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The Vet Nurse Hacker Podcast

The Vet Nurse Hacker Podcast

By: Victoria Koks
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 Welcome to the Vet Nurse Hacker Podcast, your go-to source for all things veterinary nursing! Dive into the vibrant world of veterinary life with Vicky as she uncovers the secrets, tips, and hacks that you won't find in any textbook. From heartwarming stories to practical advice, we explore the highs and lows of being a vet nurse. Whether you're looking for motivation, education, or a good laugh, this podcast is here to inspire, inform, and entertain. Tune in and discover how to elevate your career and make the most out of your journey in veterinary nursing!Copyright Vet Nurse Hacker Biological Sciences Career Success Economics Science
Episodes
  • Beransa Backlash: Sorting Science from Speculation with Babs Tasker

    Beransa Backlash: Sorting Science from Speculation with Babs Tasker
    Aug 31 2025
    Beransa Backlash: Sorting Science from Speculation

    Guest: Babs Tasker, Emergency & Critical Care Vet Nurse, Veterinary Territory Manager
    Host: Vicky the Vet Nurse

    Length: ~1 hr 21 mins
    🔍 Episode Summary: This episode dives head-first into one of the most contentious conversations in vet med right now: the backlash surrounding Beransa (Librela). With headlines, social media spirals, and speculation dominating the narrative, it’s time to pause, unpack the science, and get curious—not chaotic.

    Our guest, Babs Tasker, is a powerhouse ECC vet nurse with over 30 years in the industry and now a Veterinary Territory Manager at Zoetis. She's here to share insights from the clinic floor and the regulatory world, addressing concerns around Beransa’s safety, the now-infamous Farrell study, updated labels, post-approval data, and the truth behind those adverse event reports.

    This isn’t a sponsored episode. There’s no editorial input from Zoetis—just two vet professionals having an open, honest, and evidence-based conversation about how we can advocate for our patients through clarity, not fear.

    💬 What We Cover:
    • What Beransa (Librela) is and how it works as a monoclonal antibody
    • What the updated APVMA and FDA labels really mean
    • How post-approval pharmacovigilance works (and why it matters)
    • A breakdown of the Farrell et al. (2025) case series and its limitations
    • The dangers of correlation vs. causation in the age of TikTok and fear-based posts
    • How to navigate misinformation, emotional backlash, and clinical bias
    • Real-world success stories from clinics using Beransa
    • How to use client information sheets, monitor side effects, and report concerns
    • How to hold space for concern without discarding innovation


    🛠️ Resources & Links:
    • 18.1M Dose Pharmacovigilance Report (Zoetis)
    • Zoetis Client Information Sheet
    • Bedinvetmab vs Meloxicam clinicial study
    • Beransa Canine OA Flow Chart
    • Zoetis response to recent publications re RPOA
    • Read the Farrell et al. (2025) Case Series in Frontiers in Vet Science
    ✉️ Got Questions?
    We want to hear from you. Email us at vetnursehacker@gmail.com or DM @vickythevetnurse or @vetnursehacker with your questions or feedback. We’ll be adding follow-up resources in the show notes as needed!

    💌 Final Word: If you’re a vet nurse, vet, or student feeling overwhelmed by the noise—this episode is for you. It’s okay to have questions. It’s okay to be uncertain. But let’s commit to staying informed, open, and always advocating for what matters most: our patients.
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Just a Vet Nurse, Asking to Be Seen: Laura Bennington on ECC, Leadership & Changing the Game

    Just a Vet Nurse, Asking to Be Seen: Laura Bennington on ECC, Leadership & Changing the Game
    Aug 24 2025
    Just a Vet Nurse, Asking to Be Seen: Laura Bennington on ECC, Leadership & Changing the Game

    🩺 Episode Summary:
    In this deeply honest and empowering episode of the Vet Nurse Hacker Podcast, we sit down with Laura Bennington, RVN, VTS (ECC)—Emergency & Critical Care specialist, educator, and founder of VEST (Veterinary Emergency Specialty Training).

    From her early days in general practice in the UK to her move to Australia, Laura shares the winding, wonderful (and at times wobbly) path that led her to advanced certification, founding her own CE platform, and becoming a fierce advocate for vet nurse value.

    We unpack the must-haves for your crash cart, triage mistakes to avoid, how to grow confidence in emergency settings, and why leadership doesn’t require a title. And then we go even deeper—into what it really means to say, “I’m just a vet nurse, standing in front of an industry, asking it to value me.”

    Whether you're a seasoned ECC nurse, new to the game, or somewhere in between—this one will hit your heart and your clinical brain.

    🧠 What We Cover:
    • Laura’s journey from Scotland to Australia—and from self-doubt to VTS
    • What inspired her to launch VEST, and why nurse-focused CE matters
    • Must-have items for every crash cart (yes, including suction!)
    • The art of rapid triage and managing five blocked cats at once
    • The real difference between experience and empowerment
    • How to build confidence, speak up, and advocate in high-pressure environments
    • Why retention isn't solved by pizza—and what vet nurses actually need
    • The problem with title protection (and how unqualified roles hurt all of us)
    • Hope, burnout, identity, and why ECC is more human than we think
    ⚡ Rapid Fire Fun:
    • If ECC was a cocktail? 🍸
    • The weirdest (and most satisfying) foreign body story
    • One thing Laura wishes every vet nurse knew
    • Her guilty pleasure post-shift ritual
    • Why “Pred Before Dead” is a thing (sort of)
    📲 Connect with Laura Bennington:
    • Instagram: @laurarvn.vest
    • Courses & CE: invest.thinkific.com
    • Email: vet.emergency.specialty.training@gmail.com
    🐾 Loved this episode?

    Tap follow, leave a review, or share it with the vet nurse who needs to hear this.
    For more real talk and deep dives, follow @vetnursehacker and @vickythevetnurse.

    Check out Uncage Me — our signature course for veterinary professionals ready to reclaim their joy - www.vetxir.com
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Surfing C02 Waves: How to Spot Shark Fin and The Leak on a Capnograph

    Surfing C02 Waves: How to Spot Shark Fin and The Leak on a Capnograph
    Aug 11 2025
    Surfing the CO₂ Waves: How to Spot Shark Fin & The Leak on a Capnograph

    🎧 Vet Nurse Hacker Podcast – Episode 10
    Capnography isn’t just a bunch of squiggly lines — it’s your patient’s ventilation story, written in real time.

    And in this episode, we’re zeroing in on two triangle-shaped waveforms that can trip you up if you don’t know what you’re looking at: The Shark Fin and The Leak.

    You’ll learn:
    🐟 The Shark Fin – What it means when your capnograph slopes up during exhalation (hint: it’s an outflow resistance problem), what causes it in vet patients, and exactly how to troubleshoot it before things get hairy.

    🎈 The Leak – How to spot that right-sloping triangle that says gas is sneaking out where it shouldn’t, the most common culprits in practice, and the fast checks that can fix it before your patient’s ventilation or airway protection is compromised.

    🧠 Memory hacks so you can instantly recognise which triangle you’re looking at, even under pressure.

    🛠 Real-life scenarios from the treatment room so you can see these waveforms in action — from cats with deflating cuffs mid-dental, to Yorkies with airway collapse. Whether you’re new to anaesthesia monitoring or you’ve been staring at capnographs for years, this episode will make sure you never mix up these two lookalikes again — and that you know exactly what to do when you spot them.

    📎 Resources & Extras:
    • Visual waveform cheat sheet (Shark Fin vs. Leak)
    • Quick-reference nurse action checklist for both waveforms
    • Links to more capnography deep dives from trusted veterinary sources
    💬 Have you spotted a Shark Fin or a Leak in one of your patients? Share your story and tag me — I love hearing how you’re putting these skills into action.
    @vickythevetnurse
    @vetnursehacker
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
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