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LIVE VET NURSE COURSE

Essentials of Small Animal Surgical Nursing

A focused 2-week online course designed for veterinary nurses and technicians to master aseptic technique, theatre preparation, and intra-operative care for confident, high-standard small animal surgical nursing.

  • Vet Nurse/Tech
  • Starts August 24, 2026
  • 19:30 AEDT
  • 2 Weeks
  • 10 Race-Pending CPD Points

This course includes

  • Live Online Weekly Tutorials
  • Access to Tutorial Recordings
  • 10 Race-Pending CPD Points
  • Protocols For Your Practice
  • Graded Course Assessment
  • Discussion Forums
  • Comprehensive Learning Resources
  • Extra Course Resources

Course Blurb

Step into the surgical suite with unshakable confidence. The role of the veterinary nurse and technician in the operating room is foundational, demanding a unique blend of meticulous preparation, attention to detail, and patient advocacy and care. This intensive two-week online course, “Essentials of Small Animal Surgical Nursing,” is your definitive guide to mastering the core pillars of surgical nursing. Starting with the principles of aseptic technique and surgical instrument care through to patient and theatre preparation and intra-operative nursing for different surgical procedures, you will gain the knowledge you need to practice the very best theatre nursing.

Designed specifically for dedicated professionals, this course will transform your daily practice, helping to ensure the best patient outcomes in every procedure.

Course Outline

This week, we build the foundation of every successful surgery: absolute asepsis. You will learn the science and practice of instrument care and sterilization, establishing sound protocols for processing surgical instruments and packs. Next, we turn to the patient. You’ll master a step-by-step approach to surgical site preparation, selecting the right antiseptics, and executing a pattern that truly minimizes microbial load. The week concludes with correct patient positioning and draping, ensuring optimal surgical access while uncompromisingly extending your sterile field. Leave this week ready to be the guardian of the sterile environment.
With the foundation set, we focus on the patient’s journey through and beyond the operating room – beginning with pre-operative patient assessment, anaesthetic induction and patient instrumentation and monitoring. We’ll also detail key nursing responsibilities in the theatres – including instrument handling, suture selection, and special equipment requirements for different surgeries. Finally, the focus shifts to the most critical transition: recovery. You’ll develop a systematic approach to post-operative care, including pain scoring, safe extubation, thermoregulation, and incision monitoring. We’ll equip you to recognize and respond to early signs of common complications, from hemorrhage to infection. You’ll also translate this hospital care into successful home recovery through clear, compassionate client communication and discharge instructions.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
  • Apply the principles of surgical asepsis to reliably create and maintain a sterile field, including effective patient skin preparation and appropriate draping techniques.
  • Execute a complete surgical instrument workflow: from identification and safe handling, through proper decontamination, sterilization, and storage.
  • Develop and implement comprehensive patient-specific nursing plans for the pre-operative, intra-operative, and immediate post-operative phases for a wide range of surgical conditions.
  • Recognise common post-operative complications, initiate appropriate nursing interventions, and provide effective client education for at-home recovery.

Course Tutor

Dr Philip Judge

BVSc MVS PG Cert Vet Stud MACVSc (Vet. Emergency and Critical Care; Medicine of Dogs)

AUD 199

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This course is FREE for our Annual Vet Education Member

Looking to Enrol Groups of 5 or More?

Contact us for Team/Group Discounts

Your Colleagues Love These Courses!

I love Vet Education courses. Dr. Phil is such a great teacher, who presents such clear, practical information.

Jess

(USA)

Loving these shorter courses – so much useful information in a nice concise form. Thanks Vet Ed!

Toni

(New Zealand)

Fantastic. I’ll be doing more of these short courses!

Liam

(Australia)

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Dr Philip Judge

BVSc MVS PG Cert Vet Clin Stud MACVSc (Vet. Emergency and Critical Care; Medicine of Dogs)

Philip graduated from Massey University in New Zealand in 1992, and spent 7 years in small animal practice before undertaking a 3-year residency in veterinary emergency and critical care at the University of Melbourne in 1998.

Following his residency, Philip worked for nearly 6 years at the Animal Emergency Centre in Melbourne, becoming the Senior Veterinarian at the centre in 2004. In 2006, Philip undertook a 1-year surgical externship before moving to Townsville to take up the position of Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care at JCU. Philip is also co-founder, and director of Vet Education Pty Ltd (www.veteducation.com) – one of Australia’s leading providers of online continuing education for veterinarians and veterinary nurses.

Philip has published numerous manuals and guides concerning emergency medicine, including a CRI manual, haematology and biochemistry interpretation guide, emergency anaesthesia guide, and a ventilation therapy manual for small animals, in addition to being published in peer reviewed literature.

Philip’s key interests in veterinary science include respiratory emergencies, ventilation therapy, envenomations and toxicology.

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