Katie Whalley, a veterinary nurse at Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital, has been awarded the first ever MSD Animal Health Veterinary Nurse Research Bursary.

Katie (pictured right) was awarded £1,000 for her research into the use of an ATP bioluminescence meter to monitor cleaning, with the aim of improving hospital hygiene.

The research is part of her study towards her Certificate in Surgical Nursing.  

Katie said: "While we don’t have a clinical infection problem at our hospital I believe that there is always a need to improve hygiene standards across the industry as a whole. My aim is to prove that there are easily implementable, and affordable, processes that will improve the hygiene levels of the clinical areas in which I will work. I hope that this can then be rolled out further across the hospital and implemented across our branches and the veterinary industry as a whole."

Michelle Townley, veterinary advisor at MSD Animal Health said: "As the first veterinary nurse to receive one of our research bursaries it’s appropriate that this has been awarded for work that can easily support future developments within the industry. We are committed to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals so this piece of research fits well with this important goal.

MSD Animal Health launched its first Veterinary Nurse Research Bursary last year, adding to its existing vet surgeon and vet student schemes. One £1000 bursary has been made available to the student or qualified veterinary nurse in the UK with the best research project application. It offers an opportunity to win additional prizes of £1,000 and £500 for the best research projects and presentations at the MSD Animal Health’s Research Bursary Day in June 2020.

For further details go to the MSD Animal Health Research Bursary website at www.msdahresearchbursary.co.uk.

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