Veterinary nurse

Level

Advanced · like A-levels

Length

2.5 yrs

typical

Sector

Agriculture, environmental and animal care

Pay

Paid

you earn while training

In a nutshell

Providing expert nursing care for sick animals.

Admit, assess, and prepare patients for consultation or surgery

Monitor animals under general anaesthesia and record vital signs

Assist vets during surgical and dental procedures

Collect blood, urine, and tissue samples for analysis

Administer medications and intravenous fluids as directed

Educate clients on post-operative care and preventive health

Maintain clinical records and update patient notes accurately

Animal anatomy, physiology, and common diseases across species

Pre-, peri-, and post-operative nursing and patient monitoring

Anaesthesia induction, maintenance, and recovery care

Diagnostic imaging, laboratory sample collection, and testing

Surgical instrument preparation, sterilisation, and scrub techniques

Client communication and animal nursing ethics

Pharmacy handling, drug storage, and dispensing protocols

Ready to look for a place?

See live Veterinary nurse apprenticeship vacancies on the official government service.

A Careermash concept · apprenticeship standard from our careers engine · vacancies via gov.uk.