Veterinary nurse

As a veterinary nurse, you'll be involved in the hands-on nursing care of a range of animals, providing both emergency and routine healthcare. You'll work alongside veterinary surgeons to promote animal health and welfare through responsible ownership and play a key role in the education of pet owners.

To work in this role, you'll need to have successfully completed a course accredited by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and must obtain RCVS registration as a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) before you can practise fully.

For information about the role of a vet, see veterinary surgeon.

Types of veterinary nursing

Depending on the practice and your own interests, you may specialise in one of these areas:

• General practice (first opinion) - providing the first-line care of animals including vaccinating, neutering, worming and health checking
• Emergency practice - working within a practice that sees urgent and critical cases, typically operating overnight and at weekends
• Referral practice - working in a specialist practice that tends to see the more complex cases. Examples include orthopaedics, oncology and ophthalmology. In some cases, these may be species-specific, e.g. canine, equine or exotics.

Responsibilities

As a veterinary nurse, you'll need to:

• confidently handle and restrain animals
• provide nursing care to hospitalised patients, including patient monitoring and health checking, feeding, grooming and walking animals
• administer treatments including injections, tablets, fluids and blood transfusions
• perform diagnostic tests, e.g. blood sampling, urine analysis and x-rays
• prepare animals for surgery and perform some minor procedures, e.g. suturing wounds and dental hygiene
• monitor anaesthesia and assist veterinary surgeons with operations
• assist veterinary surgeons with operations
• maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the practice
• communicate with pet owners, gaining their trust and reassuring them about their animal's treatment
• educate pet owners on animal health, including vaccinations, worming, flea prevention and appropriate nutrition
• support student veterinary nurses undertaking placements, if working in a training practice
• work to the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses.

Salary

• At entry level, veterinary nurses usually start at £23,000 to £26,000.
• Qualified veterinary nurses with around five years' experience earn between £28,000 and £33,500.
• More senior veterinary nurses or lecturers can earn up to £40,000.

Locum nurses can earn £250 per day, with an average hourly rate of £24.

Income data from the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) 2024/5 Salaries Survey. Figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Full-time veterinary nurses usually work between 38 and 48 hours per week.

The work includes regular unsociable hours, including weekends, bank holidays and possibly overnight cover. It may sometimes be necessary to work on after your shift has officially ended to help with emergency cases.

Part-time and locum (temporary) work is also an option within this profession.

What to expect

• Every day will bring different challenges, and the job is rich in variety.
• The work can be physically demanding as you'll be on your feet for much of the day and often involved in lifting and restraining animals.
• Hygiene tasks, such as disinfecting kennels and sterilising surgical equipment, are an important and integral part of the role.
• As you're handling a range of animals, bites and scratches are possible.
• You'll play a key role in supporting pet owners, sometimes helping them make difficult decisions about their animal’s care and welfare.

Qualifications

To practice as a veterinary nurse in the UK, you must hold an RCVS-accredited qualification.

You can complete this via two routes:

• a veterinary nursing diploma
  • level 3
  • 2.5 to 3 years to complete
  • practical work-based route, completed with a college or training provider or as an Advanced Apprenticeship
  • with the option to top-up to foundation or bachelor’s degree later.
• a veterinary nursing degree
  • level 5/6
  • 3 to 4 years to complete
  • academic route, completed at university, with broader career options for future progression.

The registration process differs according to the route you choose. For either route, you'll need to complete a minimum number of clinical/practical hours (usually around 1,800) in a training practice. See RCVS - UK qualified veterinary nurses for more information.

The animal charity PDSA also offers guidance and apprenticeships on How to become a veterinary nurse.

The diploma option offers you the chance to earn while you study, you If you're interested in teaching, management or research roles later on, a degree-level qualification may be advantageous, so it's worth considering this when choosing your route.

You must work at an approved veterinary practice as part of a diploma in veterinary nursing, as a significant portion of the training involves practical experience and hands-on work in a clinic. Some courses require you to secure your placement before starting, but others may assist you in finding one after you've been accepted.

See the RCVS website for an up-to-date list of accredited further and higher education qualifications.

Once qualified, you'll need to maintain your professional registration by completing continuing professional development (CPD) throughout your career.

For more information about a career as a veterinary nurse, see MyVetFuture.

Skills

You will need:

• excellent communication skills, as you'll be talking to pet owners, veterinary surgeons and colleagues from a range of backgrounds
• strong teamwork skills, since you'll work closely with veterinary surgeons, other nurses and support staff to care for patients
• the ability to work independently and use your initiative, especially during times when you may have sole responsibility for patient care, such as out-of-hours or emergency shifts
• good attention to detail, particularly when administering medication, recording patient information and monitoring several animals at once
• a calm, compassionate and professional manner to help you stay composed in stressful situations and respond effectively in emergencies.

Work experience

To apply for an RCVS-accredited veterinary nursing course, you'll need to have completed relevant work experience with animals, ideally in a veterinary practice. This usually involves spending a few weeks in practice and may also include experience in other animal-related settings, such as a kennel, cattery, farm or rescue centre.

Some courses allow you to complete your veterinary practice experience as individual days, while others require week-long or block placements. Weekend volunteering is useful for building awareness of the role, but many courses won't count this towards the minimum pre-application requirement.

Work experience placements can be competitive, so it's important to plan ahead. You may need to contact several veterinary practices before securing a placement. Approaching practices in person or speaking directly to a veterinary nurse or practice manager is often more effective than sending emails alone.

It's a good idea to attend university or college open days and check individual course requirements carefully, as the type and length of experience required can vary between training providers.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Most veterinary nurses work in veterinary practices, which may be independent, part of a larger corporate group or run by a charity or animal welfare organisation such as a rescue or rehoming centre.

These include:

• CVS Group
• IVC Evidensia
• Medivet
• Vets4Pets (Pets at Home Group)
• Linnaeus Group (part of Mars Veterinary Health, but operates UK practices such as Willows, Parkvets and Village Vet)
• Godiva Group
• VetPartners
• Mars Veterinary Health UK (umbrella group including Linnaeus and AniCura)
• PDSA
• Blue Cross
• RSPCA
• Dogs Trust.

Some employers focus on emergency and critical care, while others specialise in referral or specialist cases, such as orthopaedics or oncology. You may also work in education, training, rehabilitation or physiotherapy.

Veterinary nurses can also be employed by zoos, research facilities or the armed forces, and there are public sector and teaching roles within government departments and universities.

Look for job vacancies at:

• British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) - Careers
• Vet Record Careers
• Vet Times Jobs
• VetNurse.co.uk

Many large veterinary groups, such as CVS, IVC Evidensia and Medivet, advertise vacancies on their own websites, so it's worth checking those directly.

Taking a proactive approach to your job search and contacting practices directly can boost your chances of finding a role. It's common for veterinary practices to offer a short trial or working interview to prospective employees.

Professional development

Once you're qualified, you can register with RCVS as a registered veterinary nurse (RVN). CPD is an essential part of ongoing RCVS registration, and you'll be required to complete 15 hours of CPD per calendar year.

CPD activities can include attending training courses, webinars, seminars or conferences, taking part in mentoring or reflective learning in your practice, or carrying out research or critical reading of professional journals. Find out more at RCVS Continuing Professional Development.

Membership of the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) gives you access to CPD opportunities, professional events, a monthly journal and networking and advice through their member helpline.

There are also postgraduate and advanced qualifications available once you’re registered, depending on your interests and career goals. As an RVN, you can work towards qualifications such as the Graduate Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing or the Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Nursing, both awarded by the RCVS.

Entry requirements vary between universities, but you’ll usually need at least one year of post-qualification experience. Courses are designed to be flexible, allowing you to study part time while working. You can often choose modules that reflect your area of interest, such as small animal nursing, equine nursing or veterinary nursing education. For more information, see RCVS postgraduate qualifications.

Career prospects

It's possible to become a clinical coach within general practice, where you'll support and mentor student veterinary nurses as they develop their practical and clinical skills. With experience, you could progress to a head nurse role, taking responsibility for the development and coordination of the entire nursing team.

There are also opportunities to specialise and develop your career depending on the type of practice you work in and your areas of interest. For example, in a referral or specialist practice, you could focus on a specific area of nursing care such as anaesthesia, diagnostics, rehabilitation, theatre nursing or inpatient (ward) care.

Alongside clinical work, you might also choose to move into a management role, such as practice manager or clinical director, where you’d oversee the wider running of the practice.

Outside of practice, you could move into education, teaching veterinary nursing students or lecturing on animal management and related courses. There are also research and commercial opportunities, particularly within the pharmaceutical, medical or animal nutrition industries, depending on your qualifications and experience.

Experienced veterinary nurses are also increasingly finding opportunities in non-clinical areas, such as animal welfare policy and regulation, professional standards, inspection and accreditation work, or technical advisory roles within industry, charities or government bodies.