Schwartz Rounds for Veterinary Practices & Training Programs
The emotional range of veterinary work — from an animal’s first visit to a family’s last goodbye — is part of what makes it meaningful, and part of what makes it hard. The Schwartz Rounds® program gives teams a regular, facilitated space to reflect on that experience together. Sessions are led by Schwartz Center-trained facilitators and built around stories and themes that resonate across roles, strengthening the connections that help people stay grounded in compassionate care.
Veterinary work asks a lot of people emotionally. In a single shift, a team might welcome a new puppy, navigate a difficult diagnosis, and guide a family through euthanasia — then do it all over again. That emotional range, layered with long hours, high client expectations, and the weight of ethical decisions, takes a real toll.
The numbers reflect what many already feel:
The consequences go beyond individual well-being: burnout reduces quality and safety, drives staff turnover, and erodes client trust.
The Solution: The Schwartz Rounds Program
The Schwartz Rounds program has a 30-year track record in human healthcare, with strong evidence of reduced stress, improved teamwork, and greater compassion.⁵ Veterinary pilot programs are yielding similar findings:
These early findings underscore the potential of the program to transform veterinary workplace culture.
Veterinary pilot programs show:
90%+
found the discussions relevant to their work.
92%
said the program improved collaboration across roles.
94%
would recommend the program to their colleagues.⁶
Benefits of the Schwartz Rounds Program for Veterinary Practices
More than 100 research studies on the program have shown significant benefits in healthcare organizations, which are translatable to veterinary practices. By adopting the Schwartz Rounds program, practices can:
The Business Case
Turnover rates in veterinary medicine average 20–23% annually, and replacing a single veterinarian can cost practices significantly in recruitment and lost productivity.²,⁷ Burnout is also associated with higher risks of medical error, reduced efficiency, and diminished client loyalty.²
By engaging in Schwartz Rounds, veterinary leaders signal a commitment to their people, protecting staff and supporting the client relationship.
Lead with Compassion
Veterinary medicine depends on compassion: for animals, their owners, and each other. The Schwartz Rounds program brings that compassion inward, ensuring that caregivers themselves feel heard, supported, and valued.
If your organization is interested in joining our healthcare community, please complete the brief inquiry form and a Schwartz Center staff member will get back to you with next steps.
Additional Resources
How does attendance at Schwartz Rounds affect veterinary professionals’ experience in clinical practice? — A qualitative study of veterinary professionals found that attending Schwartz Rounds sessions fostered compassion, psychological safety, and stronger colleague relationships. The findings suggest the Schwartz Rounds program can meaningfully improve workplace culture and well-being in veterinary clinical settings.
Schwartz Rounds sessions: supporting the emotional wellbeing of veterinary professionals in clinical practice — This editorial by Laura Golding of the Schwartz Center contextualizes a study on the Schwartz Rounds program in veterinary practice, tracing the model’s origins and explaining how it works, before summarizing emerging research showing that the format translates effectively into veterinary settings and supports staff wellbeing and workplace culture.
References
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