Did you always know you wanted to be a Veterinary Nurse?
Many of us were visiting veterinary practices as teenagers, spending time after school and on the weekends doing any odd jobs just to see what it was like to get to care for poorly pets – this is where we first fell in love with becoming an RVN.
Now that you have followed your dream, you never know who you’re inspiring when someone walks through your practice doors – and this week it is National Careers Week!
This awareness week aimed at school and college students empowers and supports them for their studies, and also prepares them for life after they’ve finished studying.
So, how can you support the next generation of RVNs?
Support from the BVNA
There are a lot of downloadable resources on our website that you can display in the waiting room or on the practice noticeboard. There is a leaflet that covers what a veterinary nursing role is, how to become one, and getting work experience prior to applying to study. A full list of approved training practices can be found on the RCVS website, which details different places by area in the UK.
Additionally, in May every year the BVNA celebrates veterinary nurses and their roles in practice to the general public with Veterinary Nurse Awareness Month (VNAM). If you do make a noticeboard in your practice for VNAM, why not make a small section too that invites high school students for a behind-the-scenes tour or “a day in the life of an RVN”.
More Advice
On the governments’ National Careers Service and the RCVS website, there is a lot of information provided about the veterinary nurses’ role.
They cover:
- Average salary depending on newly qualified to an experienced RVN
- Typical hours per week
- Requirements for studying at a university, college or as an apprentice (it covers all GCSE grades required)
- Where to study and term dates
- What typical day to day tasks are
- How to progress in the industry and other doors that may open once qualified (like wildlife, charity, pharmaceutical work)
All of these informative resources are easily found online for you to pass onto anyone who wants to become a veterinary nurse.
Be the inspirational person that the next generation of veterinary nurses need and keep the passion for veterinary medicine alive together!