Culture of Care in Action
Together for Welbeing and Science.
Because true progress requires not only professional and interdisciplinary expertise, but also the strength that comes from mutual support.
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My mission: to foster a visible and active Culture of Care – for the wellbeing of both humans and animals.
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Culture of Care - the term and the way
No one is allowed to inflict pain, suffering or harm on animals without a reasonable cause (§1 TierSchG). No other human-animal relationships seems to be in such conflict with our moral convictions about the worthiness of protecting animals as in animal research. With the revision of the directive on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (2010/63/EU), animal welfare considerations should be given the highest priority in the context of animal housing, breeding and use in the sense of a positive Culture of Care (CoC) (Art. 26 2010/63/EU).
The term Culture of Care originates from the Anglo-Saxon area of nursing and medicine. A CoC stands for all jointly developed values and patterns of an organisation and reflects the quality of the care they provide. Conducting animal experiments or the public stigmatization of animal research as cruel and dirty can lead to individual psychological stress and ethical conflict situations in all professional groups (see also: versuchstierkunde kompakt).
Safeguarding the wellbeing of the person to be cared for and equally the wellbeing of the person providing care (staff wellbeing) have the same priority in a CoC. Hence, if we agree to use animals for research in principle, our scientific community must commit to promote animal wellbeing, staff wellbeing, ensure research quality and transparency (communication) with the upmost priority. With this mindset and its practical implementation, we establish an ethical standard for well-being and excellent research. In doing so, we carry responsibility for both animals and humans. Guided by this principle, we can meet our requirements for animal welfare and research – and continuously adapt them.
If we want to achieve and ensure the highest possible level of animal welfare, we need people who are particularly caring, compassionate, and empathetic. Yet, these very individuals face a higher risk of suffering in the long term from physical and psychological work-related strain. Without appropriate intervention strategies, such suffering can lead to the phenomenon of Compassion Fatigue. Compassion Fatigue is described as a state of physical and mental exhaustion, which not only reduces one’s quality of life but also diminishes work performance – potentially leading to incapacity for work (Ref.1-6).
Mental health and well-being in the workplace ensure satisfaction and joy, animal welfare, and research quality. This is why I have further specialized in the field of healthy work environments (see references section). Together for wellbeing and research. To achieve this, we need not only professional and interdisciplinary expertise, but also the opportunity to grow through mutual support.
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My goal: to advance a visible and active Culture of Care – for both humans and animals. For me, it is therefore a personal commitment not only to address work-related emotional strain, but also to accompany and support it professionally and proactively. Interested? Feel free to contact me for a free initial consultation.
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Through my Meet, Greet & Learn Hub, I provide a professional meeting point for everyone involved in animal research. Here, wellbeing, ethics, law, research quality, and resilience are not just topics of discussion – they are translated into practice: learning, shaping, strengthening, and growing together. Curious how this works? Learn more here.
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References:
1. Cocker and Joss, 2016, PMID 27338436
2. Ferrara 2020, versuchstierkunde kompakt
3. LaFollete et al. 2020, PMID 32195275
4. Murray et al., 2020, PMID 33330693
5. Randall et al., 2021, PMID 33028460
6. Ferrara et al., 2022. PMID 35758270
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