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Are you ready to level up your expertise in emergency and critical care?
The Advanced Nurse Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care is your gateway to mastering advanced concepts and practices. Building on your foundational knowledge, this comprehensive program dives deep into specialised subjects, including transfusion medicine and toxicology. Go beyond the basics and gain cutting-edge insights that will enhance your skills and boost your confidence in critical situations.
Join us on this journey to becoming a leader in emergency and critical care nursing.
Discover how to create an exceptional work environment in Emergency and Critical Care (ECC) that benefits you, your team, your patients, and your clients.
Our program features an engaging module on effective clinic management, which covers essential aspects such as physical, mental, and emotional well-being, continuous training and development, and mastering communication in high-pressure emergency scenarios.
This program is the only course in Australia and NZ that is accredited training for the Advanced Nurse Certificate (NAdvCert)/Advanced Veterinary Technician Certificate (VTAdvCert) in Emergency and Critical Care. These qualifications are awarded by the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS).
By completing the program content and ISVPS assessments, you will come away with your NAdvCert or VTAdvCert, meaning you can achieve an industry-recognised qualification while you study. Please note that ISVPS examination fees are not included in the course fees.
Although no pre-requisite is required to join this program and achieve its associated ISVPS qualification, it is strongly recommended that delegates considering enrolling have previously achieved an ISVPS NCert or VTCert in Emergency and Critical Care or have 5+ year’s experience as a Veterinary Nurse. Our Emergency and Critical Care Nursing Program is a prerequisite course for this program.
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Key Learning Objectives:
Differentiate between nutritional support protocols required to care for the ECC patient, including enteral and parenteral feeding techniques.
Investigate the factors that account for patient comfort in the ECC situation: pathology, environmental factors, and ethics.
Design nursing care bundles for neurological compromise in the ECC setting: inflammatory, infectious, neoplastic, and autoimmune.
Design nursing care bundles for cardiovascular compromise in the ECC setting: shock, sepsis, and trauma.
Critique different management strategies for a respiratory compromised patient: low flow oxygen, high flow oxygen, and CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure).
Design a nursing care bundle to manage a patient requiring mechanical ventilation.
Investigate infection control strategies in the ECC setting, ensuring safety of staff, patent, and client.
Tutor: Jessica Herley
In this live online webinar, the module author will delve deeper into a topic from the The Practical Approach to ECC Patient Management & Care module.
Tutor: Jessica Herley
Key Learning Objectives:
Revise the anatomy and physiology of haemostasis in the “normal” patient.
Differentiate between different pathophysiology of common haemostasis disorders: rodenticide intoxication, DIC, haemophilia, VWD, hyperfibrinolysis.
Appraise diagnostic techniques available to assess the bleeding patient: PCV, TP, blood smear, haematology, Pt& APTT, and viscoelastography.
Interpret results of these diagnostic tests, consider how to present these findings to the veterinary team.
Compare the different blood products used in the clinical setting.
Critique the different administration techniques available in the clinical setting.
Discuss the term “massive transfusion”, accounting for indications and complications.
Compare transfusion monitoring methods, accounting for signs of a potential transfusion reaction.
Critique “gold standard” blood product storage, including accessibility and limitations.
Describe what is meant by a transfusion “trigger point”, discuss how this may differ for the individual scenario/patient.
Judge the criteria for canine and feline blood donor selection in the UK.
Defend the ethical considerations involved in blood product collection, storage and usage in the clinical setting.
Tutor: Holly Witchell
In this online journal club, with the help of the module tutor, you will reflect upon and critique a recent peer-reviewed journal article on a transfusion medicine topic.
Tutor: Holly Witchell
Key Learning Objectives:
Design a protocol for performing a “toxin” triage for a patient suspected of toxin exposure.
Describe the principle of ADME (adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) to understand the toxicity principles.
Examine common toxins in the UK, including risks to the patient, care giver and clinical staff in the following categories: illicit drugs, plants, house & garden products, food products, and medications.
Discuss the different diagnostic tools that may be utilised to assess for toxin exposure.
Critique diagnostic tests used for a toxin exposure, considering how to present these to the veterinary team.
Develop emergent management strategies/decontamination techniques required for a patient following toxin exposure. Consider indications and complications.
Discuss ongoing/chronic management strategies needed following toxin exposure.
Assemble a “tox-box”: judge the application of the constituents.
Discuss the legal implications surrounding toxin exposure, referring to elicit drugs, imported plants/animals and malicious poisoning.
Tutor: Rachel Woolman
In this live online webinar, the module author will delve deeper into a topic from the Toxicology module.
Tutor: Rachel Woolman
Key Learning Objectives:
Evaluate the rational of staff pursuing a role in the ECC setting, referring to OOH and day working, compared to those working in a “traditional” practice setting.
Compare the role of a manager, leader and employee; considering the legal features and value each role has in the veterinary team.
Formulate a staffing structure for an ECC service in varied clinical settings.
Examine the risk factors that directly/indirectly affect physical, mental, and emotional health of ECC employees.
Design strategies to manage these health risk factors in the clinical environment, to include support and training available for all staff.
Appraise different techniques to approach/manage “difficult” interactions with colleagues and members of the public.
Discuss how mindfulness in the workplace can promote longevity of the clinical team.
Construct a continuous improvement plan to recognise training needs for the ECC team, to include implementation and assessment.
Investigate how coaching team members can promote lifelong continued professional development.
Differentiate between the professional organisations available to support all staff in the workplace, referring to what support they provide.
Tutor: Tom Smith
In this online journal club, with the help of the module tutor, you will reflect upon and critique a recent peer-reviewed journal article on a ‘professionalism in the ECC setting’ topic.
Tutor: Tom Smith
ECC/ICU Nurse Tom qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2004. In 2011 he began his role at Langford Vets as a rotational nurse and went on to become a core emergency and critical care/Intensive care nurse. He gained his Cert VN ECC (Certificate of Veterinary Nursing in Emergency & Critical Care) in 2014.In 2017 Tom gained status as an AVECCTN (Academy of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Technicians & Nurses) board certified VTS ECC (Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency & Critical Care). Since board certification Tom has mentored many AVECCTN certification candidates. Tom enjoys working in the intensive care unit providing high standard
Rachel qualified in 2012 with a First-class honours degree in Veterinary Nursing, from Middlesex University. She has since worked in a range of practices, including general practice, charity, referral and university, including a year abroad in Australia. It was here, working in the intensive care unit of Melbourne University Hospital, that she discovered her interest in emergency and critical care. In 2018, Rachel joined the Intensive Care team at Langford Vets Small Animal Hospital. Rachel passed the Vets Now Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care in 2019, with 3 distinctions. In September 2023, Rachel gained specialist status as an AVECCTN (Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians and Nurses) board-certified Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care (VTS ECC). Outside work, Rachel enjoys travel, being outdoors and walking in the mountains. She has a black and white long-haired cat called Arthur.
Jessica is a Veterinary Technician Specialist in emergency and critical care. Jessica’s main areas of interest include stabilisation of the emergency patient, to include management of the respiratory patient, patients in shock, anaesthesia for the critical patient & CPCR. Jessica also has an interest in human factors within veterinary medicine. When Jessica is not working, she enjoys spending time on her parent’s farm looking after their many animals, walking in the mountains and shopping!
Holly started her veterinary nurse training at a small animal practice in Staffordshire in 2004 and qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2008 from Bottle Green Training LTD. Post qualifying, Holly went on to work in a busy tier 3 veterinary hospital for 2 years. Holly joined Langford Vets in 2011, where she began her role as a night nurse and went on to work within the ICU. In 2013 she gained her certificate in emergency and critical care (CertVNECC) and stepped into the head ICU nurse role at Langford vets. Holly achieved the veterinary technician specialist status in emergency and critical care (VTS(ECC)) in 2015 and in 2021 was awarded the diploma in advanced veterinary nursing (DipAVN) from Harper Adams University. Holly stepped down as head ICU nurse in 2020 to enjoy a more clinical role within the ICU team. In 2021 Holly was elected on to the RCVS VN council.
Full Payment Upfront: Total payable AU$4,990 inc GST.
ISVPS registration & examination fees are not included in this price.
AU $500 initial deposit will secure your place. The full balance of fees ($4,490) must be paid prior to the program start date (no program access will be granted until full payment is received).
All prices are inclusive of compulsory 10% GST.
ISVPS registration & examination fees are not included in this price.
Terms and Conditions apply to all bookings.
Please find the terms and conditions here.
You need to have achieved your primary vet nurse or vet tech qualification to be eligible to enrol and undertake the program and ISVPS exams.
Nursing Programs – you must hold a recognised Veterinary Nurse qualification (e.g Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing).
Vet Tech. Programs – you must hold a recognised Veterinary Technician/Technologist qualification.
It is also strongly advised that before registering for the Advanced Nurse Certificate, delegates should either have obtained the ISVPS Nurse Certificate (NCert), or equivalent qualification in the chosen discipline, and/or have been in clinical practice for at least 5 years.
You can enrol directly via our website, from the program page. Our team will invoice you for the program and once agreed fees are paid, you can join the global program. Please reach out to the team at [email protected] if you have any questions on how to do this.
As a private education provider, Improve Veterinary Education Australia is not part of the national HECS scheme.
Payment plans are done on a case by case basis and program access is given only after ALL enrolment fees are paid. Please be aware any payment plans incur additional fees.
Most delegates complete the program within a 12–18-month time period (depending on course start and assessment dates). Delegates have 3 years access to taught modules from program start date.
An additional 52 hours of self-study over most programs is recommended. You will also require access to journals and articles via an internet library service.
Online Nursing/Tech program candidates have access to the RCVS Knowledge Library. Delegates will be required to register via the online learning platform once they are enrolled in the program. Other internet library services are available (e.g. PubMed; Google scholar) which may incur an additional registration fee.
Any deferral requests are considered on a case by case basis by the UK Improve Veterinary Education Team, who manage the Online Programs. If deferral is agreed, it will include additional administration fees and charges. Specific modules of the program can not be deferred.
Yes, we do accept limited late admissions (subject to availability). If you join late, you will be required to catch up on the module content that you have missed. Please be aware that although discussion forums can be access after the module is finished, the Specialist Tutors are only available for questions during the month their module is being delivered.
The content for the Advance Nurse/Vet Tech Online Programs covers the global syllabus for the ISVPS Certificates.
This means there is material in the program that may be referable to UK/Europe and other regions. All program materials are accessible for the ISVPS qualification.
No, you don’t need to be available at the time of the webinar. Any live content is recorded and can be watched at any time. This gives you the flexibility to study when and where you want, and to structure your learning around your busy work and life schedules.
The NAdvCert / VTAdvCert is the ISVPS postgraduate qualification awarded to veterinary nurses / technicians who successfully complete the accredited training program from Improve Veterinary Education and complete the required ISVPS assessments for the Certificate.
To obtain either certificates delegates will be required to:
For the most up-to-date information on the ISVPS assessments please contact ISVPS directly at [email protected] or visit the ISVPS website.
Registration and associated assessments with ISVPS are optional but strongly encouraged.
Delegates who choose NOT to register with ISVPS will receive an acknowledgement of their ‘Continuing Professional Development’ (CPD) hours from Improve Veterinary Education.
Delegates ARE NOT eligible to receive the postgraduate qualifications in their chosen discipline, without fulfilling the ISVPS requirements.
Registration is made directly with ISVPS once you are enrolled in the Online Learning Program. ISVPS contact details will be shared so you can complete their registration forms and pay the associated fees direct to ISVPS.
ISVPS registration fees are NOT included in the Improve Veterinary Education Australia program fees.