Nursing Degrees Online

This course provides an exciting and challenging opportunity for non-qualified veterinary nurses. Plumpton has excellent practical resources including Little Wales farm, a new state-of-the-art animal Care unit, laboratories. Our fully equipped veterinary practice suite contains diagnostic, anaesthetic, laboratory, medical and surgical equipment; a well-furnished laboratory and practical demonstration areas.
Professional accreditation

Professional accreditation with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is integrated within the course.
Course structure

Modules are delivered through a mixture of lectures, laboratory-based practicals, group workshops and work-related activities.
Areas of study

Areas of study in year 1 include anatomy and physiology modules providing a comprehensive knowledge of animal structure and function. Small animal nursing provides theory and training in theatre practice, sterilisation, patient care and intra and post-operative care, while medical nursing techniques covers the nursing of small animals using a number of nursing models. During the first year, students will spend two days a week in practice.

In the second year, an intensive nursing module prepares students for their placement year. The placement year allows students to consolidate their theoretical knowledge and practical skills and to continue working on their nursing portfolio. It also allows you to accumulate hours towards the 2450 work experience hours required by the RCVS in order to be eligible to list as a qualified veterinary nurse on successful completion of the course.

In the third year, students gain a greater understanding of a variety of veterinary disciplines and also choose options allowing specialisation in laboratory work, wildlife conservation and behavior counselling. Students receive extensive theory and practical instruction in laboratory and imaging diagnostic techniques. In addition, they spend two days a week in practice completing their final portfolio cases and completing the work experience hours.
Syllabus

Year 1
Work placement
Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology
Small Animal Nursing
Maintaining the Veterinary Practice
Veterinary Animal Health
Health and Safety in Veterinary Practice
Veterinary Practice Management
Veterinary Animal Reproduction
Veterinary Animal Nutrition

Options (subject to demand)
Animal Behaviour
Animal Diversity and Evolution
Chemistry
Cell Biology and Genetics
Animal Husbandry - Practical Journal

Year 2
Application of Veterinary Nursing Models
Work placement

Year 3
Practical Veterinary Radiography
Veterinary Surgical and theatre procedure
Pharmacology in Veterinary Practice
Project
Veterinary Nursing Models
Anaesthesia in Veterinary Practice
Applied Veterinary Animal Health

Options (subject to demand)
Companion Animal Counselling
Animals in Captivity
Career Development
Application of Animal Behaviour
Wildlife Conservation
Animal Adaptations
Biochemistry
Microbiology
Practical Veterinary Radiography
Career and progression opportunities

This course is designed to increase the professional role of the veterinary nurse within the practice, and to add scope to a rewarding career. Graduates have a variety of career paths open to them within veterinary nursing and associated industries. Opportunities also exist for graduates to progress onto an honours degree.

Why choose this course?

If you like caring for all creatures, great and small, then a career in veterinary nursing could be for you. We offer the only veterinary nursing degree in Scotland, plus a professional qualification and excellent career prospects. You’ll graduate as a fully qualified veterinary nurse with an honours degree and be eligible to register with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) as a veterinary nurse.

You’ll learn from a combination of practical experience and theory, which is designed to give you an in depth knowledge of all aspects of veterinary nursing. Work placements in RCVS registered veterinary teaching practices make up a large part of the course and give you valuable industry experience which prepares you to move straight into your future career.
Skills

You’ll develop the skills required to be a fully qualified veterinary nurse including critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills. You’ll also gain good academic study, research and writing skills.
Career Prospects
As Scotland’s Number One University for Graduate Employability (HESA 2008) and Graduate Prospects (The Independent and The Times University Guides for 2009), we can offer you a valuable head-start in your chosen career.

This course gives you excellent career prospects as you’ll graduate as a fully qualified veterinary nurse. This qualification is accepted not only in the UK but is also recognised in many other countries across the world. Other career opportunities may exist in the following areas:
veterinary practice management
teaching
animal welfare organisations
pharmaceutical industry
veterinary publishing
veterinary nutrition.