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 Companion Animal Behaviour pathway will study diagnosis and treatment of behavioural problems, whereas students on the Veterinary Nursing with Small Animal Rehabilitation pathway will study rehabilitation of the veterinary inpatient. 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.
