Re: Foundation degree in veterinary nursing

Doolally — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 11:14:10 GMT

[quote user="Kim Blowing"]You'll have no problem getting a job regardless of how you qualify. I did the degree and have always been paid the same as NVQ trained nurses and I personally think the lack of practical experience excuse to be a load of rubbish. Best of luck!

[/quote]

Yup, I did the foundation degree and have had no trouble finding jobs

When I did the foundation degree at the RVC a few years ago now lectures never started before 9:30 and never went later than 5:30, with one half day a week. You'll be fine Good luck!

Re: Foundation degree in veterinary nursing

Kim Buckley — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 11:01:58 GMT

You'll have no problem getting a job regardless of how you qualify. I did the degree and have always been paid the same as NVQ trained nurses and I personally think the lack of practical experience excuse to be a load of rubbish. Best of luck!

Re: Foundation degree in veterinary nursing

Katie Mansfield — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 10:51:55 GMT

My timetable just came through from RVC - placement dates are 9th Jan - 23rd March and 19th June - 19th August - so yes little bit of summer hols, but not all; Xmas and Easter off

On my course I'll do 70 weeks placement in total - that works out the same as qualifying in any other way.

K x

Re: Foundation degree in veterinary nursing

Laura James — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:36:58 GMT

I would check the times lectures run as I did the degree in Hartpury and some days my lectures started at 8.30am and some days had lectures until 8pm!! Admittedly I had a lot of time between lectures to do work.

Also, you said about getting the highest qualification possible - yes technically it is a better qualification, but i know a few practices that do not like degree students and may not pay as muh as an nvq (now diploma) qualified nurse due to the lack of experience compared to a student that has done a one day per week placement. The VN Times also reported last month (I think) that on average degree nurses get paid less than NVQ nurses doing the exact same job

Laura x

Re: Foundation degree in veterinary nursing

Katie Mansfield — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 20:45:10 GMT

Blimey - it could have been me posting that!!!!! You should be excited - it's gonna be fab Which uni are you going to?

Like you I trained years ago but left before I qualifed cos I was expecting no1 son and didn't go back cos I had the rest of them.... Like you I'm starting uni in Sept, prob RVC, poss Middx/CAW - have been offered both but haven't made firm decision yet. Both I can get to in 45mins, but during the week it's more like 2 hrs on the M25, so I'm also gonna be leaving around 7 - 7.30am

I have 5 kids (5 x2 - I cheated -, 9, 11 and 13). Both hubby and I have been at college since Sept. (I've been doing Nat Dip in Animal Management so I got enough UCAS points for uni). Getting the course work done with all the kids has been challenging, but at the moment I get a study day on Wed so I use that and some evenings as well, and most weekends.

I asked about placements and timetables at my interview at Middx/CAW and was told Sept - Jan full time college, then Feb-June full time placement. It swaps round each year. At my interivew at RVC they said it was 8 wks placement throughout term-times interspersed with full time college. Also at my placement at the PDSA (part of my diploma course) we've had vet students in who this week got a week off for Easter hols - so are you absolutely sure your uni is going to ask you to do placement duing the hols?

Both Middx and RVC said they'd help me find a placement near where I live so in theory getting to and from placement won't be such a long a day as being at college.

I'm lucky in that all my kids are full time at school, so I only need someone to take the little ones to school and pick them up. My two eldest get themselves to and from school. My mum's great and only lives round the corner, so in that respect I'm also very lucky. If she couldn't for any reason our primary school has a breakfast and homework club, and I also have brilliant neighbours with kids at the same school.

The student finance people will give you help with childcare costs if you need to arrange professional help.

If you take a practice job you could still be in the same boat with regards to childcare cos you could be working shifts and doing day release at college - does it still work like that with the new diploma course????? - you'll still need childcare at one end of the day and it could change on a weekly basis if you're on shifts.

I decided on the degree rather than the practice route for my circumstances for a few reasons -

a) I want to get the highest qualification I possibly can

b) I'll be qualified before I start looking for a job - lot easier than trying to find SVN postition

c) At my age (I'm 40) if a practice was interviewing 2 candidates for the same SVN position, one was an 18 yr old and the other was me, I'd expect them to employ the 18 yr old as the older you get and the more experience you have the more they have to pay you.

d) I think getting the coursework side of things done will be easier with the kids if I'm full time at college than holding down a full time job and trying to do cousework as well. You get library time at uni and will prob finish the day about 4.30 so in therory should still be fresh(ish!!). At work you might not finish til 6 with no study time during the day. It was OK when I was 20 and had no kids, don't think I could cope now. Obviously we'll still get assignments while we're on placement, but placement is only gonna be 8 -12 week stretches, not 48 weeks a year.

My mum did ask me if I wanted to wait til my youngest were older given they're only in year 1, but as it stands now, I'll be nearly 45 when I qualify (mine's a 4 yr course). I don't wanna lose any more time! I also think my older ones have benefitted watching me and their dad studying - my son even does his homework now - lucky cos he starts his GCSEs next yr!!! I can't give up now, not only for me, but for them as well.

I share your excitement about your future and I'm sure you'll make the best decision for you. Whatever you decide to do - don't give up - firstly, you're a woman, so you can already multi-task; secondly you're a mum so you can multi-multi-task whilst standing on your head, reading nursery rhymes, changing a nappy and cooking dinner all at the same time (probably whilst writing an assignment....) !!!!!!!

K x