How VDS Supports VCI CVE Requirements for Vets & RVNs

With veterinary practices busier than ever, planning ahead for your 2026 VCI Continuing Veterinary Education (CVE) requirements can feel overwhelming. The good news is that your VDS membership provides access to a range of learning resources that can help veterinary practitioners and registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) meet their VCI CVE requirements more easily.

The Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) sets specific CVE requirements for both vets and veterinary nurses. While guidance is available on the VCI website, it is your responsibility to ensure you remain compliant and up to date with any changes to veterinary CVE requirements in Ireland.

What Counts Towards My VCI CVE Requirements?

The amount of CVE you must complete is determined by the VCI. When choosing CVE activities, it’s important to focus on learning that is both relevant to your role and beneficial to your practice.

VCI recognises a broad range of clinical and non-clinical CVE, including areas such as communication skills, leadership, practice management, and self-management. However, there are restrictions on how many CVE credits can be claimed for certain activities and subject areas.

Categories of VCI-Recognised CVE

VCI CVE activities generally fall into the following categories:

• Approved CVE courses - covering veterinary practice or nursing, animal health and welfare, management skills, or regulatory matters
• International CVE - courses organised or accredited outside the Republic of Ireland
• Independent study – reading professional journals or case studies, or engaging with relevant podcasts and online learning
• Organisational CVE – attending professional meetings, discussion groups, or serving on committees
• Practice visits – seeing practice at registered veterinary premises or accredited veterinary schools
• Presentation CVE – delivering presentations on veterinary medicine or nursing to professional or lay audiences
• Relevant written material – authoring content related to veterinary medicine or veterinary nursing
• Student supervision – supervising undergraduate veterinary or veterinary nursing students

How can VDS Membership Help with VCI CVE?

VDS membership offers vet and RVN members access to multiple learning opportunities that may count towards VCI CVE requirements, including:

• The VDS Newsletter - published three times a year and containing practical, real-world learning, risk management insights and real-life case examples with our famous cautionary tales.
• VDS Advice Notes – available on the VDS website*, written by expert claims advisers and covering topics such as medication dosing errors, managing client complaints, and working outside your main practice role
• VDS Training courses – available to members at a discounted rate. These cover essential non-clinical skills such as communication, leadership, resilience, and managing difficult situations. Training options include online learning, bespoke coaching, and whole-practice training. The VDS Training team can advise on courses that may meet VCI CVE criteria
• Using VetSafe - included in your VDS membership and available to all members of your practice team, VetSafe incorporates a confidential tool for reporting incidents and near misses. Resources and tools to support case discussions, morbidity and mortality rounds, reflective learning and shared insights from veterinary professionals are all available on the VetSafe website. Plus, there’s 6 hours of FREE CPD upon completion of our VetSafe Essentials course.
• Free webinars – available live or on demand, including joint webinar series delivered with organisations such as the BVA.

*You must be logged in as a VDS member to access certain resources.

Accessing Your VDS Member Benefits

If you or your practice has VDS cover but you’re unsure how to access your member benefits, or if you no longer have your log-in details, the VDS membership team can help. Contact us on +44 (0)1565 652737.

They can also assist if:

• You haven’t been receiving the VDS newsletter
• You’d like to switch from a printed to an email version
• You need to update your contact details or preferences

For the most up-to-date information on VCI CVE requirements, professionals should regularly check the VCI website.

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CPD Requirements for UK Members

For UK-based VDS members, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements are set by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and differ from those of the VCI. You can find full details on the RCVS website, as well as in our dedicated blog explaining RCVS CPD requirements.

VetSafe is provided by VDS Support Limited (trading as VDS Support). VDS Training Services Limited (trading as VDS Training) and VDS Support Limited are wholly owned subsidiaries of The Veterinary Defence Society Limited (VDS).