Any mature students studying to become a veterinary nurse?

Original post by mary3434

Hi all,
I am 23 currently and considering changing career to become a veterinary nurse, just wondering if anyone else has done this and if anyone has any advice?

I am 27 and I am also trying to become a veterinary nurse too! I have already applied for one course so far. Have you applied for any yet?

Original post by TaraRea

Hi Mary
I am hoping to do the same! I am 33 though!!!!! ekk
I am currently doing an access course and hoping to go to Plumpton college next year. I am trying to get work experience at the moment but not having much luck :-(
Are you thinking of Plumpton next year?
Tara

It took me five months to find work experience. I contacted many clinics but most never got back to me and the others turned me down. I finally got the opportunity to volunteer at one of the blue cross animal hospitals in London. You are better off finding work experience with a veterinary charity, if there is one near your location.

Reply 3

OP

Hi Tara,
So good to hear someone in the same boat as me! I feel like I’m getting into this way too late and I have maybe lost the opportunity. What access course are you doing? I have looked into the College of Animal Welfare in potters bar as it is the closest one to me. Where have you looked at and where are you from?

Reply 4

OP

Original post by kindmind91

I am 27 and I am also trying to become a veterinary nurse too! I have already applied for one course so far. Have you applied for any yet?

It took me five months to find work experience. I contacted many clinics but most never got back to me and the others turned me down. I finally got the opportunity to volunteer at one of the blue cross animal hospitals in London. You are better off finding work experience with a veterinary charity, if there is one near your location.

Hi Kindminds,
i have applied for CAW so far. I’d like to go next year as I’m currently working full time and would like to save up some money first. What is your current standings? I’m not quite ready to take the plunge yet. Seems silly but I’m scared about taking a pay cut or even becoming a full time student and not having the money I have at the moment.

Reply 5

Original post by mary3434

Hi Kindminds,
i have applied for CAW so far. I’d like to go next year as I’m currently working full time and would like to save up some money first. What is your current standings? I’m not quite ready to take the plunge yet. Seems silly but I’m scared about taking a pay cut or even becoming a full time student and not having the money I have at the moment.

Hi mary3434,

My original plan was to go to CAW for the level 3 diploma full-time in January and work part-time on weekends as I couldn't find a job at a vet practice. However, I just got a job offer for a student veterinary nurse position but on the condition that I start next September instead, which means I will have to reapply next year to CAW.

I currently work part-time on weekends so I would be earning more money as student veterinary nurse as it is a full-time position.

If you have a good paying job, I would recommend saving up as much as you can, even if it takes some time. You may have to accept the fact that you will have less income as full-time student if you are going down the degree route or the full-time level 3 diploma as you will only have to time to work on part-time on weekends or evenings. If you really want to do the veterinary nursing course, the financial sacrifice will be worth it but you do need to make sure that you are finacially secure as it will make your studies easier. Hopefully, you will find a way to finance yourself.

I am abit scared of going back to education as I left uni in 2014 so it has been a while since I have been in a class. Being a mature student will be new for me but I know there will be other mature students at CAW so I am not too bothered about that.

Reply 6

OP

Thank you for your response. I’m so happy for you that you got a job as a student veterinary nurse, congrats! How long have you been looking into becoming a veterinary nurse? I think I am going to spend this year at my current job so I can save as much as I can as I know it will be tough either working at entry level again or being a full time student. I really just want to leave my job and do it now but I know that’s not a wise decision and In the long run it will be better to wait.

Reply 7

Original post by mary3434

Thank you for your response. I’m so happy for you that you got a job as a student veterinary nurse, congrats! How long have you been looking into becoming a veterinary nurse? I think I am going to spend this year at my current job so I can save as much as I can as I know it will be tough either working at entry level again or being a full time student. I really just want to leave my job and do it now but I know that’s not a wise decision and In the long run it will be better to wait.

You're welcome! I only just decided to persue veterinary nursing last year and started working on the accademic and work experience required for training. How long have you been persuing veterinary for?

I think it's great your taking your time to save the money. It will be worth it when you get on the vet nursing course. Where are you thinking of applying to?

Reply 8

OP

For the last year or so I’ve been thinking about it seriously. I’ve always loved animals but never really knew what I wanted to do with my life before, subsequently ending up in doing a lot of different jobs in the past! This year I hope to gain some part time work experience and then go fully into it next September hopefully! The one closest to me is potters bar but equally RCV would be one I would consider. I’d prefer to do it on the job and therefore get paid while I do it, but to be honest those jobs are so hard to come by!

Reply 9

Original post by mary3434

For the last year or so I’ve been thinking about it seriously. I’ve always loved animals but never really knew what I wanted to do with my life before, subsequently ending up in doing a lot of different jobs in the past! This year I hope to gain some part time work experience and then go fully into it next September hopefully! The one closest to me is potters bar but equally RCV would be one I would consider. I’d prefer to do it on the job and therefore get paid while I do it, but to be honest those jobs are so hard to come by!

That's similar to me! I never really knew what I wanted to do until last year and have done different jobs and volunteer roles over the years with no direction but luckily I have found my passion now.

I know what you mean about finding paid work. I didn't want to go to uni again because of finances so I knew the diploma route was for me but trying to find a training position was difficult as there isn't a lot vet clinics offering these jobs. That's why innitially applied to do the level 3 diploma full-time as was really desperate to get into training.

Reply 10

OP

Will you be working at the vet clinic as a care assistant for a year then until you start your training? Will the training be with CAW? Would be really interested to know how you get on there :smile:

we may be studying at the same time.

Reply 11

Original post by mary3434

Will you be working at the vet clinic as a care assistant for a year then until you start your training? Will the training be with CAW? Would be really interested to know how you get on there :smile:

we may be studying at the same time.

Yeah, I will be doing stuff that an animal care assistant does until I start training next year. My veterinary practice only trains their student nurses at CAW so I will be studying there next September. Yeah, will let you know the sort of stuff I will be doing there. If your doing the degree, we might not be in the same classes. CAW do a full-time level 3 diploma. Are you considering this course aswell?

Reply 12

OP

Do they? I’ve applied for the day release option, is that the full time one? From what I understand they arrange your placements and can even help you to get paid placements?

Reply 13

Original post by mary3434

Do they? I’ve applied for the day release option, is that the full time one? From what I understand they arrange your placements and can even help you to get paid placements?

Yeah it's the day/block release option for people who cannot find employment or a unpaid placement on their own. You would go to college twice a week and the college will put you in an unpaid placement for the rest of the week. I have heard that half of the students on this option end up getting paid by their second year if the practice thinks they are doing a good job but it's not always guarenteed. I found this out when I attended their Potters bar open day ealier this year.

Reply 14

OP