As simple as these steps may be, it can still be a challenge to get your foot in the veterinary door. But don’t give up. Working with animals is a very rewarding role.
Here I will advise you on the best way possible to get on your way to training as a student veterinary nurse (SVN) in the UK.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is the regulatory body for vets in the UK. Only RCVS-accredited veterinary nursing qualifications obtained through colleges or universities are accepted.
Once completed, your name will be put on the nurses’ register and you will be able to practice as a fully registered veterinary nurse (RVN) in the UK.
| Further education: | Level 3 Diploma |
| Higher Education: | Foundation degree in science (FdSc) or Bachelor of science honours degree (BSc Hons) |
Further education (also referred to as vocational training)
A practical route for those wanting more hands-on training in an approved training practice (TP). A TP is where your clinical training will take place; this will be your new home!
College attendance may be one day per week (day-release) or every day for two to three consecutive weeks (block-release). The course duration is roughly between two and three years.
Be aware you have to have a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grades A-C/4-9 including English, maths and science. GCSE equivalents are accepted, however, this may differ between the course providers.
One example of a GCSE equivalent is Level 2 Functional Skills in English and Maths.
It is always best to check with the course provider, as you may already fulfil the requirements and therefore need not sit further exams.
The following are the steps:
- Check out social media accounts of both student and qualified vet nurses to see what the job involves – trust me when I say there are plenty of IG accounts out there. YouTube has plenty of videos describing the daily life of a vet nurse as well.
- Head over to the RCVS website and make a list of TPs in your area.
- E-mail each practice with a cover letter and an up-to-date CV to see if they are currently taking on student vet nurses.
- Keep an eye out for online job advertisements. Some practices may use general job sites like Indeed, while others may use a more veterinary industry-focused site such as Vet Times.
- If you are successful and get invited for an interview, go through possible interview questions. Most definitely you will be asked why you want to become a vet nurse. So have a good think about why you do. Come up with a couple of questions for you to ask – what would a typical day look like for a trainee? for example.
- If you have little to no animal experience, I recommend you volunteer with animals to gain. This will significantly improve your CV, ultimately giving it an edge. Record down any skills you may have learnt or knowledge you may have developed.
I know someone who initially started as a volunteer at an animal charity hospital and ended up qualifying as a veterinary care assistant (VCA) several years later. Who knows where this volunteer work will lead you.
Examples of volunteering:
Vet practice Kennels Cattery Wild-life shelter Stables Rescue centre Farm Zoo
Check out the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) volunteer page.
If a training position is currently not available, they may keep your CV on file and contact you should a future position arise. Try not to be too disheartened.
Another approach would be to acquire a job as a veterinary receptionist or a VCA – however, this would involve some training. Here you are already working at the practice and may get first dibs if a trainee vet nurse position does become available.
Higher education at a university
A higher academic route based mainly in the classroom. TP placements are organised through the university and commence in the second or final year.
The FdSc course is roughly three years long and the BSc Hons is about four years.
Be aware you have to have a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grades A-C/4-9 including English, maths and science or GCSE equivalent. In addition to one or more of the following qualifications:
- A-levels
- Scottish Highers
- Irish Highers
- Welsh Baccalaureate
- International Baccalaureate
- Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) Level 3 extended diploma
- City & Guilds (C&G) National Proficiency Tests Council (NPTC) extended diploma
- Access to Higher Education (HE) course
I have not included the grades for each qualification as they vary between each university.
This is not an exhaustive list. I highly recommend you contact the university and discuss with them their academic requirements. Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
The following are the steps:
- Compile a list of potential universities and make a note of the application closing date. When deciding on a suitable university, check out student testimonials or speak to current students on social media, for example, a Facebook group.
- Have previous veterinary experience at a practice. This is an additional entry requirement that you will need to prove to the university. Caring for your pet, unfortunately, does not count towards having animal experience. One university requires a mixture of veterinary experience and non-clinical working experience; for example a dog kennel or a zoo! The number of hours required greatly varies between each university.
- Be prepared for the selection process. You will certainly have an interview at the university’s campus, and you may also be required to participate in a group discussion or undertake an assessment.
Whichever route you choose, bear in mind that this is a very competitive qualification. The bizarre thing is that there is always a shortage of nurses; why do qualified nurses keep disappearing?
Stand out from the other applicants. Reading this blog post shows you want to commence student training. Seeing practice and continuing to pursue this as a career shows you want to commence student training. Convince the interviewer that it’s you who is selected.
I wish you good luck!
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