What it Takes to be a Nurse

If you’re interested in a career in veterinary nursing or just curious, read what it takes and what a vet nurse does, from our own RVNs.

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What does it take to become a Registered Vet Nurse? If you or a family member is interested in a career in veterinary nursing, or you’re just curious, Clent Hills Vets’ RVNs have shared some of their journey below.

Meet our nursing team.

Join in with VNAM this month?

Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month was started by the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) and takes place every year in May. VNAM’s purpose is to promote the importance of the veterinary nursing role in practices and the provision of responsible pet care.

The coronavirus pandemic has been one of the toughest challenges veterinary nurses have faced in recent times. We’d love it if you could help us celebrate our nursing team by sharing a message to them on our Facebook page with the hashtag #VNAM

How to become a vet nurse

There are three routes to a career in veterinary nursing - college, university, or an apprenticeship. Study typically takes around 2 to 4 years and you’ll need to gain experience working in a veterinary practice. Exams are rigorous and require demonstrations of theoretical knowledge & practical ability. Just like vets, Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs) need to learn about numerous species.

Before you start training to be a vet nurse, it’s a good idea to take on some volunteering work in animal care. This could be at a vet practice as a kennel hand, or with a rescue charity. Learn more about what we do at Clent Hills Vets here.

What does it take to be a veterinary nurse?

More than just a love of animals. Veterinary nursing can be very rewarding, as well as physically and emotionally demanding. Skills needed include: the ability to work well with others; able to use initiative; attention to detail; active listening skills; work well with hands; excellent customer service & verbal communication; patience and the ability to keep calm in stressful situations.

What does a veterinary nurse do?

• Our vet nurses have put together a broad overview of their responsibilities:
• Provide care for animals at each stage of their life journey.
• Assist vets with surgical and non-surgical procedures.
• Give injections and look after in-patients.
• Deal with traumatic and high-pressure situations.
• Keep the practice clean and well-prepped.
• Advise and educate owners on many aspects of pet care.
• Stocktaking, reception, and administrative duties.

Clent Hills’ Kidderminster Road nurses are a friendly bunch. If you'd like to know more about them, why not go and meet our team?

Interested in a career in veterinary nursing? Here are some useful links:

-You will need to register with RCVS

-You can join the BVNA for more info, training opportunities and to make industry contacts