Finding a training practice

Level 3 Diploma Veterinary Nursing/Level 3 Diploma Veterinary Nursing (Apprenticeship)

To study with us you will need to complete a minimum of 1,800 hours of practical experience through a placement or employment in a veterinary practice. The veterinary practice must be an RCVS approved Training and Assessment Practice (TP) or Auxiliary TP (aTP).

Your placement or employment can be on either a full or part-time basis. Please get in touch if you’d like our advice on the minimum hours of work experience you should complete each week.

Level 2 Diploma Veterinary Nursing Assistant

To study with us you will need to complete a minimum of 245 hours of practical experience through a placement or employment in a veterinary practice. However, the veterinary practice does not have to be an RCVS approved Training and Assessment Practice (TP) or Auxiliary TP (aTP).

Your placement or employment can be on either a full or part-time basis. Please get in touch if you’d like our advice on the minimum hours of work experience you should complete each week.

Getting that trainee position

Getting a trainee placement is very competitive as there are far more potential students than places available. Veterinary practices rarely have to advertise their vacancies so you need to make sure your application stands out.

Many veterinary practices choose existing staff members for student placements so you may have to accept a ward assistant or receptionist role at first. However, this will give you valuable work experience and a foot in the door for when the next training placement comes up.

The first thing you should do when you apply for a placement is write your CV. Include your experience with animals along with all your other work experience. You probably already have plenty of relevant skills and knowledge in areas such as customer service, communication and IT.

We’ve seen a couple of things on students’ CVs which you should pay special attention to. Make sure you:

  • Spell veterinary correctly
  • Have a professional email address

Make a list of all the practices in your area you can easily travel to. You’ll be working most days so you need to be realistic about how far you’re prepared to travel and consider things like traffic hot spots which could make your journey longer.

Have a look on the RCVS website as they have a list of all the approved training practices. They also have a separate find a vet website which has the contact details for the vets and veterinary nurses who work in each practice.

The best way to get a placement is to visit the practice and ask if you can speak to the head veterinary nurse or practice manager. If they’re not available have your CV ready, along with a short letter to introduce yourself and explain why you’re applying to the practice. You can leave this for them to read when they have a moment and ask when it would be convenient for you to get back in touch to discuss your application.

If you’re lucky and the practice offers you an interview, check what you should wear. They may ask you to spend some time working in the practice to see how you get on with the animals and the rest of the team. You won’t want to do this in your best interview suit!

Before your interview think about some questions you can ask. This will show that you’re interested and can also help build rapport. It’s also a good idea to research the veterinary nurse training they offer.

Don’t be put off if the practice asks you to start by working as a receptionist or animal care assistant for a while. This is all valuable experience and will help you prepare for a position as a student nurse.

Before you enrol on the course and begin to study for your diploma, we recommend you work in a veterinary practice for at least three to six months.