Bronwyn conducted this research in her final year of the Veterinary Nursing and Companion Animal Behaviour programme. Presenting her work at BSAVA Congress 2025 is a significant achievement and one that highlights her dedication and passion for anaesthesia and feline medicine.
Bronwyn's_BSAVA_Poster (PDF, 130kB)
We caught up with Bronwyn to discuss her research, the challenges she faced and her future aspirations.
What inspired you to research feline peri-anaesthetic hypotension for your clinical abstract?
During my anaesthesia rotation as a student, I observed that several of the feline cases I was involved in developed hypotension under general anaesthesia (GA). This sparked my curiosity to investigate the underlying causes and assess whether current interventions effectively manage this condition.
What were your key findings?
My research identified a 49.4% incidence of hypotension in the study sample. Several factors were associated with an increased risk of feline peri-anaesthetic hypotension (FPAH), including:
• Increased age
• Being a non-pure breed
• Lack of intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV)
• Absence of an arterial line
On the other hand, the decreased risk factors included:
• Being female
• Undergoing surgical procedures
• Use of isoflurane to maintain GA
• Invasive blood pressure monitoring
• Longer anaesthetic durations
Furthermore, my study validated the effectiveness of fluid boluses, glycopyrrolate, dopamine and ephedrine in significantly increasing blood pressure.
Were there any challenges with your research and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge was keeping my research within the scope of a dissertation. The more I discovered, the more I wanted to explore! However, with the guidance of my dissertation supervisor, Amy Homer, and imminent deadlines, I managed to stay on track and focus on the key research objectives.
What was your favourite thing about the research project?
I really enjoyed the statistical analysis—seeing my hypotheses confirmed or refuted was incredibly rewarding. It was also a great experience to recognise the patients I had worked with during my rotations when reviewing GA sheets.
How was your experience at Bristol Veterinary School?
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Bristol Veterinary School—so much so that I am now a Nursing Graduate at Langford Vets Small Animal Referral Hospital. The advanced teaching, the hands-on experience and the people I have met along the way are some of the many reasons I wanted to stay.
What advice would you give to current Veterinary Nursing students?
Celebrate every milestone, whether it’s submitting an assignment, managing your first anaesthetic or placing your first IV catheter. It’s easy to get caught up in the pressure of achieving your degree but don’t forget to have fun and appreciate the journey along the way!
Do you have any career aspirations?
Anyone who knows me knows my goal: I want to be an anaesthesia vet nurse! I love the troubleshooting aspect and the opportunity to integrate all aspects of veterinary nursing into providing holistic anaesthesia and analgesia. In the future, I aspire to become a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in Anaesthesia and Analgesia, but who knows what the future holds!
Congratulations Bronwyn
The Bristol Veterinary School team are delighted for Bronwyn, none more so than her supervisor Amy Homer:
“I am incredibly proud of Bronwyn for being accepted to present a poster of her research at BSAVA Congress. This is an amazing achievement and is testament to Bronwyn’s hard work, dedication and continued positivity. It has been a privilege to support her throughout this academic journey.”
We look forward to seeing Bronwyn’s research showcased at BSAVA Congress 2025. Her dedication to veterinary nursing and anaesthesia is truly inspiring and we wish her continued success in her career.