If you’re considering a career as a veterinary nurse, or you’ve already started and are looking towards the future, you may be interested to know what kind of progression you can expect in the role.
Veterinary nursing can be an incredibly rewarding career for any animal lover, so here we’ll outline everything you need to know about career progression and professional development.
Veterinary nurses must be qualified and registered with the RCVS to work as a nurse
The first thing you need to know about veterinary nurse career progression is that you need to be qualified and registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons before you can legally work in the profession.
To do this, you must first gain an approved qualification such as a veterinary nursing degree or a diploma with enough practical training hours at an approved centre, and then you will be able to register with the RCVS as a newly qualified veterinary nurse.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) must be completed each year
Once you have started your nursing career, you will be expected to complete continuing professional development courses each year to ensure you are keeping up to date with the latest research and new practices in animal healthcare.
These courses can range from care of specific animal species to professional conduct and ethics, and the latest surgical nursing practices. The current minimum CPD hours for veterinary nurses is 15 hours per year, but it can be useful to do more than this.
The role is continually developing and there is much room for growth
As your CPD will teach you, the role of a veterinary nurse is always developing. Changes to animal healthcare and new research findings will mean that the role will be one of continuous adaptation. Along with your CPD, your daily work will provide new challenges and experiences that offer plenty of opportunity for personal and professional growth.
Nurses can work in specialist practices to concentrate on the areas that interest them most
During your nursing career, you will inevitably find that some aspects of the work appeal to you more than others and, hopefully, you will find a real passion for a particular area. From this, you may then choose to start working for a practice that specialises in this area, allowing you to concentrate on the work that you find most interesting and rewarding.
You can also gain and qualify in specialist certificates and diplomas
Another way you will be able to progress your career as a veterinary nurse is by obtaining specialist certificates and diplomas in specific areas of veterinary medicine, professional practice, or management, to name a few. Having these qualifications will make you a stronger candidate should you choose to go for a promotion or move to a specialist vet practice, as well as rounding out your skills as a veterinary nurse more generally.
You can work towards becoming a senior nurse, head nurse and even practice manager
With the right amount of CPD engagement, additional qualifications and the right attitude, you may be able to move up the ladder to gain more responsibilities and also earn more money.
You can work towards becoming a senior nurse, head nurse, or even take a position within practice management. All of these roles will likely see your responsibilities expand beyond animal care alone and into areas such as training staff, scheduling, and even business planning.
You can also move into related careers such as lecturing and training or research
After spending some time as a veterinary nurse, you may find that you are ready for a change, but still want to be involved within the business of animal care. Experience as a veterinary nurse provides a fantastic foundation for related careers such as lecturing, training or even research.
Coming from a background of first-hand experience in animal care, you will be well-positioned to make informed decisions in these areas and pass on knowledge to others.
Hopefully, you can see that there are some great options when it comes to career progression for veterinary nurses. As well as the standard ladder route offered by most careers, veterinary medicine places a lot of emphasis on personal development that will help you find your passion and become a more well-rounded professional.
If you are currently working as a veterinary nurse and are on the lookout for new opportunities, you are welcome to browse our vacancies.