Veterinary nurses and technicians (VN/Ts) are on the front line of animal care — they monitor patients, administer treatments, run tests, and support veterinarians. The job’s high demands often cause burnout, which harms VN/T well-being, increases staff turnover, and can reduce the quality of care animals receive.

Past research has suggested ways to reduce burnout in VN/Ts, but few studies have checked whether those ideas are practical. This study asked two important questions: What makes it hard for veterinary clinics to tackle burnout, and which strategies are both effective and feasible?

How The Study Worked

Researchers used the Delphi method — a way of bringing experts together to anonymously share ideas, rate them, and revise their views until the group reaches agreement. For this study, there were two rounds of consultations, and consensus required at least 75% agreement across two consecutive ratings.

Participants needed five or more years of experience in VN/T leadership or well-being. A total of 32 experts completed the first round of consultations and 30 completed the second round, representing the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The two rounds ran over three months.

• Round 1: Experts described the challenges that clinics face when tackling burnout, and the factors that make VN/Ts more or less likely to burn out. They identified 10 risk factors and three protective factors.
• Round 2: The ideas generated in the first round were refined into 40 concrete strategies. Experts rated each strategy for likely effectiveness in reducing burnout and for feasibility of implementation.

Barriers To Managing Burnout

Experts pointed to problems at two levels:

• Clinic level: Poor leadership, negative workplace culture, resistance to change, financial pressure, and staff already feeling burnt out
• Industry level: Unclear or inconsistent regulation of VN/T roles and limited leadership training in veterinary education

Some barriers can be addressed within clinics, while others need system-level reform across the profession.

Agreement On Effective Strategies

The panel largely agreed on what would work to tackle burnout. Of the 40 strategies, most (87.5%) were rated as effective or very effective. Common themes included:

• Improving communication
• Building a culture of psychological safety
• Offering clear career pathways with training and support
• Creating workplace policies with staff input
• Reviewing workplace systems to boost efficiency

Experts emphasized that retaining existing staff — rather than simply hiring more people — is often the most effective way to reduce workloads. Poor leadership was identified as especially challenging, but one that can be improved through better recruitment, training, and sustained support.

Protective factors that reduced burnout included feeling that the work matters, having control over tasks, and being included in patient care decisions. Many strategies strengthened these protections while also reducing risk factors.

Mixed Views On Feasibility

Where the panel didn’t agree was how easy the strategies would be to implement. Almost all strategies (98%) received very mixed feasibility ratings. Whether a strategy is practical depends heavily on a clinic’s culture, leadership, and resources.

In short, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to address VN/T burnout. Clinics must choose and adapt strategies that fit their own team and circumstances.

Limitations

Almost half the experts were U.S.-based, and all participants came from high-income countries, so the findings may not reflect challenges in different cultural, legal, or low-resource settings. Future research is needed to test whether these agreed-upon strategies actually reduce burnout.

Why This Matters

Addressing VN/T burnout requires both clinic-level action and industry reform. Clinic leaders should assess team culture and resources, then choose practical strategies that suit their setting — and leaders need training and well-being support themselves. At the same time, the profession needs clearer role regulation, fairer pay, and stronger leadership education.

Together, these steps can protect VN/T well-being, improve staff retention, and help maintain high standards of animal care. While some recommendations are specific to VN/Ts, many also apply across the wider animal care sector, supporting professional growth and a healthier, more sustainable workforce.