Veterinary nurse
Give nursing care to sick and injured animals.
About the job
A day in the life – Veterinary nurse
What it's like
You would give nursing care to sick and injured animals.
Your work would support a veterinary surgeon (vet). You would also play an important role in educating owners on good standards of animal care and welfare.
Many of the owners you talk to may be upset or anxious about their pets, so it would be important to have a kind and reassuring manner. You would also have to be very gentle with the animals you work with, as many of them will be fragile.
Tasks would vary with each animal, but in general you would:
Prepare and carry out nursing care plans
Hold animals and keep them calm during treatment
Give injections and drugs as instructed by the vet
Take blood, urine and other samples from animals, and carry out laboratory work at the practice
Sterilise instruments
Take x-rays
Prepare animals for operations
Help vets during operations
Carry out minor procedures such as removing stitches
Talk to clients about the care and progress of their animals
Take care of animals staying in house (feeding, cleaning cages, grooming and exercising)
Hold special clinics
Give owners advice about caring for their animals
You might also have administration and reception duties.
Hours
You would work between 35 and 40 hours a week, often with evening, weekend and on-call duties.
Environment
You would work in a veterinary surgery. Your employer would provide a uniform and protective clothing.
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Life sciences
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- medical ultrasonography
- dental radiography
- small animal care
- animal care
- hematology
- digital radiography
- apache subversion
- orthopedic nursing
- bronchoscopy
- pharmacy management
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- recalling
- reliable
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- social conscience
- respecting
- empathising
- problem solving
- verbal communication
- cooperating
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Biology
Chemistry
Entry for posts is usually very competitive.
You can qualify as a veterinary nurse either through working as a trainee and completing work-based training to gain an Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing or by completing a full time degree in Veterinary Nursing (SCQF level 9/10).
To enter a veterinary nursing diploma requires at least five National 5 qualifications and some courses ask for Highers.
You could also get a Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing at Edinburgh and North Highland College.
SRUC Barony College offer a Veterinary Care Assistant Diploma at Level 2 and Level 3, plus a BSc/BSc (Hons) in Veterinary Nursing.
Qualifications that show administration skills, excellent communication skills and experience working with animals such as a Scottish Vocational Qualification in Animal Care (SVQ level 2/3).
Some courses and employers require relevant work experience.
You need to be fit as there is a lot of standing and lifting animals.
You should not be allergic to animals.
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