Veterinary Nursing
Veterinary nursing is a skilled clinical profession focused on the care of sick, injured, and hospitalised animals, and on supporting the broader work of veterinary teams in practice and beyond. Veterinary nurses are not simply assistants to vets; they are autonomous professionals with their own scope of practice, including anaesthesia monitoring, nursing care planning, diagnostic imaging, laboratory procedures, and client communication. The discipline requires both scientific knowledge, covering animal physiology, pharmacology, and disease processes, and the practical hands-on skills that confident clinical work demands, alongside a genuine commitment to animal welfare.
At the Royal Veterinary College, one of the world's leading institutions for veterinary education and research, this three-year full-time degree trains you to work within a veterinary team in a way that is adaptable and capable of performing a wide variety of roles in practice and in other settings. The RVC's clinical facilities and its connections with veterinary practices and specialist referral centres provide exceptional opportunities for the kind of practical learning that is central to this profession. You will develop both the technical clinical skills and the professional judgement needed to provide high-quality nursing care to a wide range of animals, and to contribute to the welfare and ongoing care of patients in complex and demanding environments.
Veterinary nursing graduates register with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and work in first opinion veterinary practices, specialist and referral hospitals, universities and research institutions, zoos, wildlife organisations, and armed forces veterinary services. Many go on to develop specialist expertise in areas such as emergency and critical care, anaesthesia, dentistry, or rehabilitation. The degree also provides a foundation for progression into veterinary education, practice management, or further study in animal science, veterinary medicine, or related fields.
The typical entry tariff is 120 points.