Sustainability in the Veterinary Profession

This is a topic that we are hearing more and more on and it is not going to go away.  Whether you believe in climate change or not, which I guess is where all of the urgency has come from, the resources on this planet are finite and we are all using them in a fashion that sees the resources declining rather than in equilibirum. 

What I would like to do is start some debate here.  I am absolutely no expert on this stuff, but I have somehow got myself the position of sustainability champion at the Otago Polytechnic School of Veterniary Nursing and its seems I am also the one that won't shut up up about it as we develop the new quals. 

It will definitely make it into the course material for the diploma, but even at certificate level we need to be teaching with this in mind and we have been told by our leadership teaming adding it into assessment whether it is specifically stated in the unit standard or not. 

So what is a definition of sustainability?  I think this weblink gives a good definition:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability 

An another useful link given to me by our sustainability coordinator: http://www.phase2.org/documents/SSFNZ_web_310809.pdf

At the Otago Polytechnic School of Veterinary Nursing we have been looking at the approach of the environment, our personnel, and also the finances which are all part of a sustainable model.  For the last few years the focus has definitely been on our staff resources (and the effect on the students) and our financial resources.  As we all know all the providers are under significant financial pressure and staff are under significant workload pressures.  We feel we are winning the battle - we have a financially viable Schoolof Veteirnary Nursing, staff whose workloads are in the main part relatively under control and in both these we are reviewing them all the time to keep refining the improvements.  Happier more efficient staff producing better assessments also help improve the lot for the studnets too making the education we offer them better.  We must now turn our thoughts to the environmental costs.

How do you run an environmentally friendly vet clinic?  Is that where you stop or are you educating to help those we educate, continue to educate clients to be environmentally friendly pet owners and so on.  What about the large animal side - we need to raise the issues of sustainable farming and look at the big picture of the effects that everything we do have. 

You might be saying well what can our VNs and Techs do?  What can we do - we are small, the problem is very large.  Well the fact remains that as alwasy, everything begins in our own back yards and those we influence.  So yes we can all do something, at home and in our education role and our studnets can continue that.  One small step will make a difference.  Lots of small steps travel along way.  If your teaching can get a new VN to encourage the veterinary clinic to better sort their rubbish and buy a shredder so that the accounts and things with peoples addresses on can also be recycled, that is a simple small step.  So is encouraging the clinic to investigate effective environmentally firendly disoinfectants, make better choices for bedding and blankets in the clinic so mnore can fit in the washing machine and they don't need a drier to dry for example and these are just very small picture things.

And don't forget sustainability is financial and social too - so even if your provider has soreted that - the students are entering workplaces wher ein many cases this is far from sorted.  Staff work excessive hours with limited breaks and the bottom line is often marginal.  Soap box here but why are clinic open in town until 8pm everynight?  If at all GP surgeries have 1 late night a week and most don;t open saturdays.  Why are many vets working 12 hour days 5-6 days per week and getting paid a salary that reflects a 40 hour week.  This is only a few of the issues in these sectors that affect sustainability.  Sure our VNs and Techs can;t change the business ,model but subtle suggestions and feedback help the managers think differently. 

So lets not argue that we can;t do anything, we have a responsbility to our professions.  Lets use this blog to start recording things we know about sustainability and how we can ediucate our students to give the veterianry profession a leg up in the sustainability stakes. 

Looking forward to your posts!!!!