Prevalence and impact of grief among student veterinary nurses: A cross-sectional study

The veterinary profession exposes employees to potentially multiple deaths a day. Student veterinary nurses can experience patient loss from their first year of training. This study explores grief in student veterinary nurses in the UK and examines if there is an association between their Adult Attitude to Grief Scale (AAGS) scores and their recognition of grief.

This cross-sectional study used a survey incorporating the AAGS to determine whether the participants were suffering from grief. They were then asked whether they felt supported by both their academic institution and training practice.

Survey responses indicated that all of the 330 student veterinary nurses participating in the study had suffered from grief, yet only 89.1% (294/330) believed that they had experienced grief. Furthermore, 83% (274/330) felt supported by their institution, and 82.4% (272/330) felt supported by their practice. There was a statistically significant relationship between the recognition of grief and AAGS scores.

This was a student project, and financial and time constraints led to smaller sample sizing, which meant that the study was underpowered for statistical analysis.

This study's findings indicate that student veterinary nurses are affected by grief and need further training and support. This small population of the veterinary industry could reflect a wider issue within veterinary professionals.