Medical Nursing Podcast | CPD for Veterinary Nurses

In episode 108 of the medical nursing podcast, we're looking at a set of diseases we see all too often - feline lower urinary tract diseases. Now I say diseases, plural, deliberately - because thinking of FLUTD as a spectrum of diseases, rather than a standalone condition itself, is one of the most important shifts we can make in how we approach it.  I'm going to be bringing you the need-to-know information from the 2025 iCatCare consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of lower urinary tract diseases in cats, AND some really useful information from the 2024 AAFP intercat tension guidelines, because as you'll see, the two are far more connected than you might expect. Over the next half an hour or so, we'll discuss how and why FLUTD occurs, how to stabilise and support obstructed patients, how to nurse cats with lower urinary disease, and how we can do more to support these patients long-term, both in and out of the hospital. There's far more we can do with these patients than we might think, and by the end of this episode, you'll feel more confident managing these patients, and able to put more of your skills to use. iCatCare Lower Urinary Disease Guidelines: 📲 https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X241309176  AAFP Intercat Tension Guidelines: 📲 https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X241263465 --- Looking for medical nursing CPD? 📲 Get unlimited CPD inside the Library Club: http://vimn.thrivecart.com/libraryclub/ 📲 Snag a webinar from the on-demand library: https://www.veterinaryinternalmedicinenursing.com/veterinary-education-webinar-library  --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode: http://www.veterinaryinternalmedicinenursing.com/podcast  📲 Follow me on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/vetinternalmedicinenursing  🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing: http://www.veterinaryinternalmedicinenursing.com  --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

In episode 107 of the Medical Nursing Podcast we're talking about probably the most common and frustrating nursing issue we encounter… but the most rewarding to fix - inappetent cats. You know the ones - the ones who just won't eat despite you having tried almost every flavour, texture and variety of food, in every type of bowl, warmed, not warmed, where you've pretended to eat it first, and practically begged them. And being cats, they've just given you the 'look' and turned away. I've been there, we've all been there, and we've all been frustrated by it. So what can we do about it? The evidence is clear that inappetence is something needing prompt and careful management, and we've now got clinical guidelines to help us with this. So sit back, grab a cuppa and together we'll break down the 2022 ISFM Consensus Guidelines on Management of the Hospitalised Inappetent Cat, helping you get more of these patients eating, and use more of your skills while you're at it. ISFM Consensus Guidelines on Managing the Inappetent Hospitalised Cat: 📲 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1098612X221106353  --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Get unlimited CPD inside the Library Club: http://vimn.thrivecart.com/libraryclub/ 📲 Snag a webinar from the on-demand library: https://www.veterinaryinternalmedicinenursing.com/veterinary-education-webinar-library  --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode: http://www.veterinaryinternalmedicinenursing.com/podcast  📲 Follow me on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/vetinternalmedicinenursing  🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing: http://www.veterinaryinternalmedicinenursing.com  --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

In episode 106 of the Medical Nursing Podcast we're diving into the 2021 AAHA Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, so you can focus on giving great care to your inappetent patients in practice, confidently, while using more of your skills. Why? Because I promise you, there is so much more we can do to truly champion nutrition for all of our patients - and by the end of this episode, you're going to see how massive a role we play as nurses and technicians in this. If you feel like there's more you could be doing to support your inappetant patients, or feel like placing feeding tubes is something you don't do enough, then this episode is for you.  Resources mentioned in this article: 📲 https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/WSAVA-Global-Nutrition-Toolkit-English.pdf 📲 https://jaaha.kglmeridian.com/view/journals/aaha/57/4/article-p153.xml --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Snag a webinar from the on-demand library --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

Diabetic patients are some of the most nursing-intensive cases we see… and there are LOTS of ways we can support them. In episode 105 of the podcast we're talking about the 2025 iCatCare consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus in cats.  I'm giving you the need-to-know information from the most up-to-date evidence on feline diabetes that we have, so you can give better care to your patients, confidently, without feeling like you need to swallow a textbook to do it. ALIVE diabetic clinical score: 📲 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023322001253 --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Snag a webinar from the on-demand library --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

Seizures are probably the most common neurological issue we see in practice, and they can be one of the most daunting conditions to nurse (and be incredibly stressful to witness).  Thankfully, though, there's lots we can do to support these patients as veterinary nurses and technicians. To do this, we need to understand a bit more about what seizures are, why they happen, the impact they have on our patients, and how they're managed - as well as the nursing care these patients need, and the skills we can use in the process. That's exactly what we're covering in episode 104 of the Medical Nursing Podcast. Join me, Laura Jones (RVN, VTS Internal Medicine) and resident neuro expert Zoe Hatfield (RVN, VTS Neurology) as we discuss exactly what you need to know to care for these patients confidently as a veterinary nurse. Settle in, make yourself comfy, and get ready to do more with your seizure patients. --- About Zoe: Zoe qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2012. After spending her first year as a RVN working in first opinion practice, she moved to referral joining the University of Glasgow Small Animal Hospital nursing team in 2013.  Since joining the nursing team, Zoe has developed her passion for neurology and in 2019 gained the VTS certificate in Neurology.  Working within the vet school she enjoys using her extensive experience in neurology to teach and educate students and newer members of staff.  She also presents CPD on a wide variety of neurological topics, including at BSAVA Alba, ExcelCPD, VetTrust, AIMVT and BVA Live. Watch Zoe's excelCPD webinar series here. --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 🖥️ Grab the free webinar, podcast AND resource library access 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.

Fluid therapy is one of those things we do every single day in practice.  We hang the bag, we set the rate, we check the pump, we monitor the patient. It feels routine - maybe even safe. But the reality is this: fluids are a drug, with complications and contraindications just like any other. They are not 'just supportive care.' They are pharmacologically active solutions that can either help our patients recover, or contribute to complications if we don't use them in the right way. So in this episode of the Medical Nursing Podcast, I'm breaking down the most recent AAHA fluid therapy guidelines - giving you all the need-to-know information so you can give great care to patients receiving IV fluids, and hopefully busting a few fluid therapy myths while we're at it. --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Snag a webinar from the on-demand library --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

There's a lot to think about when it comes to stabilising, treating and nursing cats and dogs with inflammatory CNS disease. But luckily, we've got a guest with us today to guide us through it! In episode 102 of the Medical Nursing Podcast I'm delighted to be joined once again by Zoe Hatfield who is bringing us her expertise on nursing neuro patients! Zoe is a neurology RVN and a Veterinary Technician Specialist in neurology, working at Glasgow University's Small Animal Hospital. In this episode, Zoe is giving us the lowdown on a surprisingly common neurological condition and one that has a significant impact on our patients - and that's meningioencephalomyelitis of unknown origin, or MUO. These patients are often critically unwell and need intensive nursing care, meaning there are lots of ways we can put our skills to good use and advocate for our patients in the process - and that's exactly what you'll be able to do confidently after this episode! --- About Zoe: Zoe qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2012. After spending her first year as a RVN working in first opinion practice, she moved to referral joining the University of Glasgow Small Animal Hospital nursing team in 2013.  Since joining the nursing team, Zoe has developed her passion for neurology and in 2019 gained the VTS certificate in Neurology.  Working within the vet school she enjoys using her extensive experience in neurology to teach and educate students and newer members of staff.  She also presents CPD on a wide variety of neurological topics, including at BSAVA Alba, ExcelCPD, VetTrust, AIMVT and BVA Live. Watch Zoe's excelCPD webinar series here. --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 🖥️ Grab the free webinar, podcast AND resource library access 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

In episode 101 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, join Zoe Hatfield (RVN, VTS in Neurology) and Laura Jones (RVN, VTS in Internal Medicine) as they discuss one of the most common neurological disorders seen in practice: intervertebral disc disease! There's so much more to the spinal patient than first meets the eye - and Zoe is here to share her expertise and break all of that down for us. Despite the many causes of IVDD, the impact on our patient is the same - they require intensive nursing care to recover. Luckily, that's where we step in and shine, with lots of skills we can use in the process. We're discussing all of those skills today, so you can feel confident nursing your spinal patients! --- About Zoe: Zoe qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2012. After spending her first year as a RVN working in first opinion practice, she moved to referral joining the University of Glasgow Small Animal Hospital nursing team in 2013.  Since joining the nursing team, Zoe has developed her passion for neurology and in 2019 gained the VTS certificate in Neurology.  Working within the vet school she enjoys using her extensive experience in neurology to teach and educate students and newer members of staff.  She also presents CPD on a wide variety of neurological topics, including at BSAVA Alba, ExcelCPD, VetTrust, AIMVT and BVA Live. Watch Zoe's excelCPD webinar series here. --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 🖥️ Grab the free webinar, podcast AND resource library access 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

For the 100th episode of the Medical Nursing Podcast, the tables are turned. Instead of leading the conversation, I hand the microphone to Cat, a registered veterinary nurse and Medical Nursing Academy student, who interviews me about career identity, internal medicine nursing, advocacy, and what the future of the profession could look like. This episode is a celebration of far more than hitting 100 episodes. It reflects on how our nursing careers evolve, how our confidence is built through experience, and why we play such a vital (and often underestimated) role in internal medicine. I hope you enjoy this honest, vulnerable and reflective conversation, and that it helps you, no matter where you are in your veterinary nursing career. --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 🖥️ Grab the free webinar, podcast AND resource library access 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

In episode 99 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, join Zoe Hatfield (RVN, VTS in Neurology) and Laura Jones (RVN, VTS in Internal Medicine) as they discuss one of the most common neurological disorders seen in practice: Myasthenia gravis, or MG. MG is a disorder of the neuromuscular junction causing significant weakness, megaoesophagus, regurgitation, aspiration and recumbency - and these patients need INTENSIVE nursing care to recover.  We're breaking down exactly what MG is, how it impacts our patients, and the skills we can use when caring for them, in this episode. --- About Zoe: Zoe qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2012. After spending her first year as a RVN working in first opinion practice, she moved to referral joining the University of Glasgow Small Animal Hospital nursing team in 2013.  Since joining the nursing team, Zoe has developed her passion for neurology and in 2019 gained the VTS certificate in Neurology.  Working within the vet school she enjoys using her extensive experience in neurology to teach and educate students and newer members of staff.  She also presents CPD on a wide variety of neurological topics, including at BSAVA Alba, ExcelCPD, VetTrust, AIMVT and BVA Live. Watch Zoe's excelCPD webinar series here. --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 🖥️ Grab the free webinar, podcast AND resource library access 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

In episode 98 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, join Zoe Hatfield (RVN, VTS in Neurology) and Laura Jones (RVN, VTS in Internal Medicine) as they chat about the neurological system - how it works, what we need to know as veterinary nurses, and what happens when it goes wrong. Whether you're revising for an exam, brushing up on your skills ahead of seeing a neurological patient, or just want to get nerdy, you'll leave this episode feeling more confident about managing neurological cases. --- About Zoe: Zoe qualified as a registered veterinary nurse in 2012. After spending her first year as a RVN working in first opinion practice, she moved to referral joining the University of Glasgow Small Animal Hospital nursing team in 2013.  Since joining the nursing team, Zoe has developed her passion for neurology and in 2019 gained the VTS certificate in Neurology.  Working within the vet school she enjoys using her extensive experience in neurology to teach and educate students and newer members of staff.  She also presents CPD on a wide variety of neurological topics, including at BSAVA Alba, ExcelCPD, VetTrust, AIMVT and BVA Live. Watch Zoe's excelCPD webinar series here. --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 🖥️ Grab the free webinar, podcast AND resource library access 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

Episode 97 of the Medical Nursing Podcast gives you the action steps you need to start actually doing more and using more of your skills as a veterinary nurse. Because while it's one thing to talk about what needs to change, it's another to talk about what you can actually do, on shift, with your patients. So today I want to talk about the ways every single veterinary nurse can do more with their medical inpatients, regardless of where you work, your job title, whether you're qualified or not, or how long you've been qualified. My goal is that you'll leave this episode with a renewed sense of what 'doing more' CAN look like, and how to start making that happen in practice - ready to make 2026 your best professional year yet. --- Ways to learn together in 2026: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Grab a webinar from the Academy On-Demand Library 📲 Enrol in the Foundation Award in Medical Nursing --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

Join me for our unofficial 2025 Wrapped!  In this episode of the Medical Nursing Podcast we'll take a look back at what's happened across the profession this year, what the evidence about our role and skills is telling us, what it actually means for us as veterinary nurses and technicians, and why I'm ending this year feeling more hopeful about our role and more determined for our future than ever. If you're ready to step into 2026 feeling inspired, valued, and speaking up for your skills, this is an episode you won't want to miss. --- Want the studies I mentioned this episode? You'll find all the links and resources on the website here. --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Join me for our next live webinar --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

In episode 95 of the Medical Nursing Podcast we wrap up our toxicology series with a true emergency and one of the most dramatic, challenging and emotional conditions: inhalation of smoke, thermal and chemical airway injury in our feline and canine patients.  Managing fire-injury is so much more than 'just' dealing with smoke inhalation, and these patients can be challenging to nurse, since their disease is often much worse than it initially seems. These patients need intensive respiratory support, monitoring and nursing care, which means that as well as challenging to manage, they're incredibly rewarding, and provide us with lots of nursing opportunities to make a difference. So in this episode, we'll discuss what happens when our patients become fire-injured, the common complications we see, and the nursing our patients need to recover successfully. You'll leave this episode feeling much more confident about managing these patients, and with some new skills ready to put to use with your next case. --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Join me for the next live webinar: IV access 101, how to hit those tricky veins! --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

In this episode, we're nearing the end of our toxicology series with a look at the common household hazards our patients ingest, and how to care for those patients confidently. Household hazards are something we see often - especially in my line of work, where things like caustic chemical ingestion or battery ingestion cause severe GI signs (or worse) needing intensive management. From fluid therapy, to nutrition, to analgesia, GI support and more, our role in caring for these patients cannot be overlooked. Today, we'll take a closer look at toxicosis from things like household cleaners, corrosive agents, alcohols and essential oils. We'll discuss the impact they have on our patients, and the nursing support these patients need. --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Join me for the next live webinar: IV access 101, how to hit those tricky veins! --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

In episode 93 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're continuing our miniseries on toxicology with some of the common pesticide poisonings we see - specifically anticoagulant rodenticide, metaldehyde and organophosphate toxicity. These common pesticides and biotoxins cause severe, often life-threatening signs in our patients, and as veterinary nurses and technicians, we're often the ones responsible for advising our clients, triaging and stabilising these patients, and providing intensive nursing care as they recover. And to do that well, we need to understand exactly how these toxins affect our patients, the complications and clinical signs they cause, and the treatment and nursing care these patients need. Which is exactly what we're covering in this episode. --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Join me for the next live webinar: IV access 101, how to hit those tricky veins! --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

Today we're continuing our toxicology mini-series with another group of very common, and often very critical, toxins - human medications. There are a whole host of different medication toxicities we see, and in this episode I'm going to walk you through 4 big ones: paracetamol toxicity in cats, NSAID toxicity in both cats and dogs, inhaler ingestion or overdose, and ingestion of antidepressants and ADHD medications. These patients also need a whole host of nursing support. We're essential in the management of these cases, where prompt triage and stabilisation is vital, as is intensive monitoring. To do that confidently, we need to understand how each of these toxins impact our patients, and the signs we see as a result - so we can spot them, and care for the patient accordingly - and that's exactly what you'll find in this episode.  --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Join me for the next live webinar: IV access 101, how to hit those tricky veins! --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

I'm willing to bet that most people listening have seen a dietary toxin case at some point in their career. Dogs especially have a knack for raiding bins, cupboards, and kitchen counters. Thankfully most cases we see are mild, but they can be life-threatening and need intensive monitoring and nursing care.  But what happens when our patients ingest these toxins? What signs do we see, and what nursing care do these patients need? Well, it varies depending on the toxin - but it's often intensive. Today, we'll focus on three big dietary toxins: chocolate, grapes, and tremorgenic mycotoxins. We'll talk about how they affect our patients, the signs to look out for, and how to treat and nurse these patients effectively. So you can spend less time on the phone to the poisons helpline, and more time caring for your patients. --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Join me for the next live webinar: IV access 101, how to hit those tricky veins! --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

In episode 90 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're starting a brand new mini-series on toxicology. Whether you work in general practice, referral medicine, or out of hours, you'll encounter these patients often - and spoiler alert: our role is so much more than holding a litter tray under a patient whilst the apomorphine kicks in. Our role in managing toxin ingestion cases is vast, whether that involves providing advice to caregivers who are concerned, monitoring a patient exhibiting active signs of toxicity, or managing critically ill patients on CRIs or receiving ventilation. And with all of this, of course, there are tons of practical skills we get to use in the process. To start things off, this episode will give you all the information you need on toxicology triage and decontamination. We'll chat through pre-visit advice and how to get the information you need from your caregivers, when these patients should be seen, and what decontamination strategies we have (as well as which toxins to use them with). You'll leave the episode feeling ready to triage and stabilise your toxicity cases - and then across the next few weeks, we'll take a closer look at the specific toxins commonly affecting our patients. --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Join me for the next live webinar: IV access 101, how to hit those tricky veins! --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.  

In this episode, we're looking at another less common, but really challenging disease to care for - tetanus infection in dogs and cats. The first tetanus case I ever saw was as a locum nurse at an out-of-hours hospital. The vet and I are examining this dog, who was starting to become stiff and had the classic tetanus grin, knowing we needed to refer them ASAP before things got a lot worse. And now that I'm in referral practice, I see the other side of this. I see our ICU nurses working tirelessly to support these patients, using countless skills in the process, and making all the difference in how these patients recover. Caused by the neurotoxin-producing bacterium Clostridium tetani, this disease might be uncommon, but it's life-threatening, and it needs early recognition, aggressive management, and really intensive nursing to give patients the best chance of survival. But to do that well, we need to understand how tetanus affects our patients, and the interventions they need to recover - and that's exactly what we're talking about today. --- BRAND NEW ways to learn with me: 📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club 📲 Join me for the next live webinar: IV access 101, how to hit those tricky veins! --- More free ways to learn with me: 📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode 📲 Follow me on Instagram 🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing --- This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.