Factors influencing equine veterinarians' job satisfaction and retention: A focus group study.
Authors: Whitaker, Burnette, Tan, Graves, Hunt, Devine, Anderson, Kirkendall, Wisnieski
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Job Satisfaction and Retention in Equine Veterinarians The equine veterinary profession faces a significant retention crisis, yet little qualitative research has examined the specific factors driving dissatisfaction and burnout among practitioners. Whitaker and colleagues conducted semi-structured focus groups with 37 current and former equine veterinarians across the United States, analysing responses using Conservation of Resources theory to categorise workplace stressors and supports into condition, object, energy, and personal resource types. Condition resources—encompassing workplace discrimination based on age, race/ethnicity and gender, unpredictable scheduling, and excessive workloads—emerged as the most frequently cited sources of dissatisfaction, whilst energy resources including insufficient pay relative to student loan debt and personal resources such as problem-solving capability and intrinsic motivation were influential in determining whether practitioners remained in the field. The research points to actionable interventions: competitive remuneration, targeted support for rural practitioners, meaningful diversity and inclusion initiatives, and structural changes such as shared on-call responsibilities to reduce burnout and emergency demands. For equine professionals across all disciplines, these findings underscore how systemic workplace factors—rather than individual resilience alone—fundamentally shape retention and suggest that supporting veterinary colleagues requires institutional changes alongside individual wellbeing strategies.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Equine practice owners should consider caseload-sharing and on-call rotation systems to reduce burnout and excessive hours, which are primary drivers of veterinarian departures
- •Competitive compensation packages and rural practice incentives are essential to retain equine veterinarians in a shortage situation
- •Implementing genuine diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives can address discrimination concerns and improve workplace satisfaction and retention
Key Findings
- •Condition resources (work environment, discrimination, unpredictable hours) were the most frequently cited reasons for work dissatisfaction among equine veterinarians
- •Energy resources including inadequate pay and student loan debt significantly influenced job satisfaction, with most participants reporting equine veterinarians are underpaid
- •Personal resources such as problem-solving skills and intrinsic motivation to help others improved job satisfaction despite environmental challenges
- •Primary barriers to retention included lack of work-life balance, long hours, lower-than-expected pay, and discrimination or bias based on age, race/ethnicity, and gender