Course Overview
If you’re ready to start training as a veterinary nurse, this course will give you the chance to further your career providing nursing care for sick animals. Once you’ve completed the course, you’ll be eligible to register on the veterinary nurses’ register*.
…those who enjoy caring for animals
…anyone working in a small animal veterinary practice
…training as a veterinary nurse
The course is designed to give you the opportunity to gain practical nursing clinical competency based on an underpinning knowledge of veterinary nursing practice to further your veterinary career. You can then become eligible for entry onto the veterinary nurses’ register*. Experts from the field of animal care and veterinary nursing will deliver guest lectures, and you’ll take part in discussion forums and group work.
You’ll need to be fully committed to attending college for one day a week for a total of 36 weeks per year for 2 years, and to carrying out study in your own time. You’ll be assessed through:
- Group critiques
- Projects
- Portfolio of work
- Presentations
- Reports
- Written and practical examinations
On completion, you’ll gain a LANTRA Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing, after which you’ll be eligible to register as a veterinary nurse*.
*You’ll be eligible to join the RCVS Register of Veterinary Nurse and will be a fully qualified veterinary nurse once you have successfully completed the Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing, the RCVS nursing progress log and LANTRA objective structured clinical examinations and have a log of 1800 hours in your training practice.
You’ll need at least 5 GCSEs at grade C or above, which must include Maths, English Language (or Welsh First Language) and at least 1 science subject.
You’ll also need to be employed in a small animal veterinary practice – if yours is not already a Training Practice, we’ll work with them to gain Training Practice status.
The fees for this course are:
Year 1 = £643 (comprising £325 LANTRA Learner Registration and Diploma Certification Fees, £228 RCVS Student Veterinary Nurse Enrolment Fee, £45 Online MCQ Exam Fee First Attempt x 2)
Year 2 = £485 (comprising £350 OSCE Fee, £45 Online MCQ Exam Fee First Attempt x 3)
Subsequent attempts for Online MCQ Exam Fee (£45) and the OSCE (£350) are charged to the Learner for each attempt.
