With the aim to assess levels of burnout and work engagement in junior veterinarians and identify predictors of burnout and work engagement in male and female veterinarians, 1760 veterinarians who had graduated in The Netherlands between 1999 and 2009, received an electronic questionnaire. Veterinarians numbering 860 (73 per cent females) participated. Levels of exhaustion, cynicism and work engagement were significantly lower compared to the norm group (a random sample of the Dutch working population). Male veterinarians were less exhausted and more engaged than female veterinarians. Exhaustion decreased over the years. Job demands positively related to exhaustion were work‐home interference and workload. Job resources positively related to work engagement were opportunities for professional development and skills discretion (ie, the ability to use and develop skills on the job. Personal resources explained more of the variance in work engagement of female and male veterinarians (31 per cent and 42 per cent) than of the variance in exhaustion (19 per cent and 21 per cent) and cynicism (19 per cent and 10 per cent). Personal resources positively related to work engagement were self‐efficacy and proactive behaviour. Relative importance analysis revealed differences between men and women in the importance of various job demands, job resources and personal resources in explaining burnout and engagement in young veterinary professionals.

This study examines the role of three personal resources (i.e., proactive behaviour, reflective behaviour, and self-efficacy) in the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model in order to predict self and other ratings of performance. The sample consisted of 860 Dutch veterinary professionals and 170 colleagues. We hypothesized and found that work engagement mediates the relationship between job as well as personal resources and extrarole performance and the relationship between job resources and work engagement. Although hypothesized, we found no support for the mediating role of exhaustion in the relationship between job demands as well as personal resources and inrole performance. Moreover personal resources were directly related to in- and extrarole performance. In conclusion, the study expands the JD-R model by integrating personal resources at a behavioural level and performance measures in the model, and shows that personal resources have a mediating and initiating role in explaining work engagement and performance in young veterinary professionals.

Research shows that students experience substantial levels of burnout during their studies. This study explores the role of personal demands on students’ well-being. After providing a conceptualization of personal demands, we examined the role of personal demands in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. Based on the Transactional Model of Stress, we hypothesized that students with high personal demands experience more burnout symptoms because they perceive more elements in their study as demanding (i.e., mediation hypothesis). At the same time, we hypothesized that the associations between study demands and burnout might be stronger for students with high versus low personal demands (i.e., moderation hypothesis). In order to test both hypotheses, we collected data from 578 master students. The data were analyzed with latent moderation and mediation analyses in Mplus. The results showed that students’ personal demands predicted burnout symptoms via the perception of study demands. Personal demands did not moderate the relationship between study demands and burnout. The findings of the present study expand the JD-R model by indicating that personal demands relate to burnout symptoms via the perception of study demands. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Background: Student evaluations can help clinical teachers to reflect on their teaching skills and find ways to improve their teaching. Studies have shown that the mere presentation of student evaluations is not a sufficient incentive for teachers to critically reflect on their teaching. Aim: We evaluated and compared the effectiveness of two feedback facilitation strategies that were identical except for a peer reflection meeting. Method: In this study, 54 clinical teachers were randomly assigned to two feedback strategies. In one strategy, a peer reflection was added as an additional step. All teachers completed a questionnaire evaluating the strategy that they had experienced. We analysed the reflection reports and the evaluation questionnaire. Results: Both strategies stimulated teachers to reflect on feedback and formulate alternative actions for their teaching practice. The teachers who had participated in the peer reflection meeting showed deeper critical reflection and more concrete plans to change their teaching. All feedback strategies were considered effective by the majority of the teachers. Conclusions: Strategies with student feedback and self-assessment stimulated reflection on teaching and helped clinical teachers to formulate plans for improvement. A peer reflection meeting seemed to enhance reflection quality. Further research should establish whether it can have lasting effects on teaching quality.

The Job Demands‐Resources model (JD‐R model) was used as the theoretical basis of a tailormade questionnaire to measure the psychosocial work environment and personal resources of recently graduated veterinary professionals. According to the JD‐R model, two broad categories of work characteristics that determine employee wellbeing can be distinguished: job demands and job resources. Recently, the JD‐R model has been expanded by integrating personal resource measures into the model. Three semistructured group interviews with veterinarians active in different work domains were conducted to identify relevant job demands, job resources and personal resources. These demands and resources were organised in themes (constructs). For measurement purposes, a set of questions (‘a priori scale’) was selected from the literature for each theme. The full set of a priori scales was included in a questionnaire that was administered to 1760 veterinary professionals. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were conducted to arrive at the final set of validated scales (final scales). 860 veterinarians (73 per cent females) participated. The final set of scales consisted of seven job demands scales (32 items), nine job resources scales (41 items), and six personal resources scales (26 items) which were considered to represent the most relevant potential predictors of work‐related wellbeing in this occupational group. The procedure resulted in a tailormade questionnaire: the Veterinary Job Demands and Resources Questionnaire (Vet‐DRQ). The use of valid theory and validated scales enhances opportunities for comparative national and international research.

The early years in professional practice are for many veterinary and medical professionals a period of great challenges and consequently increased stress levels. Personal resources appear to have a positive impact on the course of this transition period. Personal resources are defined as developable systems of positive beliefs about one’s self and the world that are generally linked to resilience. They are negatively related to burnout and positively and reciprocally to job resources, work engagement and job performance. With the aim of enhancing personal resources of recently graduated veterinarians, a 1 year multi-modular resources development programme was designed. This study was conducted to analyse: ᅟ Quantitative study: Twenty-five participants and ten non-participants completed an online survey covering personal resources, job resources and work engagement at the start and finish of the programme. Results showed a significant increase of personal resources in participants for self-reported ratings of proactive behaviour (Effect Size =−0.4), self-efficacy (Effect Size =−0.6) and reflective behaviour (Effect Size =−0.6). Results of the control group were not significant, although some moderate effect sizes were found. Qualitative study: Additionally 16 semi-structured interviews with participants of the programme were taken 6 months after finishing the programme. Analysis of the interviews revealed that participants also developed other important personal resources namely self-acceptance, self-esteem, awareness of own influence and responsibility. The reflection process, which took place in the course of the programme, seemed to be a necessary step for the development of the other personal resources. According to participants of the resources development programme, the increase in personal resources also gave rise to an increase in job resources. The multi-modular resources development programme seems to support development of participants’ personal resources. Because personal resources are beneficial in improving well-being irrespective of where an individual starts working, it is important to give them explicit attention in educational settings.