Veterinarian Perception of Professional Conduct

In the Literature

Huang Q, Van Gelderen I. How do Australian veterinarians perceive professional conduct in their profession? Aust Vet J. 2025;103(1-2):66-72. doi:10.1111/avj.13400

The Research …

Veterinarians are expected to act professionally, with professionalism/professional identity recognized as a key domain of veterinary competence¹; however, little research exists on how practicing veterinarians perceive professionalism.

In this study, a convenience sample of 98 veterinarians in Australia were surveyed on their perceived importance of professional conduct statements based on standards listed in the Australian Veterinary Association’s code of professional conduct.² The statement with the highest mean score of perceived importance was veterinarians must hold the health, welfare, and respectful treatment of animals as a key concern. The statement with the lowest mean score of perceived importance was veterinarians must base their recommendations and decisions on the need to uphold the public trust in the profession.

Female respondents were >2 times more likely than male respondents to attribute importance to the statements veterinarians must seek further education, advice, assistance, or referral where appropriate and veterinarians must understand and comply with the law. Respondents 24 to 40 years of age were 4.5 times more likely to attribute importance to the statement veterinarians must attend to their own health and well-being than those aged 60 to 80 years of age; conversely, participants 60 to 80 years of age were >3 times more likely than those 24 to 40 years of age to attribute importance to the statement veterinarians must take personal responsibility for the good reputation and integrity of the veterinary profession.

Midcareer veterinarians were >3 times more likely than early-career veterinarians to attribute importance to the statement veterinarians must understand the regulatory framework that they operate in. There were no differences in perceived importance of statements among veterinarians working in different types of practice within the profession.

… The Takeaways

Key pearls to put into practice:

• Veterinarians find meaning and purpose in veterinary codes of conduct.³ These documents should thus be carefully worded to align with values of veterinary professionals.

• Most veterinarians believe animal welfare is, or should be, the main concern of veterinary professionals. Conditions (eg, pet owner demands, clinic policies) that require prioritization of other factors at the expense of animal welfare can cause tension between one’s professional identity and professional role, possibly leading to role or career attrition.⁴

• In this study, perceived importance of different aspects of professionalism varied by respondent gender and career stage. This may reflect evolving veterinary curricula (eg, increased emphasis on veterinarian health and well-being, systemic well-being initiatives).⁵ Differing understanding of professionalism may be a source of diverging assessment of professional behavior, performance, or even conflict. It may therefore be helpful for veterinarians to articulate their own understanding of professionalism and consider how this aligns with or differs from beliefs of colleagues.

• Veterinarians are trained to be omnicompetent, potentially leading to unrealistic expectations of one’s competence. Seeking help should be normalized for all veterinarians and framed as collaborative, team-based care to help remove stigma and manage uncertainty.⁶