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veterinary nurse
Veterinary nurses help veterinary surgeons (vets) treat and look after sick and injured animals.
Nursing duties are the main part of their work. These include:
- holding animals and keeping them calm during treatment
- giving injections and drugs (under direction of the vet)
- collecting blood, urine and other samples and carrying out in-house lab work
- sterilising instruments
- taking x-rays
- preparing animals for operations
- assisting during operations by handing instruments and maintaining levels of anaesthetic
- carrying out minor procedures such as suture removal.
Other duties often include:
- taking care of in-patients (feeding, watering, cleaning quarters, grooming and exercising)
- conducting clinics for suture removal, post-operation checks and second vaccinations
- giving advice and information to owners about the care of their animals.
Some veterinary nurses have administrative and reception duties.
Hours and Environment
As a veterinary nurse you will work a 35 to 40-hour week, often with evening, weekend and on-call duties.
Your employer will usually provide uniforms and protective clothing.
Skills and Interests
To be a veterinary nurse you should:
- care about animals without being too sentimental
- be tactful and sympathetic with upset or nervous owners
- be calm and confident when handling animals
- be interested in sciences, particularly biology
- be prepared to carry out messy or unpleasant tasks
- be able to communicate well with owners and colleagues
- have some administrative and keyboard skills.
Entry
There are two ways in which you can qualify as a veterinary nurse:
- vocational training
- a degree or BTEC HND.
Vocational training
Most veterinary nurses train whilst working in Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) approved Training Practices (ATPs). To begin training you should:
- be aged at least 17
- have five GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3) including English and maths, and two science subjects.
You may be accepted with other comparable qualifications. If you are not sure if your qualifications will be suitable please check with RCVS – see Further Information below for contact details.
Visit the Veterinary Nurses section of the RCVS website for a list of ATPs. You can either contact the training practices directly to see if they have any vacancies or contact your nearest Veterinary Nursing Approved Centre (VNAC) – also listed on the RCVS website – which will give you details of its linked training practices.
If you do not have the required entry qualifications, you can take a one-year access qualification, the Level 2 Certificate for Animal Nursing Assistants. This is a day-release or distance-learning course. To do the course you must:
- be at least 16
- be working full or part-time as a nursing assistant in a suitable veterinary practice.
You can find details on the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) website – see Further Information for a link.
The City and Guilds National Certificate for Veterinary Care Assistants (0348) is also available in some areas.
Because there is a lot of competiton for this sort of work, it could give you an advantage if you get some relevant experience before looking for trainee or assistant positions. This could be with a local vet, or in other kinds of work with animals, such as at local kennels or RSPCA centres. This will show that you are keen and enthusiastic about the work, and will give you an idea of what the work involves.
Degree or BTEC HND
RCVS-approved veterinary nursing degree or BTEC HND courses include work experience placements, and combine the RCVS-approved training with the academic qualification.
To get on to these courses you will usually need at least two A levels/three H grades or equivalent qualifications, preferably in chemistry and biology and five GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3) including English language and maths and two sciences.
You should check with individual colleges and universities for details of the exact qualifications they require. You will find details of these on the Veterinary Nurses section of the RCVS website - see Further Information.
This way of qualifying could give you more career opportunities, such as research or teaching.
You may be able to get into this job through an apprenticeship scheme. Funding for apprenticeships is available for 16-24 year olds and some over-25s. To find out more, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk. For information about apprenticeships in other parts of the UK, see Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Training
When you are qualified and experienced, you can add to your skills and knowledge by doing short courses or further qualifications, including:
- RCVS Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing (Surgical/Medical)
- RCVS Certificate in Equine Veterinary Nursing
- BVNA Pharmacy Management for Veterinary Nurses
- BVNA Certificate in Dentistry.
You could develop your career prospects by taking higher qualifications such as HND, foundation degree or degree courses. You should check entry requirements with individual colleges and universities.
Opportunities
Most jobs are with vets in general practice, but you might also be able to find work with:
- animal welfare societies like the PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals), RSPCA or Blue Cross
- veterinary hospitals
- equine establishments
- university veterinary schools
- research establishments.
A few veterinary nurses work in zoos and animal laboratories.
With experience you could become practice manager, or work in specialised veterinary referral centres. You could also do further study to become a lecturer or researcher, or move into the pharmaceutical or pet supplies industries.
Annual Income
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
Starting salary is around £10,000 a year.
Experienced veterinary nurses can earn up to around £16,000.
Senior veterinary nurses can earn around £18,000.
Income for veterinary nurses varies according to their employer, geographical location and experience. Some veterinary nurses may be provided with accommodation.
Further information
Belgravia House 62-64 Horseferry Road London SW1P 2AF Tel: 020 7222 2001
http://www.rcvs.org.uk
82 Greenway Business Centre Harlow Business Park Harlow Essex CM19 5QE
Tel: 01279 408644
http://www.bvna.org.uk
31 Market St
Fordham
Ely
Cambridgeshire
CB7 5LQ
Tel: 01638 723555
Stoneleigh Park
Nr Coventry
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 0845 707 8007
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Site Disclaimer
The information contained in our Career Profiles Database was correct at time of publishing, but since publication certain details may have changed so please use this section as a research tool and in some cases further research may be required.
Careers Database Information By Learn Direct Advice