Risk factors associated with veterinary attrition from clinical practice: a descriptive study

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Workforce Sustainability
• Professional Attrition

Background:

• A sustainable veterinary workforce is crucial for meeting societal demands.
• Retention of veterinarians in clinical practice faces increasing challenges.
• Understanding factors influencing attrition is vital for workforce stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate associations between demographic/work-related factors and attrition from Australian veterinary clinical practice.
• To identify key drivers contributing to veterinarians leaving clinical roles.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional online survey of 881 current and former Australian veterinary clinicians.
• Logistic regression analysis to determine factors associated with attrition.
• Examined variables including salary, working hours, role, experience, field, regulatory interaction, region, and on-call duties.

Main Results:

• Lower salary, longer working hours, and on-call duties significantly increased the likelihood of leaving clinical practice.
• Veterinarians who worked in both rural and metropolitan regions showed a higher attrition rate.
• Significant associations (P < 0.05) were identified between specific factors and attrition.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight critical factors impacting veterinarian retention in clinical practice.
• Intervention strategies focusing on salary, working hours, and on-call responsibilities are recommended.
• Addressing these issues can help improve the sustainability of the veterinary workforce.