becoming a vet nurse

hi
So i'm currently working as an Animal Care Assistant in a rescue centre but my goal is to become a veterinary nurse. I'm looking to get onto a veterinary nurse apprenticeship however i've emailed out to ask about work experience to start and cant seem to get any.
Any tips and advice on how i can get into the Vet field or an apprenticeship?
Also by doing Vet Nursing Diploma instead of a full degree am i still fully qualified RVN?
I'm based in Cornwall
Thank you

Reply 1

Littleemma98

Original post by darn-bellboy

Can you be a vet nurse without a degree..... ( Doing the apprenticeship route).
There are two routes to becoming a qualified veterinary nurse; either via vocational training or via a higher education qualification. Both routes lead to registration as a veterinary nurse.

You will be a qualified registered veterinary nurse either way you go okay.

Your problem with apprenticeship route is that most veterinary practices don't want to go this way because they have to pay you for the duration of your 3/4 years course. They rather try to employ newly qualified registered veterinary nurse and students nurses throughout there training.
You will have to convince a veterinary practice to take you on with the apprenticeship route and commit to them long term as part of the opportunity they will give you.

You might have to go down the road of going to university for your veterinary nurse degree as you'll have the choice of doing FDSC course over three years or doing the four years BSC degree course from the of. Both are still a qualified registered veterinary nurse at the end but with FDSC course you can have the chance to top up to BSC degree level.

I did the apprenticeship route as the veterinary practice I worked in as a temporary helper offered me this route if I wanted it or go to university for four years, of course I took the apprenticeship route as getting paid for learning the job. I did qualify as a veterinary nurse in summer of 2020 but unfortunately I didn't take a permanent job with the veterinary practice because I went back to university in the September of 2020 for another three years to become a NHS nurse as that's what I always wanted to do, I love animals but I prefer nursing in helping humans, I qualified as a nurse last summer 2023.

It's hard work but worth it, unfortunately as a qualified registered veterinary nurse the pay is not the best but at the end of the day you don't do it for the money as only for the love of helping animals get better.

Good luck with your choice of becoming a veterinary nurse.