On-Call Duties: The Perceived Impact on Veterinarians' Job Satisfaction, Well-Being and Personal Relationships

Abstract

Objective: To assess the impact of on-call duties on veterinarians' job satisfaction, well-being and personal relationships.Design: Cross-sectional survey.Sample: The sample was obtained from Veterinary Information Network (VIN) members in private practice within the United States.Procedures: A link to an anonymous online survey was distributed via an email invitation to all Veterinary Information Network (VIN) members with access from August 15, 2017 to October 21, 2017.Results: A total of 1,945 responses were recorded. The majority of those who reported having on-call duties were female associates. Composite scales were created to assess the impact of on-call shifts on job satisfaction and well-being. Multiple linear regression was conducted and found that gender (p = 0.0311), associate status (p < 0.0001), and age (p = 0.0293) were all significantly associated with on-call related job satisfaction. Additionally, multiple linear regression found that gender (p = 0.0039), associate status (p < 0.0057), and age (p < 0.0001) were all significantly associated with on-call related well-being. On-call shifts were reported by many to have a negative impact on job satisfaction and well-being; this was especially pronounced for female associates. Females had on-call related job satisfaction scores that were, on average, 1.27 points lower than that of males (lower scores equates to lower job satisfaction). Further, females' average on-call related well-being scores were 1.15 points higher than that of males (lower scores equates to higher well-being).Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: This study suggests that on-call shifts have a negative impact on veterinarian job satisfaction, well-being and personal relationships. The negative impact on job satisfaction and well-being is greatest for female associates. Veterinary medicine has been identified as a stressful occupation that can lead to psychological distress. It is therefore important to critically assess current practices that appear to increase stress and reduce emotional well-being. For this reason, it is suggested that veterinary hospitals explore alternative options to traditional on-call shifts.

A narrative review of the physiology and health effects of burnout associated with veterinarian-pertinent occupational stressors

“…Occupational sleep deficiencies may potentially be associated with long-term individual impacts, as physicians with chronic on-call duties of ~5–6 24-hour shifts/month exhibited baseline evidence of genetic damage ( d = 1.48, p = 0.0001) including DNA breaks ( d = 0.87, p = 0.0018), as well as impaired DNA repair ( d = 1.47, p = 0.0001) after a night of acute sleep deprivation when compared to participants who did not work extended hours ( 268 ). On-call shifts have a particularly negative impact on veterinarian job satisfaction, wellbeing, and personal relationships, especially in female associates ( 269 ). Working ≥40 h/week, and perceived staffing shortages are also associated with high risks of burnout ( 190 ).…”

Job Satisfaction Among Veterinarians Working in the Private Sector in Khartoum State, Sudan

“…In this study, this may partially be related to the high percentage of females among the sample population in the absence of well-trained veterinary assistants. It is important to critically assess current practices that appear to increase stress (Kogan et al, 2021).…”

“…Compared to the general population, veterinarians have been reported to feel greater negative emotions at work, this reflects the need for looking into and fostering good emotions in their line of work (Fredrickson (2001). Gender and age were found to show variation within the veterinary community, with female and younger veterinarians showing lower levels of wellbeing and more instances of serious psychological distress (Volk et al 2020;Kogan et al, 2021). In Sudan, Studies on job satisfaction are recent and scarce, and to our knowledge, there is no previous study concerning job satisfaction among veterinarians.…”

Untitled

“…On-call shifts are often scheduled in between regular working shifts and frequently include weekends and overnight. On-call shifts are often used to provide daily coverage for facilities where emergencies require trained onsite personnel but the business volume does not require regular shift coverage (Kogan et al, 2021). This type of work involves handling issues that arise unexpectedly.…”