BEVA Congress celebrates vet nurses

BEVA Congress, Europe’s largest equine veterinary event (10 – 13 September 2025, ICC Birmingham), is celebrating the vital work of Vet Nurses with an even more compelling VN stream on the Friday this year. 

Vet nurses have a direct voice within BEVA via the VN committee, which has been instrumental in helping to shape the content of the VN stream at Congress. 

“This year’s nursing stream aims to develop and promote the invaluable skills of the Equine RVN more than ever,” said Cassie Woods Guardian of the Vet Nursing stream at Congress. “Topics will be covered through a combination of lectures, workshops and hands on practical sessions and we will be covering some diverse ground.”

The lectures showcase a first-class line up of speakers, commencing with Louise Pailor promoting sustainability in practice. Roger Smith will then discuss the importance and utilisation of the Equine RVN in the orthopaedic work up. The morning session concludes with David Rendle guiding delegates through the process of gastroscopy.

The progressive nurse workshop in the afternoon is a one stop shop to further develop nursing skills through discussion, practical and group learning tasks. Stations for Diagnostics, Consulting Skills, Medicine and foals will be included, with Jane Devaney, Rebecca Bruford, Louise Pailor, Cassie Woods, Rosina Lilywhite, Jude Smith, Marie Rippingale and Alice Robinson sharing their considerable knowledge and skills. 

From a hands-on perspective delegates will have the opportunity to delve into an arthroscopy as an orthopaedic scrub nurse. They can also learn how to prepare and set up Equine Biologics for use in patients, master the all-important hands-on techniques with foals and learn and perfect suturing skills. All sessions will be under the guidance of experienced colleagues, with practical experts including David Stack, Sophie Haylock Rosina Lilywhite, Jude Smith, Lyndsey Bett, Cassie Woods, Marie Williams, Alice Robinson and Louise Pailor. Arthrex and Nupsala will be providing support and facilities for two of the practical sessions.

The closing sessions will commence with an update from the BEVA nurse committee, before Cassie Woods discusses the nurse’s role outside of the clinic and how skills can be maximised out on the road. To conclude the day Kayleigh Warren will discuss the rehabilitation of the equine patient, and how nurses we can extend their support. 

“We really hope to see many of our amazing RVN and Student RVNs in attendance for what should be a day of exciting topics and the chance to get stuck in and further learn and develop skills to take back into your clinics,” said Cassie. 

“We are also excited to learn who will be the winner of this year’s Vet Nurse Empowerment Award, which highlights the invaluable skills and versatility of equine nurses by commending any individual within the profession who is actively championing the role of the equine nurse.”

Super early bird tickets for BEVA Congress are available until 28 May. Tickets provide access to all lectures and the exhibition hall as well as full access to the virtual Congress hub. Delegates will have access to all Congress content for six months after the event via the hub. You can see the full BEVA Congress programme here.

Individual super early bird BEVA members prices for a three-day pass are £148 for vet nurses and £539 for vets for all three days (with concessionary available for those in their first three years of graduation or earning less than £25,000). Day tickets and practice passes are also available. Super early bird ends on 28 May 2025. 

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