Dr Nienke Endenburg is Chair of the WSAVA Professional Wellness Group
She is a human clinical psychologist and runs her own practice in the Netherlands. She also works with veterinary students at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Utrecht in the Netherland. She teaches them about communicating with owners, veterinary forensics and how they can support their professional wellbeing.
Dr Nienke Endenburg
Could you briefly summarize your career?
Actually, I originally wanted to be a veterinarian but, at that time there was a ‘lottery’ system to get into vet school in the Netherlands and I didn’t get a place. Instead, I studied human psychology at the University of Utrecht. I later joined the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine to study for my PhD in the human-animal bond.
Today, I teach and carry out research in areas relating to One Welfare. These include, for instance, Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) and veterinary forensics. I am also the coordinator of the Veterinary Forensic Expert Centre. In addition, I support 3 three PhD students. Two of them are working with veterans suffering with PTSD – one with a dog and the other with horses. The third student is studying veterinary forensic radiology.
horizontal
Obviously veterinary wellness is already a concern. From your experience, what effect has the pandemic had?
COVID-19 has certainly not made life any easier! Research shows that many people have turned to companion animals for support because they were unable to have much social contact with people. This means veterinary teams have become even busier while working under COVID-19 restrictions. Meanwhile, many of them have also had to deal with difficulties in their personal lives, including sick family members, lockdowns and home schooling.
What have you found most challenging about the changes the pandemic has caused to your own work over the last 18 months and how have you supported your own wellbeing?
All of my teaching has moved online and, while it’s great that it’s possible, I don’t really like it. I prefer having real contact with students and discussing issues face to face. I have great colleagues too and really miss them and also miss travelling to meetings around the world.
Some of my colleagues and students have struggled with life online so I have been doing a lot of counselling. I have tried to keep some sort of rhythm in my own life and to take regular breaks. Sometimes it has worked but not always!
Do you have any tips for WSAVA members keen to improve their wellbeing?
The first step is to realize that your own health and wellbeing is very important. It is great to care about animals and their owners. But if you don’t take care of yourself, long-term, you may not be able to care about others. Being a vet or a vet nurse/tech is a great job, but it is also a difficult one and family or friends sometimes don’t realize this. It can sometimes to be difficult to explain when everyone thinks you cuddle puppies all day for a living!
full
What do you do outside work to relax?
I live in the countryside and I love to ride my horses and watch my animals. Being in the forest helps me to relax. I also enjoy listening to music. And, once COVID-19 is under control in the Netherlands, I’m looking forward to holding a BBQ for friends and family!
Find out more about the PWG’s other members
https://wsava.org/committees/professional-wellness-group/
icon-users
left
4