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Nurses Course

Nurses Advanced Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care Nursing

ISVPS Advanced Veterinary Technician Certificate (VTAdvCert)

8 Modules
Online
Nurses Advanced Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care Nursing
Price From $3,505.00

Advance Your Expertise in Emergency and Critical Care Nursing

The Online Advanced Veterinary Technician Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care is designed for credentialed veterinary technicians who already have experience in ECC. This program builds on foundational knowledge and expands into more complex and specialized areas beyond an introductory ECC certificate. You’ll explore advanced topics such as transfusion medicine, toxicology, and critical patient management.

What you'll learn:

  • Develop strategies to create a high-performing ECC work environment that supports your team, patients, and clients

  • Strengthen your understanding of advanced clinical topics through a deeper exploration of key ECC concepts

  • Gain insight into effective clinic management, including team wellbeing, professional development, and communication in high-pressure situations

  • Build confidence in managing complex and challenging emergency cases

 

Why choose this program? 

  • Designed for veterinary technicians working in or aspiring to work in emergency, critical care, or speciality hospital settings

  • Emphasizes continuing education through a blend of self-paced learning, live webinars, and interactive journal discussions

  • Connect with a network of ECC professionals through collaborative online forums

  • Flexible, 100% online format that fits around your schedule

  • Supportive learning environment focused on advancing practical, real-life skills

 

Pre-requisites and recommendations

There are no formal prerequisites required to enroll or to achieve the associated ISVPS qualification. However, this program is best suited for technicians who have:

  • Completed a veterinary technician certificate in Emergency and Critical Care (or equivalent training)
    or

  • At least 5 years of clinical experience in general practice

Participants should be comfortable with common procedures, have a solid understanding of anatomy and physiology, and be confident in researching and managing more complex or less common clinical cases.

Secure your place

Hear what our delegates have to say

Don’t just take our word for it - our delegate feedback speaks for itself.

Dr Rob Clark

Dr Rob Clark

DVM CCRT

Improve Veterinary Education's Small Animal Surgery certificate gives veterinarians the skills to take on more challenging surgical cases. Finding a resource that offers practitioners both practical experiences, and the knowledge behind more c … Read more

Dr Gillian Marsh

Dr Gillian Marsh

DVM, GPCert (SAS)

I am an associate veterinarian working in an emergency hospital in Canada who has always had a strong passion for surgery. I have been in practice for 10 years now and I am always on the lookout for high quality CE opportunities, and I was very ex … Read more

Key features of this program

Comprehensive 100% online training
One year RCVS Knowledge Library access
Discussion forum
Dedicated Program Coordinator
Recognized Course Director
Accredited CE

Program details

Module Summary

4 Online sessions
4 Webinars
01 - The Practical Approach to ECC Patient Management and Care
E-learning
August 2026
Online

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.
Lauren Kirby RVN, AVN, Cert IV VN, Cert VN ECC, VTS(ECC)
02 - The Practical Approach to ECC Patient Management & Care Webinar
Webinar
September 2026
Online

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.

Lauren Kirby RVN, AVN, Cert IV VN, Cert VN ECC, VTS(ECC)
03 - Transfusion Medicine in the ECC Setting
E-learning
October 2026
Online

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.
Holly Witchell RVN CertVNECC VTS(ECC) DipAVN
04 - Transfusion Medicine Journal Club
Webinar
November 2026
Online

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.

Holly Witchell RVN CertVNECC VTS(ECC) DipAVN
05 - Toxicology
E-learning
January 2027
Online

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.
Rachel Woolman BSc (Hons), RVN, Cert VN ECC, VTS (ECC)
06 - Toxicology Webinar
Webinar
February 2027
Online

In this live online webinar, the module author will delve deeper into a topic from the Toxicology module.

Rachel Woolman BSc (Hons), RVN, Cert VN ECC, VTS (ECC)
07 - Professionalism in the ECC Setting
E-learning
March 2027
Online

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.
Lauren Kirby RVN, AVN, Cert IV VN, Cert VN ECC, VTS(ECC)
08 - Professionalism in the ECC Setting Journal Club
Webinar
April 2027
Online

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.

Lauren Kirby RVN, AVN, Cert IV VN, Cert VN ECC, VTS(ECC)

Qualifications

Advanced Veterinary Technician Certificate (VTAdvCert)

This course is accredited by ISVPS and allows you to achieve a Advanced Veterinary Technician Certificate

Read more

If you wish to obtain the Advanced award qualification, you will need to complete all four online interactive modules, which are made available every other month and attend webinar/ journal club sessions online.  

Within every two-month block, you will be required to complete an assignment or a practice-based task. These will form part of the formative assessment and must be completed to complete the associated module. 

Please note there will be a minimum mandatory requirement to attend at least one journal club and one webinar event; however, it is strongly recommended to attend all four live events to maximize learning.  

 

Pricing

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2. VAT Details: Prices shown are exclusive of local sales tax. Applicable sales tax will be applied in the checkout.

3. For corporate-paid registrations, the associated corporate discount will apply to the regular course price and cannot be combined with Early Price or other promotions.

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