Medical Nursing Podcast | CPD for Veterinary Nurses

I'm kicking off a new mini-series on the podcast in this episode, and something we've actually never done before in almost 3 years and 130 episodes!

We're going to spend the next few episodes talking about bloodwork - specifically, the common changes we see, why we see them, and what this all means for us as nurses.

Why? Because too often, we look at our results, feel like we're not quite 100% sure what we're really looking at, and then hand them to the vet for them to make the decisions.

And while yes, it is absolutely their job to make those decisions, there's a TON of nursing information we get from those results too - we just need to know how to decipher them.

So that's what we're going to start doing over the next few episodes - and today we're starting with calcium.

We see this go wrong more often than we think - from patients with cancer, kidney disease, endocrine disease, reproductive disorders, toxin ingestion and much more. And that one little mineral can cause significant, and sometimes even life-threatening, changes for our patients.

I know calcium can feel like one of those topics that's all A&P and lots of boring science, and you're probably expecting your eyes start to glazing over by the second sentence - but stick with me, because I promise you, I'm going to keep the theory to what you actually need to know so you can nurse your patients effectively.

Across the next 30 minutes or so we'll chat about where and how calcium is balanced in the body (and why it goes wrong), the different types of calcium we measure and why, how to take samples that you can actually trust, and then - most importantly - our patients. We'll look at hyper- and hypocalcaemia, what we see, how to nurse these patients, and the skills we need to use in the process.

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Looking for medical nursing CPD?

📲 GET ON THE WAITLIST FOR 2027 ROADSHOW TICKETS: https://www.veterinaryinternalmedicinenursing.com/deep-dive-days

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📲 Snag a webinar from the on-demand library: https://www.veterinaryinternalmedicinenursing.com/veterinary-education-webinar-library

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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

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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 127 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're turning our attention to acute kidney injury.

AKI is one of the diseases I see go wrong a LOT, because there are still - I think - a lot of misconceptions and myths about how we treat it, especially when it comes to things like fluid therapy.

If you're like me, you probably grew up as a VN thinking that kidney disease = treatment with aggressive fluid therapy. The idea behind this was that high rates of IV fluids would 'flush' the kidneys and bring the numbers down - and we applied it to almost every azotaemic patient that came through the door.

Looking back, I wonder how many of those patients had fluid overload that I didn't spot - because I didn't know to look for it. And now, it's one of the biggest areas I tell nurses to take initiative on and monitor for when caring for their kidney patients - because we see it all the time.

Across the next half an hour or so we'll look at what AKI actually is, how it's related to CKD, how we tell the two apart, and why we manage them so differently. And then we'll look at some of the biggest myths and misconceptions around AKI - and what they mean for us when we're nursing these patients.

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Looking for medical nursing CPD?

📲 GET ON THE WAITLIST FOR 2027 ROADSHOW TICKETS: https://www.veterinaryinternalmedicinenursing.com/deep-dive-days

📲 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

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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 revisiting a disease really close to my heart - chronic kidney disease. And while we've chatted about CKD on the podcast before - all the way back in 2024 - this year, in 2026, a LOT has changed.

We've now got new tests, brand new treatments, and new guidelines to follow. The IRIS guidelines, treatment recommendations, and iCatCare guidelines have all had a brand new refresh for 2026 and the way we support these patients - and their families - is getting a major upgrade.

So in this episode, we're chatting all about how to nurse CKD the right way. We'll recap what CKD is, why it happens, and then look at the treatment and nursing these patients need - and where our skills fit into it all.

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Resources mentioned this episode:

📲 2026 IRIS staging guidelines: https://www.iris-kidney.com/s/IRIS_staging_guidelines-2026.pdf

📲 2026 iCatCare CKD guidelines: https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X261466553

📲 iCatCare CKD caregiver guide: https://icatcare.org/resources/cat-carer-guide-managing-chronic-kidney-disease-in-cats.pdf

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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 125 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're talking all about our senior patients - a huge proportion of the patients registered with us, yet a small number of the patients we routinely see (unless there's a problem).

We know these patients are at risk of significant chronic disease - which is often subclinical - and they benefit enormously from our skills as veterinary nurses and technicians.

So that's what this episode is all about. We're going to talk about why our senior cats and dogs deserve so much more of our attention than perhaps our clients may perceive, the diseases they're at risk of and why, what the research shows about screening, and - most importantly - what you can start doing in your own practice to support these patients.

If you want to build new nursing skills with your senior patients, have confident discussions with your clients about senior health, or brush up on what to look out for when seeing seniors, you'll find it all in this episode.

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

📲 DISHAA Tool: https://www.purinainstitute.com/science-of-nutrition/advancing-brain-health/cognitive-dysfunction-syndrome

📲 LOAD Questionnaire: https://my.elanco.com/au/insights-centre/the-liverpool-osteoarthritis-in-dogs

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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 124 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're finishing our endoscopy series with a less common, but by no means less important, procedure - lower urinary tract endoscopy, AKA cystoscopy.

This is a relatively uncommon procedure - I'd never seen one outside of referral practice - but just like our other endoscopic procedures, there are tons of ways we can put our nursing skills to good use, and do more to support patients during urinary investigations.

So in this episode that's exactly what we'll do. Over the next half an hour or so, we'll look at what urinary endoscopy actually involves, the common indications for it, how to prepare, handle and maintain the equipment we use, and - most importantly - the nursing considerations when supporting your urinary patients.

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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.

Rhinoscopy is a procedure with a lot going on, and that's why I think our role in it is underrated.

When I worked in GP, my role assisting with scopes was basically set up, cleaning, and anaesthesia. That was it. And we didn't have the luxury of multiple nurses, so often I was juggling trying to monitor my patient AND helping the vet with holding the head, biopsy collection, scope troubleshooting and whatever else they may need.

We had a rhinoscope, but it was rarely used. Most of the time, we'd just look at the back of the nose with our bronchoscope, or fish out a grass blade with a spay hook - and that was it.

I didn't realise how much I could do to support these patients as a vet nurse - and in reality, there are SO many skills we can use while caring for these patients.

In episode 123 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we'll look at what those skills are, and just how much our patients benefit from our support throughout their procedure (and beyond). We'll talk about what happens during a rhinoscopy, the equipment used and how it is managed, and the most important considerations when nursing these patients - before, during, and after their procedure.

You'll leave the episode ready to assist with these procedures confidently, with new skills to put to use.

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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.

Lower airway endoscopy, aka tracheobronchoscopy or just bronchoscopy for short, is - if I'm honest - the procedure I find the scariest in practice.

And to me, that's probably the biggest reason why I think our role in it as veterinary nurses and technicians is underrated.

My goal with this episode is that you leave it feeling completely confident with bronchoscopy cases - both from an anaesthetic support point of view, and when handling and assisting with the scopes themselves.

We'll cover the indications for these procedures, the ins and outs of the scopes we use, how to collect samples from the lower airway, and a few hints and tips to run these cases successfully as a vet nurse - because we really can have a central role in managing them.

So if you're ready to use more of your skills supporting these patients, you're in the right place.

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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.

Second to imaging, this is probably THE most common diagnostic procedure performed in internal medicine.

But it's also the one where most of us have been taught wrong - or not taught enough, and I really want to change that over the next few episodes.

There's a misconception that looking at the scope the wrong way will break it, and as a result, we end up scared to touch it for fear of it costing our clinics thousands of pounds.

But in reality, there's so much nursing to be done with patients during endoscopy procedures - and if we spend our careers trying to do anything but touch the scope, we miss out on all of those skills.

So over the next few weeks, we'll look at the common endoscopic procedures (and some not so common ones). We'll explore the different scopes available, how they differ, and how to handle, use, and maintain them. And we'll chat all about the care our patients need from us as they undergo endoscopic procedures - so you can use more of your skills caring for these patients in practice.

Today, we're starting with gastrointestinal endoscopy. We'll look at the different GI procedures, the anatomy of a GI scope, and how to monitor, support and nurse your patients.

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📲 Grab the GI endoscopy report forms: https://wsava.org/global-guidelines/gastrointestinal-guidelines/

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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 120 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're talking about a commonly misunderstood condition - feline pancreatitis.

We're actually talking about a few conditions that overlap in our cats; alongside pancreatitis, many present with concurrent GI and hepatobiliary disease ('triaditis').

Many cats with cholangiohepatitis, pancreatitis, chronic enteropathy and combinations of these disease present with similar clinical signs, which can make distinguishing from them challenging. Nursing these patients begins with understanding each of these diseases, how they relate to each other, and the impact they have on our patients - and that's exactly what we're talking about today.

We're going to spend the next half an hour or so chatting all about pancreatitis and related diseases - the myths, misconceptions, nursing needs, and the skills you can use in practice when caring for these often challenging patients.

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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 119 of the Medical Nursing Podcast we're taking a detailed look at a disease lots of us see very regularly - pancreatitis.

I wanted to cover this one because pancreatitis is a condition almost all of us have nursed, and yet it's a condition where a lot of what we were originally taught has changed.

And alongside that, we know that nursing care can make or break recovery for these patients, especially in cases of severe disease. There's a lot to think about when caring for them, and a lot of ways we can use our knowledge and skills to give even better care to these patients.

This week, we're chatting all about canine pancreatitis - how it presents, how it impacts our patients, and how we can use more of our skills when caring for these patients in practice. And next week, we'll be turning things over to our cats, focusing on feline pancreatitis and triaditis, and how the disease - and nursing care - is often very different in these patients.

So if you're ready to get nerdy with me and start discovering new ways to support your pancreatitis patients in practice, grab a coffee and let's get into it.

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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.