A Navigational Compass for Veterinary Professionalism
Integrating Stakeholder Perspectives to Guide Veterinary Care and Career Success
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22043672 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Stuart Gordon (0000-0002-7592-6428, St. George's University, corresponding author), Stuart John Galt Gordon (0000-0003-0878-0585, St. George's University, corresponding author), Heidi Janicke (0000-0003-1029-6477, St. George's University), Kaylee Bradberry (St. George's University), Jenny Weston (0000-0002-5926-2334, Massey University), Charlotte Bolwell (0000-0001-9995-8232, Massey University), Jackie Benschop (0000-0002-7814-4341, Massey University), Timothy Parkinson (Massey University), Dianne Gardner (0000-0003-0677-9548, Massey University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 316 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-14 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci16020316 |
| OpenAlex | W7128958774 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 34 |
Professionalism is central to veterinary practice, shaping not only the quality of care provided to animals but also the wellbeing of practitioners, the satisfaction of clients, and the sustainability of the profession. Prior research has catalogued various attributes of professionalism that are important for career success, but few studies have integrated these multiple perspectives into a cohesive framework. This study synthesizes insights from three key veterinary stakeholder groups—students, clinical practitioners, and clients—using a multi-methods approach including surveys, focus groups, critical incident interviews, and client complaint analyses. Across the datasets, ranking of Likert-scale responses and thematic analysis revealed four recurring themes that were identified as essential for career success: ‘Effective communication’; ‘Accountability, integrity, trustworthiness, and honesty’; ‘Personal wellbeing’; and ‘Quality of service’. These themes were organized into a unifying theoretical model of veterinary professionalism, conceptualized as a ‘navigational compass’, comprising three domains of care: patient-centered care, relationship-centered care, and self-care. By conceptualizing professionalism in terms of a compass, the model illustrates how veterinarians can draw on key professionalism attributes, coupled with consideration of the three domains of veterinary care, to navigate the challenges of practice and sustain long-term career success. The compass provides a reflective framework to guide veterinarians and educators, to support the integration of professionalism into curricula and to guide careers toward excellence in care and lasting personal fulfilment
Complaint · Curriculum · Excellence · Focus group · Stakeholder · Thematic analysis · Veterinary education · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Innovations in Medical Education · Veterinary Practice and Education Studies
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |