Re: Where do i study veterinary nursing?

Angiy Michael — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:30:53 GMT

Hi,

Some colleges here do offer block release options but you would need to still have a full-time job employed as a Student Nurse in an approved Training Practice (TP)...To summarise there are two main ways of qualifying as a VN in Britain.

1. Traditional Route - The student nurse obtains employment in an approved training practice and is enrolled by the practice as a student nurse with the RCVS ( Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons). Most students then attend college either on day release once a week or on block release for a couple of weeks a term. Which one tends to depend on whether the TP is near a college and also what the rota at the workplace allows.

Training via this route takes a minimum of two years . In the first year nurses complete a portfolio of evidence in the workplace and undertake workplace assessment and sit a written exam. In the second year nurses complete a portfolio of evidence, and sit written and practical exams. In order to qualify student nurses must undertake a set minimum no. of hours working in their training practice a well.

Entry requirements are usually 5 GCSE's including English, Maths & Science at C or above or International Equivalents.

2. Degree Route - The student applies to a university offering the degree route through the normal university application procedure via UCAS. Most degree courses are 3- 4 years long and some include a practice management element also. The course emphasis in the higher modules varies from uni to uni but the core modules are the same. Some degrees require you to undertake the same NVQ's that the nurses on the traditional route undertake in addition to your degree modules some unis offer the same core module areas but do not require you to sit the NVQ's as they assess the same skills in house instead. Student nurses on the degree course have to complete the same no. of minimum hours in practice as those on the traditional route and this is achieved in differen't ways by differen't unis but usually involves periods of classroom teaching followed by periods of placement in the workplace for several weeks at a time. Entry requirements vary from uni t uni but most will be looking for A Level's or equivalents in two subjects including a science in addition to GCSE or equivalent passes.

Good places to read up on how the training system works here are :

http://www.rcvs.org.uk/Templates/InternalVNAward.asp?NodeID=89647&int2ndParentNodeID=89651&int1stParentNodeID=96117

http://www.bvna.org.uk/smartweb/careers/careers

Hope this helps