29 Dec 2025
Survey identifies areas of burnout risk and potential barriers to change.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Senior vet nursing lecturer and graduate researcher Angela Chapman has created a survey that helps prevent burnout in veterinary nurses.
A survey that helps prevent burnout in veterinary nurses is now available for use in practice.
Its lead developer, senior vet nursing lecturer and graduate researcher Angela Chapman, found in previous roles as a VN manager there was little information available on what the workplace could do to support people who were burning out.
“The idea of this survey is that it is an easy tool for leaders and managers within the veterinary space that they can help to reduce burnout within their teams,” she said. “It’s a really good proactive tool to stop things before they get to the stage where they are causing problems.”
Said to take 10 minutes to complete, the survey is comprised of 35 questions focused on key burnout contributors in VNs and aspects of the workplace including quality of leadership, existing team culture and the level of resources available to the clinic to support change.
Respondents are asked to rate how much they agree with statements such as “my work offers me opportunities for continued learning” and “when things get difficult, I can rely on my colleagues”.
The survey is intended to be completed anonymously by both staff and leadership so their perspectives can be compared.
A manual including the full survey, instructions explaining how to implement it and interpret its results and recommended strategies that can be implemented in clinics to prevent and reduce burnout, is available at Ms Chapman’s website.
A journal article focused on the need for the survey and its background, development and testing is undergoing peer review and expected to be published in January.
Ms Chapman suggested if their practice leadership are very business-focused, staff should present the survey as a tool to help lower costs.
She said: “We know that burnout causes increases turnover in vet nurses, and we know that turnover costs veterinary businesses a lot of money over time.
“So, if that’s their language, then talk to them about this survey that can help to reduce costs to the business in the long term.
“It can help to increase staff engagement, it can help to retain good client relationships, all of the positive things for the business. If that’s the way that they communicate, then focus on things that they will understand.”
She also suggested vets supporting their nursing colleagues with burnout is a “win-win” for both professions, adding: “One of the key contributors to burnout for vets and nurses is not being able to utilise the skills and knowledge that they have developed through their training.
“For nurses, that means being utilised by vets, and the glorious thing about this is that frees up some of the vets’ time so they’re less overloaded with their work.”
To that end, some of the recommended strategies centre on developing trust and confidence in nurses including “mentoring, working alongside nurses, increasing those communication routes, helping to develop set [skill] levels”.
Ms Chapman concluded: “It’s not as simple as just saying: ‘Hey, vets, use your nurses’, we need to work with our vets to make sure that they are comfortable and confident with using our nurses. But if we do that, then it’s a win-win for both roles.”
