Submitted by J. Hudson on Fri, 09/05/2025 - 12:01
This week, the Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital was delighted to welcome five final-year student veterinary nurses from the Central College of Animal Studies in Ipswich, as part of Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month.
The students had a packed and insightful day exploring our hospital and getting a real sense of life in a specialist veterinary environment. A highlight for many was observing the neurology team in action, watching a cat undergo an EEG (electroencephalogram). They also enjoyed seeing a fluoroscopy video of a previous case, offering an eye-opening look into the advanced diagnostic techniques used here at QVSH.
Karen Lee, Head of Learning, at the Central College of Animal Studies in Suffolk said “It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to see a fully functioning referral hospital in action. They were particularly impressed by the breadth of specialisms available to veterinary nurses and found their time with the oncology team especially insightful. The importance of building strong, ongoing relationships with both clients and patients really stood out. The students also loved getting a behind-the-scenes look at the in-house pharmacy and thoroughly enjoyed trying out the ultrasound simulator in the Imaging department.”
The students also visited the Clinical Skills Laboratory, where they observed a communication task set up using actors who role-play client consultations - offering a glimpse into the important non-clinical skills nurses develop as part of their training.
Justine Whitlam, a veterinary nurse and our student nurse training co-ordinator here at the QVSH said, "The students particularly enjoyed their tour of theatre, and one student mentioned afterwards that they would like to work as a theatre nurse once qualified."
Best of luck with your studies and we hope one day to welcome you into the QVSH veterinary nursing team some time in the future!
