Hundreds Of Vets And Nurses From All Over The World To Assemble Virtually For ECC Congress
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The countdown is on for the UK’s leading ECC veterinary Congress — with just under three weeks to go until the event kicks off virtually for the first time.
Organisers, Vets Now, say holding the conference online has resulted in a surge in interest from international delegates, with vets and vet nurses from more than 20 countries, including Kuwait, Hong Kong and Australia, due to attend.
Running from November 4 to 7, and taking place in a virtual high-tech conference centre, the events will give delegates an unrivalled opportunity to take part in presentations, lectures, debates and much more.
Internationally-renowned vet professionals Dan Fletcher, Megan Brashear and Claire Sharp are among several high-profile speakers at this year’s Congress.
Vet tech specialist Megan Brashear will use next month’s Vets Now ECC Congress to tell vet nurses to “get back to basics” - and how mastering them brings a confidence that can make a real difference in critical moments.
Megan, who is small animal veterinary nursing manager at the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in West Lafayette, Indiana, is speaking on several occasions at the event.
“So much of veterinary nursing is about understanding the basics,” said Megan, who is a veterinary technician specialist in ECC and a member of the Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians.
“You have to be able to spot the signs the animal is giving you that they aren’t doing well.
“Don’t think you have to know everything all the time, just being really solid on your basics is going to help you immensely when dealing with critical patients.
“So, I’m trying to teach why it’s important to understand the medicine. If you have a dog in shock and you give it a fluid bolus, don’t just walk back to your vet and ask what they want you to do next.
“I can do that physical exam, give a good update and ask if they want me to repeat it.
“That’s what a great veterinary nurse does. We’re not just there to carry out orders, we’re there to interpret changes and make suggestions as to what we can continue to do to help that patient.”
Megan knows that her sessions will go down well with recently qualified veterinary nurses, but she’s sure that many more experienced nurses will get great benefits, too.
Specialist vet Dan Lewis, Vets Now’s national ECC lead, devised the virtual Congress programme.
He said: “We’re hugely excited about the opportunities it will bring for delegates, exhibitors and speakers, who are joining us from across the world.
“The interactive platform we’re using is cutting edge and it provides so much more than just webinars. There will be live content, an interactive exhibition hall and more opportunities than ever for delegates to network and learn from some of the world’s leading veterinary experts discussing emergency and critical care.
“Our programme this year has been carefully tailored to provide an inclusive learning experience for vets and vet nurses no matter what stage they’re at in their career, from students through to specialists.
“We’ll obviously miss seeing everyone in person, but we’re very excited that we can gather together online for a one-of-a-kind experience.”
The Vets Now ECC Congress, and accompanying exhibition and gala dinner, has been held annually since 2004. The first 15 events were based in Harrogate and last year it moved to Leeds.
In that period the event has grown into one of the biggest of its kind in the world — offering delegates more than 50 hours of CPD under one roof — and this will remain the case for this year’s virtual conference.
The decision to move the event to a virtual conference centre, as opposed to cancelling it due to concerns over coronavirus, is part of Vets Now continuing commitment to the advancement of emergency and critical care.
Mike Wickham, managing director of headline sponsor Woodley, said: “Vets Now’s annual Congress has always been a celebration of the emergency veterinary community and we’re delighted it’s continuing this year in the virtual world.”
Click here to book your place at Vets Now’s ECC Congress. Registrations close on November 1.
Full four-day tickets for delegates range in price from £60 to £175 and ticket-holders will be able to access all the sessions on-demand for up to a month following the event.
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