Our Veterinary Emergency Medicine CPD and Critical Care Courses for 2025
If you need to top up your emergency medicine and critical care (ECC) skills, our courses in veterinary emergency medicine are perfect. We’ve got a few options available to you, and they can be confusing, so in this article we’ll help you compare our emergency medicine CPD to find the perfect course for you. To help you navigate your CPD options, we’ve split the courses into:
- Vet Certificate Programmes
- Short, Practical Emergency Medicine CPD Courses for Vets
- Nurse Certificate Programmes
- Short, Practical Vet Nurse Emergency Medicine CPD
Let’s jump in and see if we can help you choose the course for you!
Vet Certificate Programmes in Emergency Medicine
If you’re thinking of getting a veterinary postgraduate certificate, and the postnominals and career opportunities that they can bring, we’ve got two fantastic options for you.
GPCert/PgC Emergency Medicine and Surgery
This programme provides the teaching for both the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS) General Practitioner Certificate (GPCert) and the Postgraduate Certificate (PgC) from Harper Adams University. Our innovative interactive online course covers 14 varied modules that are available 24/7 so you can study at times that suit you. You’ll learn everything from transfusion medicine to neurological emergencies, and how to treat various toxins, to trauma and wound management. At the end of the course, you can sit the assessments to achieve the GPCert and continue to the PgC, which is eligible for application to RCVS Advanced Practitioner Status. If you think your practical skills are rusty, there are optional practical modules you can add-on, or you could join one of our short courses below. In other words, this emergency medicine certificate is your stepping stone to a career in ECC – or even just to increased confidence.
Find out more about the Certificate in Emergency Medicine and Surgery.
Accelerated Emergency Programme (FCert)
For those taking their first steps in veterinary postgraduate education or who need a quicker certificate course, the Accelerated Emergency Programme is perfect. There are 15 varied modules, covering all aspects of ECC, delivered entirely online and available for you to study in your own time. You’ll also be able to join world-renowned speakers in the quarterly global seminars to help cement your learning. At the end of the programme, successful completion of the assessments awards the ISVPS Foundation Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care, and you’ll get to use the postnominals FCert (ECC).
Find out more about the Accelerated Emergency Programme.
Short, Practical Emergency Medicine CPD Courses for Vets
A certificate isn’t for everyone – sometimes you just need some practical emergency medicine CPD to top up your skills. Whether you want to practice your emergency ultrasound techniques or want to know more about CPR, these short practical ECC courses are perfect.
Essential Surgery in the Critical Patient
This two-day practical CPD course covers common emergency surgeries such as splenectomy, enterectomy, emergency tracheostomy, oesophagostomy tube placement and more. The course is taught in small groups, using donated cadavers – it’s hands-on and thoroughly practical. You’ll come away with 12 CPD hours towards your requirements, but more importantly, you’ll develop your confidence dealing with surgical emergencies in pets.
Find out more about the short, practical Essential Surgery in the Critical Patient course running in March and July this year. Or, if you want more surgical CPD, you can see the rest of our short practical courses here.
ECC Practical Boot Camp
Another incredible practical course in veterinary ECC is our Practical Boot Camp. The first day of this two-day practical course is dedicated to surgery – you’ll cover stabilisation and treatment of splenic bleeds, GDV, ruptured diaphragms and more in a well-stocked wet lab environment. Then, day two is dedicated to procedures for stabilisation, covering techniques like thoracocentesis, feeding tube placement, and use of central lines. The course is held on a weekend, meaning vets can more easily attend this emergency medicine CPD and come away with new skills to bring into practice on Monday.
Find out more about the ECC Practical Boot Camp
Ultrasound for the Emergency Patient
A one-day ultrasound CPD course perfect for the emergency vet, you’ll practice ultrasound techniques suitable for diagnosing emergencies, including TFAST, AFAST and more. The veterinary CPD course is interactive and case-based, helping you learn the indications for point of care ultrasound (POCUS) as well as the practical skills you need to do it effectively. We’re running the course in October this year – but book early to avoid disappointment!
Find out more about the Ultrasound for the Emergency Patient CPD course.
CPR in Association with RECOVER
This emergency medicine CPD course combines online learning with RECOVER (Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation) with a two-day practical course covering all aspects of CPR. Worth 20.5 CPD hours, this unique course teaches Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support skills, then certifies attendees as RECOVER Rescuers. It’s suitable for both vets and nurses, and we encourage at least two attendees from each practice to help you put what you’ve learned into practice. This year, we’re holding the course in July and October, but bookings close early and numbers are strictly limited, so you should book now to avoid disappointment.
Find out more about the CPR Course in Association with RECOVER.
Veterinary Nurse Certificate Programmes in Emergency Medicine
Veterinary nurse certificates help nurses develop advanced skills as well as show off their new status to their colleagues and employers. While we offer certificate programmes in a range of disciplines, our vet nurse emergency medicine certificate courses are explained below.
Emergency and Critical Care Nursing (VNCert)
The vet nurse certificate in emergency and critical care teaches veterinary nurses the skills and knowledge they need to provide life-saving care in emergency situations. Whether you’re in general practice or referral medicine, the skills you learn in this certificate will help you with triage, monitoring, stabilisation, aiding in surgical procedures, and CPR. After the 9-module programme, you’ll be ready to sit the assessments to achieve the Vet Nurse Certificate (VNCert) in Emegency and Critical Care Nursing from the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS). This vet nurse certificate is held entirely online to make it easier for busy professionals to attend, but there’s an optional practical module covering CPR and key practical techniques for those that want to practice their new skills in a wet lab environment.
Find out more about the Veterinary Nurse Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care Nursing, starting in September 2025.
Advanced Emergency and Critical Care Nursing (VNAdvCert)
If you’ve already got a certificate in emergency and critical care nursing, or equivalent significant practical experience, the advanced veterinary nurse certificate programme might be what you’re looking for. This emergency nursing CPD course covers new ECC topics as well as topics previously covered in more detail – you’ll get to grips with transfusion medicine, toxicology, and setting up a practice for success in emergency cases. This year, the 8-module online vet nurse certificate course starts in August.
Find out more about the Advanced Emergency and Critical Care Nursing Certificate.
Short Veterinary Nurse CPD Courses in Emergency Medicine
We’ve also got some great options for vet nurse ECC CPD that’s shorter and practical. Check out these great options below:
Ultrasound Triage for the Emergency Patient
Have you ever been in a situation where the vet is busy and you’re unsure how urgently a patient should be seen? This ultrasound course is aimed at veterinary nurses who want to learn some simple ultrasound triage techniques for when the vet is already tied up. This one-day practical course is held in June in Sheffield and August in Swindon, making it easier for busy vet nurses to attend.
Find out more about the practical ultrasound triage course for vet nurses.
Wound Management
This wound management CPD course is suitable for nurses as well as vets. It covers the theory and physiology of wound healing before moving onto practical applications of the knowledge, including decision making in veterinary wound care and types of veterinary wound dressings. It’s a one-day course, and for 2025 it’s running in August in Swindon. This is a very popular course and numbers are limited, so get booked in now if you think this is for you!
Find out more about the Wound Management CPD Course.
Practical Nursing Skills for Emergency and Critical Care Patients
A one-day crash course in a number of important nursing techniques, this emergency medicine CPD course covers just about everything you need to know about nursing emergency patients. It combines theory with case studies and practical techniques to make a great course for vet nurses in general practice, ECC practice, referral practice, or even those working on their ECC certificate. We’re only running this course once this year, so make sure you get booked in now!
Find out more about the Nursing Skills for the Emergency Patient course.
Nursing the Emergency and Critical Wildlife Patient
Wildlife patients often come in as emergency cases, but knowledge about their needs is sadly often limited. We’re changing that with this one-day online seminar. You’ll learn about legislation, health and safety and ethics, as well as techniques for nursing, stabilisation, handling, and rehabilitation. Worth 6 hours of CPD, this course is running in May, just in time for all those summer cases!
Find out more about the Wildlife Nursing CPD Course.
CPR in Association with RECOVER
We’ve already spoken about this course at length in the section for vets, above, but it’s just here as a reminder that this practical veterinary CPR course is also suitable for veterinary nurses. In fact, we encourage people to attend as a team of at least one vet and one nurse from a practice – it helps you take your skills back into clinics and save animal lives. Read more about what you’ll learn (and when) above!
More help with your emergency medicine CPD
Still not sure what emergency medicine CPD to take this year? Why not:
- Read about supporting the medical emergency in our content hub
- Watch some free ECC CPD about central venous catheters.
- Schedule a callback from our trained CPD advisors to help you choose your CPD.
- Browse our content hub for more help and advice on choosing your CPD
