BSc (Hons) Veterinary Nursing with Small Animal Rehabilitation

A fully accredited, vocational programme blending animal science with professional skills to produce day-one, job-ready graduates eligible to practice as Registered Veterinary Nurses.

RVNs work alongside veterinary surgeons in order to provide a high standard of care for animals. Veterinary Nurses normally work within a veterinary surgery or veterinary hospital and are involved in a wide range of care and treatment.

Because of the vocational nature of the course, the content is a balance between practical work (vital to gain the necessary experience to become a qualified nurse) and the intellectual skills needed for a degree. You will learn practical skills at Harper Adams via short block release completed during vacations and during the work placement year.

Students on these courses share a common curriculum for the first two years, studying the same modules, before spending their third year on placement. The focus of the first three years of the course is to equip students with the day one skills and competences required by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to practice as a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN).

Subjects will include veterinary physiology, professional skills of the veterinary nurse, companion animal management, anaesthesia and surgery, medical nursing, diagnostic imaging and disease diagnosis.

In the final year all routes share common subjects such as anaesthesia, critical care and surgical techniques. The specific Honours pathways will then allow students to specialise in their chosen field of study.

Students undertaking the Veterinary Nursing with Small Animal Rehabilitation pathway will study rehabilitation of the veterinary inpatient, whereas students on the Veterinary Nursing with Companion Animal Behaviour pathway will study diagnosis and treatment of behavioural problems. Those undertaking the honours degree in Veterinary Nursing will study companion animal life care and exotic animal health and nursing.

For students on the honours degree courses completion of an Honours Research Project will allow them the opportunity to more fully explore an area of veterinary nursing that is of particular interest.

The Harper Advantage

• A full placement year in industry as part of your degree, enabling you to put knowledge into practice, develop your network and discover your future ambitions
• Professional Accreditation: This degree course is accredited by Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
• You'll be taught by a large, supportive team with lots of expertise and extra qualifications; vets, nurses, laboratory and farm technicians, and animal scientists specialising in physiology, nutrition, behaviour, welfare and molecular biology.
• Classes are small so your lecturers can get to know you and tailor the help they give you, and you'll have a personal tutor for advice and guidance.
• Specialist facilities, all on one campus, including Companion Animal House, mock veterinary practice (with consulting rooms and diagnostic facilities) a range of farm livestock and a bespoke Veterinary Education Centre serving a range of veterinary paraprofessionals.

Work experience

Work experience forms an essential part of our entry requirements for this course. Details of the experience we need you to have can be found within the entry requirements listed below.

Find out more about work experience

Duration

4 years (full-time) including a one-year work placement. A three year programme is available for applicants with at least two years, full-time relevant work experience. Please contact Admissions for further information on this option.

Careers

Veterinary nursing is a career with lots of job satisfaction and there is a strong demand for qualified veterinary nurses. Although primarily a companion animal qualification, the degree offers modules for those interested in other species, increasing the job opportunities available upon graduating. Accounting and management skills boost career development for degree students. The pharmaceuticals industry employs trained veterinary nurses. The degree also opens the door to wider opportunities concerning the health and welfare of animals.

Employability

Currently the demand for qualified veterinary nurses (RVN) exceeds the supply. Our graduates usually find jobs readily and we often have employers looking for graduates we cannot supply. Harper Adams degree nurses have a good reputation in the sector, and we aim to keep that reputation.

Entry requirements for 2023

Use the drop-down tool to select the qualifications you have or are working towards to see what grades would be required for access to this programme. If you can’t see your qualification or would like any assistance with entry requirements, please contact the Admissions team: admissions@harper-adams.ac.uk

Course fees

The latest fees for this course can be found in our fees and funding section. You will also find course related costs, specific to this course in this area.

Teaching and learning

Students on veterinary nursing courses share a common curriculum for the first two years, studying the same modules, before spending their third year on placement. The main focus of the first three years of the course is to equip students with the day one skills and competences required by the RCVS in order to practice as a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN). Subjects will include veterinary physiology, professional skills of the veterinary nurse, companion animal management, anaesthesia and surgery, medical nursing, diagnostic imaging and disease diagnosis.

In the final year all veterinary nursing courses will share a number of common subjects such as anaesthesia, critical care and surgical techniques.

The specific Honours pathways will then allow students to specialise in their chosen field of study.

Assessment

A wide range of assessment methods are used. Where modules contain specific veterinary nursing content there is always an exam component, whether essay exam, multiple choice/short answer questions or practical exam. There may also be course work presentations or assignments in the assessment of these modules. Both coursework and exam elements must be passed.

Work placement

To obtain the nursing qualification 60 weeks equivalent is spent working with registered veterinary nurse training practices, both as short block release and during the sandwich year. This hands-on experience complements the applied health, nursing, business and welfare sciences studied at Harper Adams. After a placement year in veterinary practice nursing, a range of optional modules will broaden your knowledge and boost your management skills. Experience in veterinary practice will continue throughout the course.