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Working Abroad Job Vacancies Job Hunting Guide Voluntary Work Working Part-time and Temping Useful Job Hunting Resources Working in Somerset Wages and Employment Rights Veterinary Nurses in Somerset CLCI: WAL CRCI: HC Veterinary nurses help vets to examine, care and treat animals. This involves preparing animals for surgery, giving injections and drugs, checking instruments, maintaining equipment, cleaning up, taking x-rays, carrying out tests and sending off samples. The job also involves general care of animals, exercising and grooming and – in most cases – paperwork, telephone work and dealing with animal owners. To find out more look under the above CLCI/CRCI headings in your careers or Connexions library THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT VETERINARY NURSES IN SOMERSET There are veterinary practices throughout Somerset in both town and country districts. Many concentrate on domestic animals. Others look after horses and farm animals. Practices vary in size from just having two vets (and two vet nurses) to as many as eight vets (with a similar number of nurses). Some are small businesses with just one or two branches. Others are part of national companies. Not all practices do the same training. Many do official RCVS training (as a “registered training practice”). Others train you in their own way without qualifications HOW DO I GET STARTED?   Get work experience when at school to see if it’s the career for you   Find a job that gives you the chance of going to college for BVNA or RCVS approved qualifications   Go to college for a full-time BTEC animal care/management course   Start a traineeship – or apprenticeship – when you are 16/17 and go to college as part of your job USEFUL QUALIFICATIONS   5 GCSEs at grade C or better (in maths, English, science, etc) help you get trained more quickly   Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) runs the official training   British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) and BTEC animal care/management and qualifications can also help More about qualifications, courses and training can be found in Moving On (published by Connexions Somerset) DO YOU KNOW? If you’re doing well at school you could eventually aim for an HND, foundation degree or honours degree course run by a university or countryside college. These could help you become a veterinary practice manager WHAT IS THE PAY LIKE? Around £80 per week (maybe more) if starting as a new employed trainee or apprentice (possibly around £5 per hour once you start RCVS training). Qualified and experienced vet nurses usually earn around £6-7 per hour (but can earn more). Some earn up to £15-18,000 FINDING A JOB   Connexions centres   Job centres   Through applying for work apprenticeships   School and college careers notice boards   Speculative letters/visits/emails   Newspaper and industry publications adverts   Adverts displayed at premises and on industry/company websites   Job offer after work experience   Word of mouth   A Guide to Job Hunting gives tips on CVs, interviews and job letters. To view click here OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WORK   Getting started can be hard because more people want to do the job than there are places (and you have to be good)   If you want official RCVS approval you should be ready to do at least two years training (starting when you are aged 17 or over)   The work can be tough and demanding – with long hours – and is not as glamorous as it first seems (animals sometimes die and owners can be very upset)   In small practices you may have to do reception and paper work. In larger places other people might do this all the time   You need to be calm, patient and reliable, a good team worker, able to work under pressure, have common sense and be ready to muck in   Promotion prospects include senior vet nurse, practice manager, veterinary drugs sales rep and specialist nurse work (such as horses or exotic animals)   The job is becoming more technical – new equipment and drugs, more IT – so you need to keep up-to-date WHO DOES THE WORK? Tim (19), from Yeovil, started working with a vet after his GCSEs. From 17 he was able to go to college – for several weeks at a time – to do a RCVS student veterinary nursing course. When he’s qualified Tim hopes to work more with farm animals. Karen(23), who lives near Frome, studied A levels before moving away to do an HND in veterinary nursing and management. She’s now working as a vet nurse but is hoping to use her extra qualifications to become a practice manager in a few years time. More Info: A-Z Careers Careers information dates rapidly. Every effort has been made to ensure information is accurate but please check details before making firm decisions. Make text larger Make text smaller Text Only Display Privacy Policy/Terms of Use