Veterinary nursing requires more than simply checking off boxes on treatment sheets, it involves thinking through the reasons for and the expectations from each treatment performed. This expectation plus the need to think on your feet in an emergency situation gives veterinary nurses a great opportunity for utilization in the emergency room. Using real cases from the emergency floor, this lecture will cover the importance of learning to think critically with every patient interaction. We’ll talk through patient triage both in the lobby and throughout stabilization, disease processes including shock physiology and recognition, treatment strategies utilizing fluid therapy and pain management, continued patient monitoring, and the importance of team communication. The audience is encouraged to participate in the many “what would you do” scenarios throughout the lecture.