Interprofessional education (IPE) has received little attention in veterinary education even though members of the veterinary and nursing professions work closely together. The present study investigates veterinary and veterinary nursing students' and practitioners' experiences with interprofessional issues and the potential benefits of IPE. Based on stakeholder consultations, two teaching interventions were modified or developed for use with veterinary and veterinary nursing students: Talking Walls, which aimed to increase individuals' understanding of each other's roles, and an Emergency-Case Role-Play Scenario, which aimed to improve teamwork. These interventions were piloted with volunteer veterinary and veterinary nursing students who were recruited through convenience sampling. A questionnaire (the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale [RIPLS]) was modified for use in veterinary education and used to investigate changes in attitudes toward IPE over time (pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and four to five months afterward). The results showed an immediate and significant positive change in attitude after the intervention, highlighting the students' willingness to learn collaboratively, their ability to recognize the benefits of IPE, a decreased sense of professional isolation, and reduced hierarchical views. Although nearly half of the students felt concerned about learning with students from another profession before the intervention, the majority (97%) enjoyed learning together. However, the positive change in attitude was not evident four to five months after the intervention, though attitudes remained above pre-intervention levels. The results of the pilot study were encouraging and emphasize the relevance and importance of veterinary IPE as well as the need for further investigation to explore methods of sustaining a change in attitude over time.

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: Nursing assessment is currently under‐utilised in many veterinary practices. One of the primary roles of the veterinary nurse is to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate care based on a structured and thorough nursing assessment. Much of the information regarding the normal routine of the animal may be obtained from the owner and this initial contact with the owner by the nurse can ultimately improve client relations with the practice. The nursing assessment then leads to the creation of an informed care plan which ensures the animal's welfare is not compromised during hospitalisation.

Objective: To investigate UK student veterinary surgeons’ knowledge of and support for the veterinary nursing profession and how this differs between veterinary institutions. Methods: Data were examined from a quantitative questionnaire, sent to the population of final year veterinary students at each of the seven veterinary institutions in the UK. Results: An association was found between respondents attending a university offering a veterinary nursing degree and increased support for the veterinary nursing profession (p=0.016), this however did not influence respondents knowledge of the veterinary nursing profession. No statistical correlation was found between the university a respondent attended and respondents’ knowledge of and support for the veterinary nursing profession. Conclusion: Results demonstrated that final year veterinary students supported the veterinary nursing profession and veterinary student knowledge of the veterinary nursing profession was evenly distributed amongst the student veterinary surgeon population. Veterinary students attending universities which also offered veterinary nursing courses showed increased support for the veterinary nursing profession.

Learning on clinical placements is an important part of a veterinary nurse's training in UK higher education. Veterinary nursing students at the Royal Veterinary College begin their first placement within 4 months of starting the course and in total will spend at least 60 weeks in placements. Staff and placement providers recognize a need to investigate ways to improve student preparation for learning on placements, with the aim being to enable students to get the most out of the valuable learning opportunities provided. A computer aided learning (CAL) program, the ‘VN Online Clinical Placement Tool’ was created, based on the ‘EMS Driving Licence’ which was designed to assist veterinary students in preparing for their Extramural Studies (EMS). To help develop the content of the nursing CAL, three stakeholder groups were consulted: qualified veterinary nurses in practice, university staff and students. Several aspects of the original veterinary CAL were considered suitable for nursing students and were preserved, for example the main section headings and the ability to print a personalized certificate of completion. Specific issues particularly relevant for nursing students that were not addressed in the original CAL were identified and added. The CAL was evaluated by five second year students via a focus group. Thematic analysis on the results identified three major themes: positive aspects of the CAL; negative aspects; and areas for improvement. Several suggested improvements were implemented, including introductory videos to each section of the CAL. The final version was evaluated by three nurses in practice whose feedback was positive. All agreed that they would use the CAL with future students. The CAL is available online at www. live.ac.uk/vn_placement .