In this episode, I sit down with Kristin Lake, a credentialed veterinary technician with extensive experience in emergency and critical care, to talk about something that hits close to home for so many in our field — moral distress and moral injury in veterinary medicine.Kristin shares how these experiences often show up in practice, how they differ from burnout, and what leaders can do to help their teams process and prevent moral injury. We dig into real-life examples, the emotional toll of tough cases, and the importance of debriefing as a leadership tool — not just to support team wellbeing, but to build trust and psychological safety across the hospital.We also explore how financial constraints and systemic challenges contribute to moral injury, why technicians often carry a unique emotional weight, and how advocacy can be both empowering and exhausting.This is a powerful conversation for any leader who wants to understand the deeper “why” behind team fatigue — and learn how to lead through it with empathy, transparency, and action.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The difference between moral distress, moral injury, and burnoutHow moral injury shows up in day-to-day veterinary practiceThe role of leadership in recognizing and responding to team distressWhy debriefing after difficult cases builds trust and resilienceHow to navigate the emotional toll of financial and ethical constraintsPractical ways to create psychological safety within your teamEpisode Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Moral Distress in Veterinary Medicine00:24 Meet Kristin Lake: Expertise and Experience02:20 Understanding Moral Injury vs. Burnout04:00 Real-Life Examples of Moral Distress10:35 Impact on Team Dynamics and Leadership15:44 Addressing Moral Injury: Solutions and Strategies23:51 Building Trust and Accountability in Leadership26:58 The Role of Technicians in Advocacy28:15 Balancing Emotions in Professional Advocacy31:53 Addressing Financial Constraints in Veterinary Care37:41 The Importance of Psychological Safety41:14 Recommended Reading for Veterinary Professionals44:24 Final Thoughts and ResourcesConnect with Kristin:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinlake/Website: https://vetmedmathtutoring.com/🎧 Subscribe to Leading Veterinary Teams On Air for real talk, tactical tools, and conversations that challenge the old-school way of leading in vet med. If this episode resonates, share it with a colleague and leave a review — it helps more veterinary leaders find the show.