Veterinary Burnout and Recovery – Dr Jade Hackney
from Burnt to Blooming – Veterinary Burnout Recovery
This is the second in the multi part series where Companion Animal Veterinarian Dr Jade Hackney shares her path to living life to the full as a healthy and loving, long-term life partner and fully engaged veterinarian.
Dr Jade talks about:
- the moment she and her life partner realised they no longer wanted to work fulltime in jobs they didn’t enjoy to pay someone else’s mortgage;
- their journey to owning their own home in their 30s – mortgage-free;
- what ‘living life to the full’ means to Jade;
- living the dream with ‘pinch yourself moments’ each day;
- the freedom available to you when you start something with a Beginner’s Mind and how knowing how something should be done can be an impediment;
- living the WWOOF lifestyle for a while;
- how vet clinics can employ part timers and be better off for it;
- how it’s easier to blame others, but that’s not what being emotionally intelligent is;
- how it’s important – critical! – to focus only on what you can control – your own thoughts and feelings – and not worry about what you can’t – other people’s thoughts or feelings.
Veterinary Science Graduate from the University of Dublin
I’m with locum Companion Animal Veterinarian – Dr Jade Hackney – a graduate from the University of Dublin.
Jade shares her personal burnout, meltdown and recovery journey about what life is like on the other side as a practicing veterinarian.
Culture Shock Experiences
Jade was born in Northern Ireland but when she was 11 months old her parents moved to Malawi, where she lived until she was 11.
She encountered a huge culture shock when her parents returned to Northern Ireland. This lead to the beginning of unpleasant times for Jade.
First Burnout in 2014
In 2014 Jade experienced burnout through working 1-in-4 weekends + 1 night a week on call, with no time off in lieu, and minimal collegial support.
As Jade shares, she thought at this point she’d never practice as a clinical veterinarian again. Ever. Never.
In 2015 Jade started her journey of self-care, recovery and work-life balance integration in a way that worked (and still does) for her.
Emotionally Intelligent Language Use
Listen out for Jade’s emotionally intelligent language patterns.
There are a few times when she corrects herself when she swaps from the word “you” to “I”.
It’s subtle but it makes a huge difference.
So often people will distance themselves from what they’re saying by using in the global term “you” when they’re really referring to themselves.
Listen out of it because it’s the sign for someone who’s got an advanced level of emotional intelligence (EQ).
Episode 107
Here’s the first in Jade’s Recovery series.
