Key Learning Objectives:

• Understand the role of triage in veterinary emergency care. Delegates will be able to describe the purpose and process of triage and explain how first aid principles (DRABC and the 3 Ps) underpin rapid prioritisation of emergency patients.
• Explore how structured ECC checklists support decision making during triage. Delegates will be able to recognise the value of emergency and critical care checklists—such as triage checklists, Kirby’s Rule of 20, and monitoring tools—and outline how these support consistent, safe decision making in emergency admission.
• Discuss how veterinary nurses integrate first aid, triage, and structured assessment tools within the emergency care process. Delegates will be able to discuss how RVNs, working under veterinary direction, contribute to stabilisation, early assessment, and prevention of deterioration through the use of triage findings, first aid frameworks, and structured ECC assessment tools.