Veterinary Nursing
What is the role of the veterinary nurse?
Veterinary nurses provide professional care for sick animals and support for their owners. They are trained to provide a high standard of nursing care based on a sound knowledge of the patient’s condition and its individual needs.
Qualified veterinary nurses are key members of a veterinary practice, bringing specialist skills to the veterinary team. Veterinary nurses play a significant role in the education of animal owners about maintaining the health of their animals and work closely with owners to advise on issues such as dental hygiene and dietary management.
What training do veterinary nurses have?
Veterinary nurses can qualify via two routes. The first is to take vocational qualifications, which involve the student veterinary nurse training while employed in an RCVS-approved training practice. Training is quite intensive and takes a minimum of two years. The RCVS is the awarding body for vocational veterinary nursing qualifications. The second route is through higher educational study for a foundation or honours degree.
Either route to qualification makes the holder eligible to be listed with the RCVS. Listed nurses are entitled to use the post-nominal letters 'VN' and wear an official badge.
What is the difference between a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) and a Veterinary Nurse (VN)?
In September 2007, a non-statutory Register for veterinary nurses was launched. Registered Veterinary Nurses may use the post-nominals RVN and must commit to keeping their skills and knowledge up to date by way of 15 hours of Continuing Professional Development each year. They also abide by the Guide to Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses and, from the end of 2010/early 2011, there will be a disciplinary mechanism similar to that for veterinary surgeons.
This new system should give animal owners greater confidence in the professionalism of Registered Veterinary Nurses and their fitness to practise, together with a course of action to take if they feel an RVN falls below accepted standards of professional conduct.
What treatments can veterinary nurses administer?
Veterinary nurses are trained to undertake nursing care, including administration of medication and intravenous fluid therapy and minor surgical procedures such as suturing and assisting with wound management. They also take X-rays and analyse samples using microscopes and other equipment.
There are certain safeguards and listed veterinary nurses can only carry out medical or surgical treatment if the animal is under the care of a veterinary surgeon and the treatment is carried out at his or her direction. The veterinary surgeon must also be the employer of the veterinary nurse or be acting on behalf of the nurse's employer. The same rules apply to student veterinary nurses, but in addition they must be supervised by a veterinary surgeon or a listed veterinary nurse and the treatment must be given in the course of their training
