Toxicity in the veterinary profession.

Toxicity exists in several workforce,but veterinary teams exhibit more toxicity than any other work force.Toxicity within work environments is more common than you’d think, appearing in just about every profession in the world. However, experts like Shawn McVey, MA, MSW, a frequent lecturer on veterinary workplace culture and owner of McVey Management Solutions, believes there’s more potential for toxicity in veterinary medicine than other fields—even other healthcare professions. He recently shared his thoughts with dvm360 on the stressors unique to veterinary medicine that can generate toxic behaviors among veterinarians and team members. McVey’s first conclusion as to why veterinary medicine produces toxicity deals has to do with one of the hardest aspects of the job emotionally: death and dying. Veterinary teams deal with euthanasia of pets every day, along with death from illness and injury. “We’re the only healthcare profession that charges outright for what we do that is life-and-death-based,” McVey explains. “If a job is not life-and-death, it’s not as emotional.” The clients are Jekyll and Hyde(dual personality;good,bad/evil) “People come to us with beer budgets and champagne expectations for their animals,” McVey says. “The customer in veterinary practice has a tendency to be Jekyll or Hyde: They love their pets, but they can be nasty about having to pay for it.” Money, money, money the pet owners’ relationship with their veterinarian is similar to what parents have with their pediatrician. “The only difference,” McVey says, “is that most hospitals would take in a child and give it care, even if you didn’t have money.” The fact that veterinarians live primarily within a for-profit environment ensures that this isn’t always the case. This ends up splitting cracks in the floodgates, allowing toxicity to seep in. politics in the work place is another trend breeding toxicity,where there is a team with a leader not accepted by colleagues,not only will the office be toxic,the team will break off in fraction splitting your clientele. This toxicity will spill off on the clients as they will only allow specific personnel to handle their pets,and if peradventure another doctor handles their case all hell will be let lose. Emotional intelligence is the solution to this toxicity, doctors should actually be more sensitive with team building and working relationships. Reading the doctors take on work place toxicity,actually exposed the fact that this problem is universal. The techs and vets on each others throat,the client against the doctors and techs and a faction from all teams setting off the war plan. This year a detox is extremely necessary,getting away from this rubbish. continue