Every veterinary nurse and technician wants to give great care.
And not just to give great care - but to use more skills, and get more job satisfaction whilst doing it.
Join RVN and veterinary technician specialist in small animal medicine, Laura Jones, as she demystifies complex diseases and body systems, breaking them down into small, easy-to-understand chunks that you can use to plan the best possible care for your patients.
Every week, in under an hour, you'll get a simple explanation of a different medical condition - along with a list of skills to use, and nursing considerations to apply to your own patients.
So if you want to know EXACTLY how to plan amazing nursing care for your medical patients, don't miss an episode!
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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 i...
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 suppor...
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...
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 ...
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...
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. T...
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 sig...
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 tirelessl...
In this episode, we're chatting about a condition that's been on our radar for a few years now, and is both incredibly challenging and frustrating to manage - and that's cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy, or as it's better known, Alabama rot. CRGV first appeared in the UK in 2012, and we've seen cases pop up every year since. It's difficult to predict, still poorly understood and comes with high morbidity and mortality rates. However, as nurses and technicians, we play a vital role in ...
In this episode, we're chatting about a disease that - if you're lucky - you won't see often, but unfortunately, one that's on the rise - and that's metabolic bone disease. There are a few causes of metabolic bone disease, and we'll focus mainly on the most common one today, which is nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism. This disease is frustrating, unbelievably sad, and completely preventable - and we play a huge role in caring for patients with it. We'll also touch on renal secondary hype...
When I worked in general practice, I had no idea IMPA was even a thing. Until I started in referral as a brand new medicine nurse, and suddenly had a very lame, very pyrexic black labrador to care for. I was completely confused why we were seeing a lameness case - until we tapped the joints, found inflammation, and I learned just how much damage the immune system can do. My patient needed a LOT of nursing - recumbency management, potent analgesia and a lot of supportive care. And through looking...
In episode 85 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're finishing our infectious disease series with a group of diseases that are increasingly common but often overlooked, and that's tick-borne disease. I had NO idea what these were when I worked in general practice. The first time I ever heard of it was when a dog from a nearby rescue centre we worked with had a bleeding disorder, and the vet mentioned Ehrlichia. I had no idea what it was, but the patient needed a lot of care. Tick-borne disease is...
In episode 84 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're chatting about a rare but often controversial disease - canine brucellosis. And before you hit pause thinking 'that's great, Laura, but I'll never see that' - let me gently stop you there. Even if you're not seeing brucella cases, there's a good chance you'll be testing for it. It's a disease gaining more and more attention in veterinary medicine, particularly with the rise of travelling dogs and international adoption from endemic countries. A...
In episode 83 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're talking all things CIRDC - canine infectious respiratory disease complex - or to use its old name, "kennel cough". We see these patients super commonly - but it's not always a case of 'just' a bit of kennel cough. That name undersells how complex, contagious (and at times serious) this disease can be. In this episode, we're going to look at what CIRDC actually is, the different pathogens that can cause it, and the signs we see in patients with ...
Today we're talking all about a disease I hope you never see (because it's awful) - but one that's hard to spot and even harder to nurse - canine distemper virus. Thankfully, due to vaccination, it's rare - but we do see it, and when we do, it's a real challenge. To care for these patients confidently, and stop the spread of this incredibly contagious disease, we first need to understand it - and that's what I'm here for today. In the next 20 minutes or so, we'll discuss what distemper virus is,...
Let's face it - lepto is basically everywhere, and it's often frustrating to manage. These patients aren't straightforward to care for, and the PPE and barrier nursing only makes it more challenging. There's a lot we can do to support these patients, though. So if you've ever found yourself caring for a lepto patient and wondering what you can do to REALLY help them, seen one go south and want a bit of a confidence boost, or you feel like you want to do more to care for these patients than admin...
In episode 80 of the medical nursing podcast we're taking a long, hard look at two of the worst infectious diseases we see - parvovirus in dogs, and its not-so-distant cousin, panleukopenia virus in cats. These patients are often critically ill and need a great deal from us as nurses and technicians. In this episode, we'll explore exactly how these diseases impact our patients and the nursing care and treatment they require, so that you can care for these patients with confidence. --- Resources ...
We see anaemia in cats pretty frequently, but it isn't always down to things like IMHA or haemorrhage. There are infectious causes as well, and we need to be aware of them as veterinary nurses and technicians, so we can care for our patients well (and confidently!) and advise our clients accordingly. The main one we think about in cats is feline infectious anaemia, aka haemoplasmosis - and that's exactly what we'll be discussing today. This disease is more common than you might think, with up to...
In episode 78 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're discussing a topic that has undergone significant changes in the last few years: feline infectious peritonitis, or FIP. When I started nursing, FIP was my LEAST favourite disease. I hated it - seeing so many young, gorgeous cats suffering so much with nothing we could do about it. I remember being told in practice that every FIP cat needed euthanising, because there was no point trying to do anything else. However, now that treatment options ex...
Patients with infectious diseases can be challenging to care for, especially when we're juggling critical conditions while not being able to get as close to our patients as we'd like. In episode 77 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're demystifying two of the most common feline infections we see - feline leukaemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus, aka FeLV and FIV. If you've ever found yourself nursing a stray cat with suspicious bite wounds, or you've had a patient test positive on a SNA...
In episode 76 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're chatting all about something that honestly baffled me when I was working in general practice (and in my very early referral nursing days), and that's chylothorax. As far as I was concerned back in 2015, before I lived and breathed medicine, a chylothorax would have been just another patient needing a thoracocentesis. I didn't understand what was causing the disease or its impact on the patient. And aside from them being a respiratory patient an...
In episode 75 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're talking about a messy, sort of gross, but oh-so-satisfying respiratory disease… Yep, today we're chatting all things pyothorax nursing. Pyothorax is probably the second most common pleural space disease we see. These patients often present in respiratory distress, needing a LOT of nursing support. In this episode, we'll discuss what pyothorax is, the common causes, and the clinical signs, diagnostics, and nursing management - so you can care fo...
Dive deep into pneumothorax, a critical pleural space disease, learning its definition, how it presents, and various causes including traumatic, spontaneous, and iatrogenic types. The episode guides veterinary nurses through emergency diagnostic protocols like POCUS and thoracocentesis, emphasizing rapid stabilization. It further details crucial nursing interventions, from chest drain management and analgesia to holistic patient care and understanding prognosis, empowering nurses to confidently manage these challenging cases.
Pleural space disease is a really common cause of respiratory distress in many of our patients, from traumatic pneumothorax patients to pyothorax cats and everything in between. And it's also a very nursing-heavy disease, with many ways we can use our skills to better care for these challenging patients. In this episode (the first in a mini-series on pleural space disease), we'll look at what the pleural space is, why it should be there, and what happens when things end up there when they should...
Whether you're managing a patient with aspiration pneumonia, pulmonary oedema or trauma causing haemorrhage and bruising, patients with lung disease can decompensate quickly and need intensive nursing care. Knowing what to look out for and the nursing considerations these patients need is vital - and that's exactly what we're discussing in this episode. We'll be breaking down the different pulmonary diseases we see, the impact they have on our patients, and how we can manage them successfully as...
In episode 71 of the Medical Nursing Podcast we're following on from last week's feline focus and taking a look at lower airway diseases in our canine counterparts. We might not see them as often, and they might appear more stable - well, most of the time - but these cases are anything but boring, requiring lots of nursing care, both in the clinic and long-term. Just like our asthmatic cats, it's good quality nursing that makes all the difference, and to give that great care, we need to understa...
In episode 70, we're talking about some of the most difficult patients we see - dyspnoeic cats. Yep, there's nothing like that dyspnoeic cat emergency - they arrive SO stressed, and it feels almost counterintuitive that staying AWAY from them is actually the thing that helps them most in those early stages. The majority of dyspnoeic cats we see have feline asthma - a form of lower airway disease. This disease is pretty misunderstood and is far more complex than 'just' being asthma, so in this ep...
If you've ever seen an overweight Yorkie honking like a goose, then there's a good chance you've dealt with tracheal collapse before. It's a progressive and often challenging condition to manage and can make breathing a real struggle for our patients. But by managing these patients well and providing client education and support, we can make a significant difference to these patients. Plus, in severe cases, there are some cool interventions we can perform - and therefore skills we can use - too!...
Ever seen a Husky or a German Shepherd with sneezing, nasal discharge and a TON of fungus up their nose?! If so, then you'll know the gross satisfaction that comes with pulling all of that out, and then packing them full of antifungals. Today, we're rounding off our mini-series on nasal disease by diving into a relatively common condition, especially in our large dogs - fungal rhinitis. We'll get prepared for these patients together by discussing what fungal rhinitis is, the patients we see it i...
In episode 67 of the Medical Nursing Podcast we're talking all about a very common, very frustrating, and in my opinion a very under-appreciated condition - chronic rhinitis. Chronic rhinitis is one of those conditions that can easily fly under the radar - we often think lots about nursing our cat 'flu cats for example, but there are many patients who suffer with chronic nasal disease that can significantly impact quality of life. There's quite a bit we can do to support these patients long term...
