MSC Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing

31/07/2026

Sam Fontaine was delighted to have spent the past few days running a clinical skills lab alongside her colleague Dr Maria Afonso at the Future Vets Scotland Summer Camp. Over three inspiring, enjoyable, and transformative days, we welcomed 64 high school students from across Scotland and beyond, giving them the opportunity to experience a taste of what life might be like as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse.

It was wonderful to see so much enthusiasm, curiosity, and engagement as students developed practical skills, explored career pathways, developed coping strategies, and connected with like-minded peers who share a passion for animal health and welfare.

It was also fantastic to reconnect with Future Vets Ambassadors from the 2024 and 2025 camps and hear how their aspirations are becoming reality as they progress towards careers in veterinary medicine and nursing. Even more excitingly, we will be welcoming some of them to the University of Glasgow this year!

A particular highlight was the support from representatives of all the Scottish veterinary schools, who contributed to sessions throughout the programme. Their involvement made this a truly inclusive, collaborative endeavour and demonstrated the strength of our Scottish veterinary education community.

Thank you to everyone involved in making the camp such a welcoming and memorable experience. I look forward to seeing where these talented future veterinary professionals go next!

17/07/2026

I am absolutely delighted and deeply honoured to have been awarded the RCVS Veterinary Nursing Golden Jubilee Award this year.

It is a real privilege to be recognised for my contribution to the profession and to postgraduate veterinary nursing at such a significant time, as we recently celebrated 60 years of the profession and keenly await reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act. My career has been dedicated to supporting and educating veterinary nurses and veterinary students, and I am passionate about helping the professions continue to grow and thrive.

I am grateful to the many colleagues, students, mentors, and friends who have supported me along the way. This award is as much a reflection of those relationships as it is of my own journey.

Thank you to the RCVS for this wonderful recognition. I look forward to continuing to champion veterinary nursing and celebrating all that our profession achieves.

💙🐾

13/05/2026

💚 Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month 💚

May is Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month, a time to recognise and celebrate the skill, dedication and professionalism of veterinary nurses across all areas of practice.

Veterinary nurses play a vital role in patient care, advocacy, clinical excellence, education and research. From supporting animal welfare and client communication to advancing evidence‑based practice and leadership within the profession, their impact is wide‑reaching and invaluable.

As an MSc Advanced Veterinary Nursing programme, we are proud to support the continued development, progression and recognition of veterinary nurses, and to celebrate the contribution they make every day to animal health and welfare.

Thank you to all veterinary nurses - past, present and future - for the work you do. 💚

30/04/2026

I am super chuffed to be able to share with you all that I will be the proud recipient of the RCVS Veterinary Nursing Golden Jubilee award this year, largely for my contribution to postgraduate vet nursing.

When I launched the APVN in 2017 I was just back from maternity leave and was still in a full-time clinical role. I had no idea what I was getting myself into! It's fair to say there was a massively steep learning curve in that first year or two, but I've genuinely loved every minute of it! I have been honoured to support so many fantastic VNs from around the world through their post-grad journey. I have learnt as much from you all as I hope you have learned from me.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed some small or large way to my VN journey over the last 25 years - it's been a blast and I never thought I'd be where I am now!

Sam Fontaine (Programme Director)

09/07/2025

Calling all RVNs who work in a small animal practice that administers cytotoxic drugs. Please participate in Meg Blythe's MSC Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing study!

Are you an RVN working in small animal practice in the UK? Then Megan Blythe wants to hear from you! Megan is a final year student on the MSc Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing at the University of Glasgow, and she is currently recruiting RVNs across the UK to participate in her research study.

The study aims to understand how RVNs perceive the use of chemotherapy in small animals and what their personal experience is of working with chemotherapy in practice. She would like to hear the opinions of all RVNS working in small animal practice, whether they assist in the administration of chemotherapy or not.

Help Megan with her study here; https://loom.ly/tPjweDc

30/04/2025

It was great to welcome one of the APVN students, Megan Blythe, onto campus last week as she came to see practice at our Small Animal Hospital, University of Glasgow. Megan spent time with the Oncology department and thoroughly enjoyed getting to see the new radiotherapy suite!

Megan has a special interest in oncology and is currently undertaking her 3rd year research project where she will be exploring VN perceptions of occupational safety of chemotherapy. We look forward to welcoming her again to the SAH soon!

11/12/2024

Clare Jones has successfully published a clinical audit on CPR skill and knowledge retention with Knowledge.

What an important subject, and thanks for sharing your recommendations for timings of refresher training.

It's fantastic to see another motivated APVN student publish their work from course assignments. Huge congratulations from the APVN team!

Clinical audit of veterinary professionals’ cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skill and knowledge retention within a small animal hospital.

Check out the latest by University of Glasgow author Clare Jones to learn more.

Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/CAVeterinaryCPRSkills

24/09/2024

We recently welcomed an alumnus of the APVN programme, Kat Carman, to Glasgow. Kat was unable to take the trip over from her home in the USA to Scotland due to Covid restrictions, but has finally been able to visit the University of Glasgow (aka Hogwarts!) and get some long awaited graduation photos. While she was here, she not only brought the sunshine with her but also agreed to do some filming for a promotional video during a tour of the Small Animal Hospital, University of Glasgow. I think you will all agree that she is a natural and probably has a future career in television ahead of her!

You can watch the video here and please feel free to share!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hip9GrN6T9I

31/07/2024

Rachel Lumbis is an RVN currently completing her PhD at the University of Glasgow. She would be very grateful if you could either complete or share this survey as she is trying to recruit participants who are both pet and child care givers to understand their dietary decision making.

Thanks for your participation!

Please use the QR code on the poster or this direct link to the survey: https://uofg.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3dYvdsCgu4KKWW2

05/07/2024

A great few days of learning from some highly inspirational educators at and thanks to UCD for organising a fantastic programme. Sam (APVN programme director) heard about lots of novel educational practices from speakers from around the globe, and presented on an initiative at the University of Glasgow to improve the clinical learning environment for students.