Nurse Training

We are a Certified Training Practice for Veterinary Nurses.

Training to be a Veterinary Nurse (VN) is a rigorous one and takes between 2 and 3 years, and an investment by the Practice of over £7,000. Just like Veterinary Surgeons, VNs are regulated by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). VN training culminates in the award of a RCVS Accredited NVQ3 in Veterinary Nursing of Small Animals.

Veterinary Nurses must be at least 17 years of age and hold 5 GCSEs (Grade C and above), to include maths, English and a science subject (or the ‘National Certificate for Veterinary Care Assistants’ or ‘Level 2 Certificate for Animal Nursing Assistants’ Award along with the appropriate Key Skills) before they can commence their training.

During their training, student VNs attend college 1 day a week at The College of Animal Welfare, Potters Bar where practical skills and theory are taught. This is then developed through job based training and competency development within our Hospital. Our student VNs are constantly monitored, supported and assessed by our own Qualified Assessor, who is a qualified Veterinary Surgeon herself, to ensure they achieve the required standards. Our Hospital, the Assessor and students are monitored closely by the College, on behalf of the RCVS, with inspections every 3 months ensuring our very high standards are maintained.

Once qualified, VNs can develop their skills further through additional courses and workplace training, or move into other specialised areas such as Equine. Many qualified VNs, once they have gained appropriate experience, also develop their careers into broader areas such as practice management and veterinary medicine.

We are extremely proud and committed to producing the highest calibre fully qualified Veterinary Nurses to ensure the highest standard of care for your pets.

For more information on the training involved, please visit The College of Animal Welfare’s website or the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeon's website through the links on the left.