University College of Dublin

Today we had a fantastic industry visit to participate in the Veterinary Nursing program at the University College at Dublin. I think this was our most interactive college visit so far. We started the day by sitting in on a lecture on the cardiovascular system and then another lecture and tutorial on dosages and injections.

We were treated to a lovely lunch at the cafeteria and then joined a practical tutorial on urinalysis and examined cytology slides under the microscope - yes I am still working on my microscope "allergy"  :-) 

They had some fantastic specimens of parasites preserved in formalin which we nurses loved - its our perverse fascination with the gross things in veterinary science! Some of the nursing students then joined us for coffee and we chatted about the differences between our industry in Ireland and Australia. It was great just to have a chat and realise that we all do our job because we love it.

Finally our hosts took us on a guided tour of the University Hospital - another impressive training facility for the veterinary science and veterinary nurse students.

Our day ended by going to an Irish dinner show at Taylor's 3 Rock pub. This included dinner and an evening showcasing traditional Irish folk dance and music. Very entertaining - a good end to a great day.

Unfortunately we couldn't take photos at the University and I forgot to take still photos at the show - just short videos - so this is not a very pretty post :(   However tomorrow we go to the Irish National Horse Stud and Angelsey Equine Practise, so hopefully I will have some photos for you.

Our Dubin hotel - modern this time!