).” I have attached a diagram that shows the compassion fatigue process. This phenomenon is a very real concern for this career field, and it is one that should be discussed within the practice, preferably not waiting until there are signs present in you or another staff member. Taking time to care for yourself should be seen as a time to recuperate and not as being selfish. I know have a very hard time doing this because I worry how my taking time off will affect everyone else at work. My previous job started me down the road to being overly analytical, eventually feeling dispassionate, and I venture to say almost desensitized from the emotional pressure created by experiencing frequent death. Furthermore, I can say without a doubt that our doctor, while she maintained the important kind and caring persona in the exam rooms, her demeanor in the treatment area and outside of the office was more similar to someone that was very close to burning out. About a year before I left the practice, she told me that sometimes she felt like the “grim reaper”. After I left and began working in specialty, I started to see how much I had let my last position completely encompass everything I used to enjoy doing. I worked late and couldn’t leave my work stress at the office. While I miss the patients and many of the clients, no longer having to
Staying aware of how much effort we place on thinking of others and their wellbeing is tough because there are so many other things we must keep track of everyday of our lives. Self-analysis and finding time to nurture one’s own contentment can easily be placed on the back burner. Compassion fatigue: “has been defined as a combination of physical, emotional, and spiritual depletion associated with caring for patients in significant emotional pain and physical distress (Anewalt, 2009; Figley, 1995).” I have attached a diagram that shows the compassion fatigue process. This phenomenon is a very real concern for this career field, and it is one that should be discussed within the practice, preferably not waiting until there are signs present in you or another staff member. Taking time to care for yourself should be seen as a time to recuperate and not as being selfish. I know have a very hard time doing this because I worry how my taking time off will affect everyone else at work. My previous job started me down the road to being overly analytical, eventually feeling dispassionate, and I venture to say almost desensitized from the emotional pressure created by experiencing frequent death. Furthermore, I can say without a doubt that our doctor, while she maintained the important kind and caring persona in the exam rooms, her demeanor in the treatment area and outside of the office was more similar to someone that was very close to burning out. About a year before I left the practice, she told me that sometimes she felt like the “grim reaper”. After I left and began working in specialty, I started to see how much I had let my last position completely encompass everything I used to enjoy doing. I worked late and couldn’t leave my work stress at the office. While I miss the patients and many of the clients, no longer having to