On Demand CPD - Flexi Modular Courses

Pain and Analgesia – Flexi CPD

£135.00 Ex VAT

Type:  Flexi CPD (converted from a tutored course)
Start:  On-demand / Unlimited Lifetime Access
CPD:    6 hours (UK), 6 points (approved in AUS, NZ and ZA)
Level:  Intermediate

 

 

Description

SAVC and AVNAT Approved Course
This flexi CPD course is aimed at vet nurses and vet technicians in general practice and is available on-demand with unlimited lifetime access.  Each module consists of a tutorial, quiz and further reading articles

 

As veterinary nurses, we want to provide our patients with the best possible care that we can and it’s hard to see our patients suffering and in pain. Luckily our profession allows us to prevent this in many ways, but are we tackling pain the right way and making the best choices for analgesia? Can we make improvements to help our patients remain pain free and reduce side effects of the therapies we choose – whether that’s for our patients in the clinic or at home?

 

In order for us to treat and manage pain in our patients, we first need to understand the physiology behind how animals feel pain. We will start by expanding our knowledge and understanding of the pain pathway, before moving on to the different analgesia options for acute and chronic pain conditions. We will finish the course with pain scoring. By the end of the 4 weeks, we will have overviewed pain and the different treatment options available with the hope, that alongside the veterinary surgeon, we can build patient specific multi-modal analgesia plans for all our patients.

 

Module 1

The Physiology of Pain
  • Pain definitions
  • The mammalian pain pathway
  • Different types of pain
  • Principles of analgesia

Learning objectives
After completion of this module, participants should be able to:

 

  • Outline the definition of pain and associated terminology
  • Describe the different stages of the pain pathway and sites for analgesia intervention
  • Understand the concept of multi-modal analgesia and pre-emptive analgesia

Module 2

Analgesia for the In-patient
  • Review the analgesia agents used to treat acute pain conditions:
    • Opioids
    • NMDA antagonists
    • Local anaesthetics
    • Alpha 2 agonists

Learning objectives
After completion of this module, participants should be able to:

 

  • Be familiar with the different systemic and local options for treating acute pain
  • Discuss balanced multi-modal analgesia plans for patients in the veterinary practice
  • Understand the mechanisms of action, effects and side effects of the listed analgesic agents

Module 3

Analgesia for the Out-patient
  • Review the analgesia options for managing pain on a longer term basis:
    • NSAIDs
    • Paracetamol
    • Tramadol
    • Gabapentin
    • Alternative therapies

Learning objectives
After completion of this module, participants should be able to:

 

  • Be familiar with the different systemic and alternative therapies for treating chronic pain
  • Discuss balanced multi-modal analgesia plans for patients at home
  • Understand the mechanisms of action, effects and side effects of the discussed analgesic interventions

Module 4

Pain Assessment Methods
  • Review the different pain scoring options for both in-patients and out-patients
    • Canine pain scales
    • Feline pain scales
    • Grimace scales
    • Chronic pain scales
  • Pitfalls and problems with pain assessment

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

 

  • Have a better understanding of the different pain assessment types
  • Appreciate where pain assessments can be beneficial for managing conditions and allowing for appropriate analgesia interventions in the hospitalised patient
  • Provide owners with the tools to monitor and assess their pet’s pain and quality of life at home
  • Describe the indications and contraindications for pain scoring

The course will be available immediately following purchase, with unlimited lifetime access and will provide a total of:
6 hours of CPD (UK)
6 points (Australia and New Zealand)
6 points (South Africa – SAVC Accreditation Number AC/2527/25)

Release date: May 2025

27 reviews for Pain and Analgesia – Flexi CPD

  1. Nerice H –

    Really enjoyed this course, good coverage of analgesia and pain pathways

    Rated: Intermediate level
    (Referral or specialist RVN – UK)

  2. Nicola F –

    I thought this course was very detailed, informative and easy to follow. I have learned a lot and feel much more confident in how the different drugs work and the side effects.

    Rated: Introduction / Intermediate / Advanced level
    (Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – UK)

  3. Zoe B –

    Very informative!

    Rated: Intermediate level
    (Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – UK)

  4. Kirsty P –

    this course was very informative, with information to build excellent pain management protocols for each individual patient and its needs.

    Rated: Introduction / Intermediate level
    (Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – UK)

  5. Conor W –

    Great course, loved the resources available.

    Rated: Introduction / Intermediate level
    (Newly qualified (<2 years) – UK)

  6. Cathie V –

    I have really enjoyed this course. It has been a good refresher. I have many ideas on how my practice can improve our pain management protocols.

    Rated: Intermediate level
    (Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – UK)

  7. Sharon D –

    Brilliant, informative, concise

    Rated: Intermediate level
    (Qualified RVN in general practice >5 years – UK)

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Speaker

Lisa Angell VTS (anaesthesia and analgesia), PgCert Vet Ed, FHEA, RVN
Head Anaesthesia Nurse, Royal Veterinary College

 

Lisa qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2007 and joined the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals at the Royal Veterinary College as a dedicated anaesthesia nurse in January 2010 following 7 years in general practice.  Lisa became head anaesthesia nurse in 2013.  In 2012, Lisa became board certified as a Veterinary Technician Specialist in anaesthesia and analgesia, and in 2020, Lisa graduated with a post graduate certificate in Veterinary Education. Lisa enjoys all aspects of anaesthesia but has a particular interest in locoregional analgesia techniques.

CPD Hours

This online course is worth 6 hours of CPD.

 

A certificate will be available from the ‘My Courses’ section, for you to download and print, once you have completed the course.  A permanent record of your total CPD hours will also be recorded in your account section.

AVNAT

Australia and New Zealand 

The Australian Veterinary Nurse and Technician (AVNAT) Regulatory Council has allocated 6 AVNAT CPD points to this continuing education activity.

 

This course is also recognised by the New Zealand Veterinary Nursing Association (NZVNA) as providing 6 CPD points.

 

SAVC

South Africa

The South African Veterinary Council (SAVC) has allocated 6 CPD points to this continuing education activity. Accreditation Number AC/2527/25)

Information

Upon purchase you will be immediately registered to attend the course, with unlimited lifetime access.  The course will consist of four modules, where each module provides one hour and thirty minutes of CPD, in the form of a tutorial, a quiz and also a selection of further reading journals, articles or book chapters.

 

The course is completely flexible, where all the learning resources are provided immediately – it is designed for you to complete one module per week, but it is completely up to you, how and when you decide to complete the course. You have unlimited lifetime access to all the supportive learning materials, and once you have completed the whole course, a certificate will be automatically generated.

 

Looking for some further information? – please have a look at our Flexi Online CPD Courses – PDF Guide

Levels

This course has been listed as ‘Intermediate’ level

 

All of our courses are aimed at veterinary nurses in general practice, but everyone who works in the veterinary profession is very welcome to attend, whether you are a clinical receptionist, veterinary surgeon, student nurse or have been a qualified nurse for over 20 years!

 

The courses are not formally assessed for skill level, so the following CPD levels are just a rough guide to help you decide if a course may be more or less suitable:

 

Introduction
– maybe most suitable for qualified nurses in general practice approaching a new topic or looking for a refresher course

Intermediate
– maybe most suitable for qualified nurses in general practice along with referral / specialist nurses looking for a refresher course

Advanced
– maybe most suitable for referral / specialist nurses and highly experienced qualified nurses in general practice

Invoice My Practice

Invoice

Debit or credit card is the preferred payment method

Please ask your practice manager or accounts department to visit the website, register an account in their own name, and during checkout, complete the ‘delegate name’ and ‘delegate email’ sections with your personal details.  We will then register you a personal account on your behalf, and transfer the course booking over to your new personal account.  We will of course email you all the information you need to access this new account and your CPD course.

 

If you need an invoice and no other payment method is available to you, then please email [email protected] with all the following information:

  • Full name of delegate
  • Email address for delegate
  • Course(s) booking
  • Any discounts / promotions being redeemed
  • Practice name and address
  • Invoice name and address (if different)
  • Corporate group name (Linnaeus, IVC, Medivet, VetPartners etc) (if applicable)
  • Practice code (eg Vet4Pets practices)
  • Booking / invoice reference (if required)
  • Email address to send the invoice (practice manager, accounts department or head office – not your own email address please)

Please note the following:

  • Invoices must be requested a minimum of 4-6 weeks prior to a course starting, to allow time for the payment to be received
  • Delegates will not be allowed access to any course without prior payment
  • An invoice will be emailed to the contact provided and the course booking will be reserved for 7 days, whilst payment via debit / credit card or BACS is arranged
  • There will be an administration fee of £2.50 +VAT per invoice generated. You may book multiple delegates / multiple courses on a single invoice to the same practice

Related Courses

Online CPD for Vet Nurses

Excel CPD specialises in providing online CPD for veterinary nurses and technicians all over the globe. Our courses are also fully approved by AVNAT for our nursing colleagues in Australia and New Zealand.

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