31 Aug 2023
A range of free online resources has been unveiled by researchers at the University of Aberdeen following collaboration with a number of senior veterinary sector figures.
Allister Webb
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Image: aurema / Fotolia.
A team of academics has unveiled a new online toolkit, which it hopes will help veterinary professionals to mitigate the effects of rudeness from both clients and colleagues.
The project follows research from the University of Aberdeen, published last year, which found the issue is linked to growing intentions among staff to leave the sector altogether.
Since then, researchers from its school of psychology have been working with senior figures in the sector to develop a new veterinary incivility toolkit (VIT).
They say the resources can be used by all veterinary staff and organisations and will continue to be developed further as the research continues.
Lead author Amy Irwin said their analysis had identified a clear need for support to help staff identify and deal with forms of behaviour that tend to occur more frequently than incidents of overt aggression, even though they are often less serious individually.
She said: “Of course, there should be a zero tolerance approach of aggression towards veterinary staff, but what our research highlighted is that this is harder to manage when it comes to the more minor, but nonetheless negative, behaviours or interactions.
“Incivility is frequent, subtle and can be ambiguous in terms of intent to harm, so is more often ignored at organisational level.”
The VIT outlines individual types of incivility, their impacts and potential responses, as well as individual testimonies of veterinary professionals’ own experiences.
It also includes a range of diagrams showing core concepts and activities, including a tracker, a reflective diary and a scenario discussion task. All of the materials are free to use.
Dr Irwin said that, while a higher risk existed of experiencing rude behaviour across the service sector, its potential impact was particularly alarming in the veterinary world because of its known workforce and mental health issues.
She added: “Part of the issue is that veterinary staff are not always sure how they should respond to incivility, which unlike more extreme behaviours such as aggression, does not always feature in guidelines for managing conflict within veterinary practices.”
The VIT can be accessed here.
