Stonebridge logo
  • Courses

    Course Categories

    Nursing Midwifery Health Professionals Social Science Medicine and Healthcare Professions Science Humanities Business & Management Social Work Education All Access to Higher Education
    A Level Psychology A Level Biology A Level Chemistry A Level English Language A Level Maths A Level Accounting A Level English Literature A Level Sociology A Level Business Studies A Level Physics A Level History A Level Economics
    GCSE Psychology GCSE Biology GCSE Chemistry GCSE Economics GCSE English Literature GCSE Sociology GCSE Business Studies GCSE Physics GCSE History GCSE (9-1) English Language GCSE (9-1) Mathematics Foundation Tier
    Accountancy and Bookkeeping Law and Business Management Customer Care Human Resources (HR) Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) Sales and Marketing Business Skills Healthcare Skills Law Skills IT Skills
    Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Coaching Early Years Educator and Childcare Education and Teaching Education, Teaching and Coaching Personal and Parenting Teaching Assistant
    Anatomy and Physiology Animal Care CBT, Psychotherapy and Counselling Complementary Therapies Foot Health Practitioner Health and Social Care Nutritional Sciences Psychology Sports and Fitness Stress Management
    English and Maths Functional Skills GCSE
    Agriculture, Horticulture and Gardening Animal Care Art and Photography Beauty, Hair and Nails CBT, Psychotherapy and Counselling Conservation and Environment Criminology and Security Hospitality, Catering and Event Management Travel, Tourism & Aviation Web Design and IT Writing and Journalism
    Canine and Feline Qualifications Animal Welfare Qualifications Veterinary and Zoology Qualifications All Veterinary Science and Animal Care Qualifications
  • How it works
  • Help and support
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Access My Learning
  • View My Basket
Student Login

OR

Click here to login
Atom LMS Logo

Forgot Password?

  • Stonebridge Home
  • Our Blog
Our Blog
April 9, 2021

How to Become a Veterinary Nurse

Written by Fiona
Stonebridge - How to Become a Veterinary Nurse

A career in veterinary nursing puts you on the front line of animal care. You will play a pivotal role in nursing animals back to good health. But to become a Veterinary Nurse takes a combination of soft skills, training, commitment and the right kind of mindset.

As with many careers, you must be an effective communicator to deal with pet owners, vets and support staff. A strong attention to detail is essential to administer medication and monitor vital signs. Plus, you need to be competent working on your own or as part of a team when required.

But aside from these general skills, there are others you need to possess to be a successful Veterinary Nurse. It’s a job that’s a world away from the regular 9-5 and as such the responsibilities and working environment differ greatly.

To give you some extra insight, we’ve detailed more about what to expect from the role below. Plus, the various ways you can get qualified and gain work experience, so you know the next steps to take.

Stonebridge - Become a Veterinary Nurse

Is Veterinary Nursing right for me?

Veterinary Nursing is a career that requires study and training before you can assume the role to ensure you are capable of delivering the best possible care. As such, you want to be sure about the career choice you’re making before you start working towards it.

It has to be said that it’s not a role suited to everyone. Yes, you get to work with animals, but there’ll be plenty of occasions where you’re faced with emotional challenges.

Unfortunately, it won’t always be a positive outcome for your patients. And in these situations, you’ll have to be prepared to euthanise animals to relieve them of their suffering. A large part of this is helping the animal caregivers come to terms with this outcome and their loss.

You may also encounter cases of abuse and neglect, which can be equally difficult to work with. In cases like these, you may be required to seek help from relevant animal services. Or you may need to educate caregivers on how to provide proper care for their animals.

As well as being emotionally challenging, being a Veterinary Nurse requires a certain level of physical ability. As a senior employee within the clinic, your skills and assistance will be in demand. A high percentage of your time is spent dealing with animal caregivers and owners. So, you need to be comfortable working alongside both animals and humans in a physical role. Plus, have the ability to remain strong and professional and be an excellent communicater in difficult situations.

Stonebridge - Vet Support

Ways to Become a Veterinary Nurse

If you’re ready to get started on your route into Veterinary Nursing, you have two options you can take. You can either study a university course or go through vocational training depending on how you prefer to learn. But either option requires completing a course approved by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). Which also has to include a full-time period of practical nursing training in approved facilities.

Vocational Training

This more hands-on route is the fastest way into the role. It requires you to study a Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing. But you have the choice to complete it full-time or as an advanced apprenticeship alongside employment in a veterinary practice. A number of employers of trainee Vet Nurses on apprenticeships offer to pay for their fees as part of the role.

Should you choose to study your diploma full-time, you’ll gain your practical experience from separate employment or a work placement. Which still allows you to combine classroom and workplace education, perfect for the practical learner.

To enrol onto a Level 3 Diploma you typically need 4/5 GCSEs above grade C/4. These must include English, Maths and a Science, you’ll also need to have relevant work experience.

View RCVS accredited colleges here, or apply for student/apprentice nurse employment within an approved training practice.

University

A longer route that involves more academic learning before practical training is through university. With degrees, such as a BA (Hons) in Veterinary Nursing, typically lasting 3-4 years.

This is because they take more time exploring the theory behind the veterinary practice. However, you’ll still get the same level of work experience through approved training practices before you qualify.

This option is often best suited to those who like to learn a subject back to front before working. So you can focus on gaining all the knowledge you need before applying it within real-life veterinary environments.

Degrees also open doors to other career paths, since you can study postgraduate courses in specialist areas like animal physiotherapy.

GCE, A Level or alternate Level 3 qualifications are required for university, as well as GCSEs. Plus, you’ll need evidence of practical work experience in a veterinary setting. Every university has its own entry requirements though, so it’s always best to check what these are beforehand.

There are numerous RCVS-accredited degrees in veterinary nursing available to study.

Stonebridge - Vet Support Career

The Work Experience Needed

Both vocational courses and university degrees require relevant work experience to be accepted. But this can be gained within animal-related environments like catteries, kennels or rehoming centres, as well as veterinary practices. This helps aspiring Veterinary Nurses since competition for work experience can be fierce.

When you’re ready to take on your official workplace training, you’ll need to be enrolled with the RCVS. This enables you to legally perform the procedures that are included within your training. Once your training is complete and you’re officially qualified, you can register with the RCVS as a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN).

Get Started With An Online Course

If you’re considering a veterinary career, there are many online courses that allow you to explore the field.

For instance, a Veterinary Nursing Assistant Level 2 Diploma is a great way to start building your knowledge. You can learn about Veterinary Nursing in more detail and see if it’s a role you’d like to pursue.

Though it teaches you to become a Veterinary Nurse Assistant, you’ll learn about Veterinary Practises and the roles within them. Plus, other essential information on animal welfare, health, hygiene, cleaning and disinfection, the terminology used in clinics and more.

Once completed, you’ll be equipped to assume a Veterinary Nursing Assistant role. As well as have a much clearer picture of what it means to become a Registered Veterinary Nurse. 

As this course requires students to find their own practical placement at Veterinary practise, you’ll also get the hands-on experience needed for vocational training or university. So, you can study the online component at home, then organise your practical training for a time that suits.

Stonebridge Associated Colleges is the leading UK distance learning provider. Find out more about our veterinary courses by clicking the link to our Veterinary Nursing Assistant Level 2 Diploma below.

Stonebridge - Get Started in Veterinary Support
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn


More from Animal Care Courses and Advice Veterinary and Animal Courses and Advice

Veterinary Nursing Veterinary Nursing Career Veterinary Support

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Our Associations.

fld cma ncfe-logo abc awards asso. for coaching ccc mo ecdl fht ahha European Union Social Fund Logo BIIAB Innovate Awarding Open College Network West Midlands RFHP world fia nus cache vtct activeiq

What our customers think.

Trustpilot

Sign up to our Newsletter.

There's a whole lot happening at Stonebridge and in the world of learning. Sign up for our newsletter and you'll be among the first to know about it! All fields are required.

Stonebridge logo
Stonebridge Associated Colleges Limited is registered with the UK Register of Learning Providers: UK Provider Reference Number is 10006352.
Cookie policy | Data Protection and Privacy Statement Content and Images © Stonebridge Colleges. All rights reserved, 2021.
  • Community
  • Privacy Notice
  • Careers
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Distance Learning Courses
  • Home Learning Courses
  • Home Study Courses
  • Blog
  • Request Prospectus
  • FREE when you enrol
  • Refer a Friend
  • Information for USA Students
Chat with us