Becoming a Veterinary Nurse
The first port of call for anyone who is interested in Zoo, Exotic or Wildlife Veterinary Nurses is to gain Registered Veterinary Nursing (RVN) status.
The AZEVN Team have put together some information below on the possible routes to becoming an RVN:-
Pre-Requisites to Study to Become a Registered RVN
To study Veterinary Nursing, you will need to have achieved a Grade C or above at GCSE Mathematics, English & Science.
If your GCSE Grades don’t meet the criteria, then some institutions/courses have a pre-year top up which can be completed before starting the main course.
Naturally, this is dependent on the specific institution that you wish to study at, so it is worth checking the entry requirements before you start any application process.
Pathways to become a Registered RVN
Whichever pathway you take, the most important factor to consider is to ensure the qualification you are working towards is accredited by the RCVS. This will ensure that once finished you will then be able to register with the RCVS and your name will be listed on the RCVS Register of Veterinary Nurses.
This list is available to the general public via the RCVS website via the following link:-
https://findavet.rcvs.org.uk/find-a-vet-nurse
There are two main pathways as detailed below:-
Vocational – This is a more practical based route and is usually based at a College
This is in the form of a Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing.
For more information on the institutions that offer this course, click on the following link:-
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/list-of-rcvs-accredited-further-education-qualifications-in
Higher Education – This is a more theory based route and is usually based at a University
This is in the form of a Foundation or Honours Degree in Veterinary Nursing.
This will take longer to complete that the Vocational Pathway but will still end up the same RCVS Registration.
For a list of institutions that offer this pathway, click on the following link:-
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/list-of-rcvs-accredited-higher-education-qualifications-in
