NEXT EVENT: Lyte It Up – Rapid Electrolyte Insights for Critical Decisions Register Here!
Welcome to Veterinary Care Training Academy
We believe in providing the best patient care, starting with training and education.
Elevate Care.
Empower Teams.
Excel in Practice.
We offer comprehensive assessments and tailored solutions to address all these aspects. With our expertise, your clinic can achieve unparalleled efficiency, elevate patient care, and foster a positive and productive working environment.
Elevate Your Veterinary Expertise with VCTA’s Premier Training Solutions!
Explore how to enhance veterinary care with our extensive training packages! We offer a variety of options, including in-clinic, online, and workshop-based sessions, specifically designed to meet the unique needs of your practice. Take advantage of a complimentary, no-obligation consultation to determine the most suitable approach for your team. Our training programs are tailored for Veterinarians, Technologists, Nurses, and Support Staff, ensuring that all participants gain access to the latest skills and knowledge. We address a wide range of essential topics, from basic to advanced nursing care, emergency and critical care (ECC), surgery, anaesthesia, trauma, and much more
Enhance your professional development with personalised training sessions tailored to your specific needs. Start with a complimentary 15-minute consultation with no obligation. Following this consultation, you will engage in a 60-minute online session specifically designed for you, accompanied by valuable resources, at a fee of $60. Additionally, we offer advantageous bulk deals for those interested.
Elevate your next event with VCTA’s unrivaled expertise! Join us in a journey to enhance veterinary care together! We’re eager to explore dynamic partnerships that inspire and innovate. Let’s make a difference!
Latest events
Join us for an upcoming event featuring hands-on workshops and expert sessions designed to elevate your skills and passion for animal care. At VCTA, we’re proud to support our community by empowering professionals and strengthening connections in animal health.
Veterinary Advanced Trauma Life Support (VetATLS) Practical Course
Email VCTA for Practical Sessions
This course presents core advanced trauma and life support concepts paired with clinical case scenarios. The online VetATLS Certification Course will be eligible for continuing education credits and will be required for further in-person, scenario-based simulation training.
VET Expo 2026
9th and 10th September 2026
VCTA will be hosting our first STAND at the 2026 Vet Expo in SYDNEY! Registration is free, so come along! Also lecturing on DAY ONE Animal Trauma Triage Scoring @1230 and hosting a panel on business start-ups @1530
Summer Emergencies: Snake Envenomation & Tick Paralysis
11th of October, 2026
Join VCTA for a focused, case‑based session on managing two of Australia’s most critical seasonal emergencies. Learn how to recognise early signs, interpret CK trends, apply tick scoring systems, and stabilise patients with confidence. Perfect for vets, nurses, techs, and students wanting practical, real‑world ECC skills.
Lyte It Up – Rapid Electrolyte Insights for Critical Decisions
14th of October, 2026
Lyte It Up: Rapid Electrolyte Insights for Nurses and Technologists is a fast, fundamentals‑focused session designed to give emergency and critical care nurses the core understanding they need when electrolytes go wrong. We’ll break down what each major electrolyte actually does in the body, why derangements matter, and the essential clinical cues for recognising highs and lows in unstable patients. Covering sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and chloride, this session keeps it simple, actionable, and directly relevant to nursing practice.
VetPrac Nurse & Tech Online Conference
7th and 8th of November, 2026
VetPrac: We are thrilled to announce a brand-new online conference built by veterinary nurses and techs, specifically for veterinary nurses and techs. Get hands-on with our hybrid workshops (limited spaces) with real kits to train with from the comfort of your home.
Filter This – The Renal System Decoded for Vet Nurses
1st December, 2026
Filter This: The Renal System Decoded takes GP nurses beyond the numbers to understand what the kidneys truly do and why they matter in every patient. This session unpacks the anatomy and physiology of the renal system, how filtration, perfusion, and waste elimination actually work and connects that knowledge to clinical nursing practice. From recognising early signs of renal compromise to understanding how fluid therapy and medications impact kidney function, this is your guide to decoding the body’s most powerful filter.
More Events Coming soon!
VetCare Talk Time
Out Now on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Podcast and iHeart Radio
Join us as we dive into the fascinating world of veterinary science in Australia. Each episode brings you the latest news and breakthroughs in the veterinary industry, insightful educational topics, and exclusive interviews with industry professionals. Discover their journeys, career progressions, and tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Whether you’re a seasoned vet, nurse or technologist, or simply passionate about animal care, Veterinary Care Training Academy’s podcast is your go-to source for all things veterinary.
Tune in and stay informed, inspired, and connected!
Want to be a part of an episode?
Who is behind VCTA?
Meet Melissa, a highly skilled professional with over ten years of rich experience in the veterinary field, encompassing both general practice and specialized areas.
As a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Emergency and Critical Care, her passion for these vital roles truly shines. Melissa is committed to lifelong learning, consistently seeking new educational opportunities to remain at the cutting edge of the industry. She wholeheartedly dedicates herself to training veterinarians, nurses, and technicians, recognizing that every team member is essential to the clinic’s success. By fostering growth and development, she aspires to unlock exciting case opportunities, enhance profitability, and most importantly, elevate patient care.
Join Melissa on her inspiring journey to transform veterinary practices and create a meaningful impact on the veterinary community!
As a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Emergency and Critical Care (ECC), her passion for these high-stakes areas is unmatched. She’s continuously expanding her expertise through ongoing education and qualifications to stay at the forefront of the industry.
Melissa is dedicated to training and educating veterinarians, nurses, and technologists. She firmly believes every team member is crucial to the clinic’s success. Through upskilling, she envisions opening doors to exciting new cases, boosting profits, and, most importantly, enhancing patient care.
Join Melissa on her mission to elevate veterinary practices and make a lasting impact on the veterinary community! 🚀
Qualifications
Accredited Veterinary Nurse
Registered Veterinary Nurse
Veterinary Nursing Specialist (ECC)
Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (ECC, GP, Sx)
Certificate IV Training and Assessment
Fear Free Elite Certified
First AID and CPR
Recover Rescuer BLS and ALS
VetATLS Instructor Certified
Experience
Graduated in 2014 with a Certificate IV in veterinary nursing, Melissa has extensive experience in a clinical setting. Her training was complete in an animal welfare setting and continued to grow to general practice, specialty, and referral settings
Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH) Currently, an Emergency and Critical Care nurse and a shift leader
Previous experience at Sydney University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (Camperdown) and Animal Referral Hospital (Homebush). Experience as an ECC nurse, surgery nurse, anaesthesia nurse, radiology nurse and small animal internal medicine nurse.
Trainer and assessor with a registered RTO for 6 years, teaching Certificate II Animal Studies and Certificate IV Veterinary Nursing
Veterinary Nurses Council of Australia (VNCA): Past Chair of NSW division and Current Vice Chair of Membership, volunteered since 2019
Current serving Board member for 2026-2029
Achievements
Lectured at the VNCA conference in 2021, 2022, 2025, and 2026
Published in the Australian Vet Nurse Journal (AVNJ) in 2022, 2023, 2024
Louise O’Dwyer VTS Aspiration Award recipient 2024
Lectured at Vet Expo Sydney 2024
Lectured for Centre of Veterinary Education 2025, 2026
2025 Vet Nurse and Technologist of the Year Finalist
Gap Only Veterinary Awards (GOVA) 2026 Team Member of the Year Award Finalist
Lectured at the First Asian Veterinary Nursing Conference 2026, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Received the 2026 Steve Haskins Memorial Scholarship
Published in The Veterinarian Magazine 2025
Goals
Continue to Lecture nationally and internationally
Continue to have veterinary publications
Contribute to a textbook by writing chapters
Become instructor-certified for the RECOVER initiative
Host First VetATLS practical course!
Complete mental health first aid certificate
