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Careers guide to veterinary nursing

A veterinary nurse Thinking of a career as a vet nurse?

  • Are you a caring person who loves animals?
  • Do you enjoy practical, hands-on and technical work?
  • Do you want to make a difference to animals and people?

If the answer to the questions above is yes, a career in veterinary nursing could be for you!

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Two VNs with a catWhat is veterinary nursing?

Veterinary nurses support vets in treating and caring for sick animals. They look after companion animals such as dogs, cats or even horses, and they also work in diverse areas that require their expertise, such as exotic species, wildlife or zoos.

Being a veterinary nurse is very rewarding. You'll work in a supportive team of professionals providing exceptional care for animals, supporting their owners, and promoting the importance of animal health and welfare.

What can a veterinary nurse do?

Veterinary nurses enjoy a huge amount of variety in their work. They perform lots of different duties, supervised and directed by a veterinary surgeon, including:

  • Providing expert nursing care to animals, including monitoring temperature, pulse, breathing, pain, and ensuring they are receiving the correct medication.
  • Assisting with surgical procedures and performing certain minor surgeries.
  • Conducting consultations and providing healthcare advice to owners.
  • Taking blood samples.
  • Handling animals for examinations and procedures.
  • Running blood tests and other diagnostic tests using complex laboratory machines.
  • Wound care, including applying bandages and dressings.
  • Analysing parasites and other clinical samples under a microscope.
  • Monitoring animals under anaesthesia.
  • Preparing the operating theatre for a variety of surgeries.
  • Taking X-rays of animals and performing other diagnostic imaging procedures, such as ultrasound scans.

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What is a registered veterinary nurse (RVN)?

After you have completed your veterinary nursing studies, passed your exams and qualified, you must apply to become a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). As an RVN, you will have to follow the professional standards set by the RCVS. RVNs also need to keep their skills and knowledge up to date and must complete at least 15 hours of continuing professional development every year. This can include, training, courses, webinars or learning in a veterinary practice or workplace.

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Why choose veterinary nursing?

Veterinary nursing is an exciting and rewarding career with lots of benefits. Here are five great reasons to choose a career in veterinary nursing.

1. Make a difference

As a veterinary nurse, you will be able to help many people and have a positive impact on the health and welfare of their animals.   Veterinary nurses provide care for animals, help to prevent illness through giving advice and are a key member of the veterinary team. Veterinary nurses may also play a vital role in supporting the health and wellbeing of wildlife, endangered animals and other animals in need of help.

2. Variety of opportunities

Once you have qualified as a veterinary nurse, there are lots of exciting environments you can work in, including:

  • General, specialist or emergency and critical care practices.
  • Zoos, conservation and research.
  • Charities (for example the RSPCA and the PDSA).
  • Education and teaching.
  • Senior roles, including practice management and ownership.
  • Overseas roles.
  • Other roles such as animal behaviour, physiotherapy, laboratory work and opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry.

While veterinary nurses are trained to help all animals, you can choose to expand your knowledge of a particular species, for example, small animals, horses, exotic animals, large animals or wildlife.

3. Every day is different

No two days are the same for a veterinary nurse. Your daily duties can differ depending on the type of patients you are caring for, the amount of care they need, and the role and responsibilities you have within your workplace.

4. Be in demand

The veterinary industry is growing in the UK, with veterinary nursing training practices and veterinary hospitals being developed, and an increasing number of animal health-based courses available.

5. Never stop learning

As a veterinary nurse, every day means learning something new. Once you have qualified and are a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN), there is always room to grow and expand your knowledge through everyday learning, continuing professional development and additional qualifications.

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What is the salary of a veterinary nurse?

In the UK, the average salary for a veterinary nurse varies depending on the level of experience, the type of practice that they are employed in and where it is based. For example, in 2020, a newly qualified veterinary nurse could expect to earn up to approximately £22,000 per annum, whereas a veterinary nurse who has more experience will typically earn a higher salary.

The role of a senior, more experienced veterinary nurse carries more responsibilities, and this will be reflected by their salary.

Veterinary nurses working in education and other areas of the industry may receive a higher salary, depending on their qualifications and experience.

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Important subjects and routes into veterinary nursing

To become a veterinary nurse, you must complete an RCVS-accredited veterinary nursing qualification and carry out 1,800 hours of clinical training within an approved training practice.

There are two different routes you can follow:

  •  Further education route
    • Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing, usually over a two-three-year period.
    • Complete clinical training days within a registered training practice.
    • Possibility to complete your training through an apprenticeship.
  • Higher education route
    • Usually a foundation degree (FdSc) or bachelor’s degree (BSc) in veterinary nursing.
    • Placement training completed as one full placement year, day-release or several shorter placement blocks throughout the course.
    • Enrolment as a Student Veterinary Nurse (SVN)

Whichever is your chosen route, you must be enrolled as a Student Veterinary Nurse (SVN) with the RCVS to legally allow you to carry out certain practical tasks during your training.

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General entry requirements

  • You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements set by the awarding organisation or university for your chosen qualification.
  • You will typically need a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade C/level 4 and above including Maths, English and a science.
  • You will also need to meet the RCVS Day One Skills and Competences for Veterinary Nurses. These are the minimum skills and competences expected of a veterinary nurse when they complete their and join the RCVS Register.
  • You should explore the options open to you by doing some research and attending university and college open days to widen your knowledge and ensure you know what the different entry and study requirements involve.

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Case study: Jade

VN case study - JadeWhat have you enjoyed during your course?

The depth and level of understanding which you need to have as a veterinary nurse. The more I learn, the more I want to learn! I am also blessed with a wonderful class - we are a group of varying ages, backgrounds, locations and experience, all united by our love of animals and the fact we started our training at the same time. More than that, we are extremely supportive of each other.

Do you have any thoughts about your future career – do you have a career path you’re interested in following?

I love learning, research, and writing and the opportunity to be able to contribute and help improve patient care is something that is a strong drive in me. Clinical animal behaviour and welfare is an area which particularly interests me, so I will hopefully be looking to further my education based on this.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about vet nursing?

You will never stop learning throughout your career, because it is learning, and learning from mistakes, which will make you an exceptional nurse.

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What are the qualities of a future veterinary nurse?

The ideal candidate for veterinary nursing is someone who is caring, passionate about animals, likes working with and helping people, is practical, has the ability to be able to use technical equipment and has an interest in promoting animal health and welfare to make a difference within society.

Here are some of the attributes of a great RVN:

  • Communication - effective communication is vital in the veterinary profession, both between team members and with the public.
  • Practical outlook - veterinary nurses should be able to complete complex tasks.
  • Dedication - students must be committed to studying for their qualification. Student veterinary nurses can study up to 12 hours per day, so you’ll need to be passionate about your career choice.
  • Teamwork - teamwork is essential in the veterinary profession. Veterinary teams must work effectively together to provide the best care possible. The veterinary profession can be technically, physically and emotionally demanding, and teamwork is critical for supporting each other.
  • Ethical values - veterinary nurses sometimes have difficult ethical decisions to make. They must show moral principles and follow the professional standards of their regulator.

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Is veterinary nursing for you?

So, what do you think? Is veterinary nursing for you? What are the next steps?

Here are some of the next steps you could take to begin your journey to becoming an RVN.

  • Attend college and university open days.
  • Look for work experience in veterinary practices, farms and equestrian centres and volunteer at rescue and wildlife centres, kennels and other animal-care facilities.
  • Prepare an application letter and references for work experience or voluntary roles.
  • Talk to veterinary nurses – they are very passionate about their work and will help you where they can.
  • Do plenty of research about veterinary nursing and the veterinary profession to find out as much as possible.

RCVS Accredited Higher Education Qualifications in Veterinary Nursing 

View a full list of providers.

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Websites that offer more information about veterinary nursing

Please note: this careers content is based on original content produced by the VN Futures project - a joint initiative from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA).

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