Factors influencing equine veterinarians’ job satisfaction and retention: A focus group study.
Abstract: There is a shortage of equine veterinarians. Understanding what factors are associated with job satisfaction in equine veterinarians can inform interventions to increase retention in equine medicine. Objective: To explore the prominent factors causing work dissatisfaction and burnout in equine veterinarians. Methods: Qualitative research study consisting of semi-structured focus groups. Methods: Thirty-seven current and former equine veterinarians across the United States were recruited via snowball and convenience sampling to answer questions on work history, work-life balance, and perceptions of equine practice. Transcripts were analysed in Delve and coded in the context of the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. A card sorting activity was used to rank the four types of resources in the COR theory (condition, object, energy, and personal). Results: Condition resources were the most frequently mentioned reasons for work dissatisfaction. These included issues with discrimination or bias due to age, race/ethnicity, and gender, unpredictable and long hours, and heavy workloads. Object resources, such as equipment, were rarely mentioned. Energy resources, including pay and student loan debt, were influential, with most participants feeling that equine veterinarians are underpaid. Personal resources, such as problem-solving skills and enjoyment in helping others, improved job satisfaction. Conclusions: Although recruiting efforts prioritised perspectives of black, indigenous, and people of colour, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer plus identities, and members with disabilities, demographic information was not directly collected. Conclusions: The main barriers to equine veterinary retention included a lack of work-life balance, long hours, lower-than-expected pay, and issues with discrimination and bias. This study highlights areas for intervention to improve the equine veterinary field, such as higher pay, rural practice incentives, and effective diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts. A shift toward caseload-sharing between veterinarians could help alleviate excessive emergency on-call and burnout.
© 2025 The Author(s). Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2025-01-10 PubMed ID: 39790082PubMed Central: PMC12508282DOI: 10.1111/evj.14467Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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Overview
- This study explores the key factors that influence job satisfaction and retention among equine veterinarians in the United States, focusing on causes of work dissatisfaction and burnout to identify ways to improve retention in this field.
Background and Objective
- There is a shortage of equine veterinarians, creating a need to understand factors affecting their job satisfaction and career longevity.
- The objective was to investigate the main reasons behind dissatisfaction and burnout experienced by equine veterinarians.
Methods
- Qualitative study design using semi-structured focus groups with 37 current and former equine veterinarians across the U.S.
- Participants were recruited through snowball and convenience sampling methods.
- Focus group discussions covered topics such as work history, work-life balance, and perceptions of equine practice.
- Transcripts were analyzed using Delve software and coded based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, which categorizes resources into four types: condition, object, energy, and personal.
- A card sorting activity was employed to help participants rank the importance of the four resource types according to COR theory.
Key Findings
- Condition resources were the most frequently cited contributors to work dissatisfaction, for example:
- Discrimination or bias related to age, race/ethnicity, and gender.
- Unpredictable and long working hours.
- Heavy workloads that challenge work-life balance.
- Object resources such as equipment or tools were rarely mentioned as problems.
- Energy resources
- Most participants felt equine veterinarians are underpaid relative to the demands of their work.
- Student loan debt was a contributing factor to dissatisfaction.
Conclusions
- Main barriers to retention include poor work-life balance, long hours, low pay, and experiences with discrimination and bias.
- Although the study prioritized recruiting participants with diverse backgrounds (including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled individuals), demographic data was not directly collected.
- The findings highlight actionable intervention areas, such as:
- Increasing pay and providing financial incentives to encourage practice in rural areas.
- Implementing effective diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) programs to address bias and discrimination.
- Encouraging caseload-sharing among practitioners to reduce emergency on-call demands and burnout.
- Addressing these issues could enhance job satisfaction and help alleviate the shortage of equine veterinarians.
Cite This Article
APA
Whitaker K, Burnette A, Tan JY, Graves M, Hunt J, Devine E, Anderson S, Kirkendall K, Wisnieski L.
(2025).
Factors influencing equine veterinarians’ job satisfaction and retention: A focus group study.
Equine Vet J, 57(6), 1563-1571.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14467 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, USA.
- Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, USA.
- University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
- Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, USA.
- Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, USA.
- Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, USA.
- Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, USA.
- Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Job Satisfaction
- Veterinarians / psychology
- Male
- Female
- Humans
- Focus Groups
- Horses
- Middle Aged
- United States
- Adult
- Animals
Grant Funding
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors have declared no conflicting interests.
References
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Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Rigby C, Prutton A. Factors influencing UK veterinarians' decisions to leave equine clinical practice.. Vet Rec 2026 Jan 3;198(1):e21-e29.
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