…even if you’ve never opened a research journal!

By Michelle Farrow, Small Animal Research Assistant at CVS

Evidence-Based Veterinary Nursing (EBVN) isn’t just for academics - it’s one of the fastest ways to boost your confidence, improve patient care, and stand out as a veterinary nurse. Here’s how to start using it in your daily work (and no, a Master’s degree isn’t required!)

1. Turn Everyday Questions Into Practice-Enhancing Actions

Noticed variation in how your team approaches wound care or fluid therapy? Got a hunch something could be done better? That’s your cue to get curious. The easiest way to get started with EBVN is to ask questions – Use the PICO framework (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) to shape clinical questions and search for evidence to support better decision-making. See more here.

2. Let the Evidence Come to You

You don’t need to spend hours digging through dusty text-books or reading endless research studies. Start with trusted summaries from BSAVA, RCVS Knowledge, or VetCompass. These resources translate the science into real-world veterinary practice. If you do have some time on your hands… use your PICO question to conduct a literature review. See more here. 

3. Combine Evidence With Experience

EBVN isn’t about replacing what you know, it’s about reinforcing and complementing your experience and clinical judgement with the best available evidence considering the individual patient, owner, and context (a concept called contextualised care - see more here). This is where opinion articles can be quite useful. 

4. Use EBVN in Consults, Kennels, and Clinics

EBVN isn’t just for academic projects… it can help improve triage protocols, anaesthetic monitoring, post-op care, and even client communication. If you’ve ever asked, “Why are we doing it this way?” or “Could we do this better?”- you’re already thinking like an EBVN advocate.

5. Make It a Team Sport

Raise questions during handovers, team meetings and even peri-operative team briefings. View inter-professional collaboration as an opportunity for evidenced-based veterinary nursing. These discussion encourage a culture of shared learning and accountability.

Final tip: Start small. Choose one topic you’re passionate about (feline stress in clinic, antibiotic use, nurse-led clinics), ask the questions and explore what the evidence says. One question can spark big improvements.

If you’d like to learn more about equipping yourself with the skills to lead in evidence-based veterinary nursing, why not attend our CVS Veterinary Nurses in Research CPD day! It is open to all experience levels, including beginners and students.

• 9.30am-4pm 16th September 2025 in Harrogate
• 9.30am-4pm 24th September 2025 in Bristol

Email me at: michelle.farrow@cvsvets.com for more information.