Leading With Empathy
Like so many in the veterinary field, Bridget Rollins, Thrive Pet Healthcare’s Vice President of Operations for the West Region, says animal care has always been in her DNA.
“As a young child, I remember that I used to “treat” bugs that I found in the backyard with my own homemade medical kit,” said Bridget. “At the age of 12, I started showing dogs in both conformation and obedience trials. I was so passionate about animal care that adult members in my dog training group used to sneak me into the local humane society on the weekend just so I could help clean the cages and feed the dogs.”
Bridget has now worked in the veterinary industry for nearly three decades, playing the role of CSR, kennel attendant, technician, and ICU nurse, in addition to working in university veterinary medicine, laboratory diagnostics, and operations.
Now, she’s working toward completing her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, with her dissertation focused on the high rates of suicide within the veterinary profession.
"I hope to help educate the veterinary community and begin to remove the taboo from this subject, so we can start to formulate solutions."
Choosing a career in the veterinary industry often stems from an innate, empathetic drive to help animals in need, but as the Emotional, Personality and Altruism Research Group found, there are links between empathy, depression, and stressful life conditions in various populations, including people in helping professions like veterinary service.
Additionally, an imbalance between work and life has been correlated with anxiety and depression, which can lead to feelings of hopelessness and suicidal ideation.
Finding Strength in Fragility
“It’s truly a passion project for me, as I am a survivor of suicidal ideation,” said Bridget.
“My aspiration for my research focus is twofold. First, I hope to educate our community about these self-inflicted fatalities and encourage others to become more comfortable talking about these sensitive issues. Secondly, I hope to contribute to the literature to provide a foundation for those scholars who come after me, to start to formulate solutions that will end the loss of our peers within the veterinary community.”
The topic of suicide carries with it a strong taboo, and people are generally uncomfortable speaking on the issue. Bridget shared that when she mentions her past battles with this silent disease and/or dissertation focus, it can silence a room.
People often don’t know how to respond, which is part of the problem. As a result of this discomfort and even embarrassment, those experiencing mental fatigue and/or suicidal thoughts don’t know where to turn for help, particularly within the veterinary profession.
Accepting Support
Thrive Pet Healthcare is working to normalize the conversation around suicide and mental health, helping to promote awareness around the challenges veterinary professionals face every day.
Each team member across our network has access to key resources to help them recognize the signs of crisis, access in-the-moment support, and nurture long-term wellbeing:
A veterinary-specific Employee Assistance Program that offers support from people who know the challenges veterinary professionals and practices face
Counseling and therapy sessions covered under team member insurance plans
Free QPR Gatekeeper Certification, a training that provides tangible tools for supporting someone in immediate crisis
Opportunities for team members to grow their self-care toolkits through workshops and training on emotional intelligence, positive feedback strategies, and critical conflict resolution skills
We're committed to continuing to invest in the total wellbeing of our team members and ensuring they feel seen, heard, and supported.
For more information about life at Thrive and the resources available to all of team members, visit our
Careers page.
