ABSTRACT: Literature reveals that there are no trained veterinary nurses in Nigeria and nursing care in veterinary medicine is not well recognized. The role of veterinary nursing is significant, considering the need for people and animals to coexist in a healthy environment, and to prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases. In developed countries where the role of veterinary nurses is appreciated, they are involved in a wide range of care and treatment, providing skilled supportive care for sick animals and educating the owners on good standards of animal care. On this premise, the authors advocate the training of veterinary nurses in Nigeria.
Author(s)

Funmilayo Adeniyi Okanlawon RN PhD FWACN

Dr Funmilayo Okanlawon is a senior lecturer and acting head in the Department of Nursing, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a Fellow of the West African College of Nursing. He is a community health nurse consultant with a focus on health promotion, prevention and control of diseases including emerging zoonoses, which have become a threat to public health. His research work is concerned with health education interventions that will empower communities and vulnerable groups and promote infection control and health- seeking behaviour: He is an advocate of veterinary nursing in Nigeria.

Benjamin Obukowho Emikpe DVM PhD

Dr Benjamin Emikpe is a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Diagnostic Pathologist. He is a MacArthur Research Fellow and Visiting Scholar at the University of Putra Malaysia with a focus on the use of current diagnostic techniques of endemic and zoonotic livestock diseases in Nigeria, Malaysia and Ghana. He is a co-principal investigator of the MacArthur Foundation Grant on Higher Education for Control of Zoonoses in West Africa. He has vast experience in laboratory diagnosis of peste des petit ruminants (ovine rinderpest), pneumonic pasteurellosis, rabies and brucellosis. He advocates a ‘One Health’ concept in veterinary education and the establishment of veterinary nursing to complement veterinary practice in West Africa.

Keywords: Feature, Nursing, Curriculum

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 29 (09) • September 2014 • pp309-310

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