Veterinary Nursing
Veterinary nursing is a regulated healthcare profession concerned with the clinical care and welfare of animals in veterinary practice. Veterinary nurses work alongside veterinary surgeons to provide nursing care for sick and injured animals, support surgical and anaesthetic procedures, carry out diagnostic procedures and client education, and maintain the welfare of patients in their care. The profession requires a combination of scientific knowledge, practical clinical skill and genuine dedication to animal welfare.
At Middlesex University, this four-year full-time programme, delivered in partnership with the College of Animal Welfare in Leeds, includes a foundation year. The foundation year provides the biological and clinical science grounding needed before you progress to the full degree. The programme is designed to lead to registration as a veterinary nurse with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, which is the professional body regulating veterinary nursing in the UK.
You will study animal anatomy and physiology, pharmacology and anaesthesia, surgical nursing, medical nursing, radiography, laboratory diagnostics, nutrition, animal behaviour, welfare and the professional and legal framework governing veterinary practice. Clinical placements are central to your training, giving you supervised experience in veterinary practices where you will develop the practical skills that professional competence requires.
On qualifying and registering, you will be eligible to work as a veterinary nurse in small animal, equine, farm animal and exotic species practices, as well as in veterinary hospitals, referral centres, research institutions and the armed forces. Career development can lead to specialist and advanced practice roles, clinical coaching and teaching positions, and management within veterinary organisations. The demand for registered veterinary nurses is consistently strong.