Compassionate Communication Strategies for Team Wellbeing | Episode 44 | Reviving Vet Med

The ways in which veterinary teams communicate can have a tremendous impact on their wellbeing. Research demonstrates that team members that work within an environment with effective communication have lower burnout scores and higher levels of job satisfaction compared to those who work in an environment with ineffective communication. Likewise, candid and open communication among team members is one of the four main components of a healthy work environment identified in the Merck Animal Health Wellbeing Study III, which is also linked with lower burnout and psychological distress among team members.

In this episode, we discuss the benefits of healthy team communication and how to achieve that with curiosity and compassion. We cover different strategies for compassionate communication, as adapted from the non-violent communication model. From empathy to genuine apologies, there are helpful strategies here for all veterinary team members to apply in their work and home lives.

Resources

Article: The role of veterinary team effectiveness in job satisfaction and burnout in companion animal veterinary clinics (JAVMA 2014): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25148093/

Article: Executive summary of the Merck Animal Health Veterinarian Wellbeing Study III and Veterinary Support Staff Study (JAVMA 2022): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35943942/

Book: Non-Violent Communication: A Language of Life (by Marshall Rosenberg).

To Watch the Video Version of this Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcMSIENw6YI

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