New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Companion Animal Veterinary Nursing)

Level 6

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Prepare for a satisfying career as veterinary nursing professional with the UCOL New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Companion Animal Veterinary Nursing) Level 6.

Quick info

Level: 6

Locations: UCOL Manawatū in Palmerston North

Duration: 2 years, full-time

Dates:
Feb & Jul 2025 *Dates TBC

Domestic Fees: *
TBC

Scholarship info

Find out if you're eligible for fees-free study

International Fees:*
Please enquire for details

Additional Fees
Compulsory course costs may apply.

* Fees are indicative only, and are inclusive of the student services levy and GST (goods and services tax). The fee shown is for one year of study.

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Vet nursing is a hands-on, satisfying role if you love animals. You can interact with many companion animals and care for their wellbeing by working with professionals who like animals.

In this two-year programme, you’ll gain the technical skills, knowledge and attributes needed to help companion animals attain, maintain or recover health and quality of life.

Course Hours & Duration

This programme is made up of 4 semesters, each 16 weeks long over 2 years.

Industry Experience -
Semester 1

90 hrs

Industry Experience - All Subsequent Semesters

220 hours

Career & Study Outcomes

To find out more about possible job prospects and salaries for veterinary nursing, see careers.govt.nz.

Course Information

Note: As a subsidiary of Te Pūkenga - New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, UCOL Te Pūkenga is committed to providing the best learning outcome for you. As part of this, all programmes are currently being reviewed to make them portable, consistent, and closely aligned with the needs of the industry. When published, this course information is correct, but the courses offered may change over time. If you have any questions call an Enrolment Advisor on 0800 468 265.

This programme consists of 240 credits.

Year 1 semester 1

Veterinary nursing practice (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to work in a professional, safe, and effective manner in an animal health care environment.

Anatomy and physiology (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies relevant to basic animal anatomy and physiology to support animal health and welfare.

Animal husbandry and behaviour (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to provide safe and appropriate husbandry and handling to support companion animal health and welfare.

Clinical skills 1 (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to provide day to day care of animals as part of a multidisciplinary team. This course will include a minimum of 90 hours of practicum.

Year 1 semester 2

Medical and surgical nursing 1 (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to assist with preventative healthcare and anaesthesia.

Clinical skills 2A (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to assist with veterinary nursing care for surgical and medical patients. Analyse the nurse's role in surgery and anaesthesia, diagnostics, medicating practices, and nursing of hospitalised patients. Reflect on own development of interpersonal relationships within a team. This course will include 110 hours of practicum.

Medical and surgical nursing 2 (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to assist with the nursing of surgical and medical patients.

Clinical skills 2B (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to assist with veterinary nursing care for surgical and medical patients. Demonstrate skills relevant to surgery and anaesthesia protocols, diagnostic procedures, medicating animals, and nursing of hospitalised patients. This course will include 110 hours of practicum.

Year 2 semester 1

Medical and surgical nursing 3 (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to manage the nursing of animal patients undergoing anaesthesia and surgery, and fluid therapy.

Clinical skills 3A (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to manage the nursing care of surgical and hospitalised animal patients as part of a multidisciplinary team. Analyse the nurse's role in anaesthesia management, admission and discharge, surgical nursing, fluid therapy, and nursing of hospitalised patients. This course will include 110 hours of practicum.

Medical and surgical nursing 4 (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop knowledge, skills, and competencies relevant to pathophysiology, pharmacology, and diagnostic procedures to provide effective medical nursing care.

Clinical skills 3B (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to manage the nursing care of surgical and hospitalised animal patients as part of a multidisciplinary team. Demonstrate skills relevant to anaesthesia management, admission and discharge, surgical nursing, fluid therapy, and nursing of hospitalised patients. This course will include 110 hours of practicum.

Year 2 semester 2

Clinical nursing (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies relevant to imaging, first aid, wound management, and dentistry.

Clinical skills 4A (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to provide veterinary nursing services and care for animals as part of a multidisciplinary team. Analyse the nurse's role in veterinary nursing services, wounds, bandaging, dentistry, first aid and imaging. Reflect on own development of professionalism within an animal healthcare setting. This course will include 110 hours of practicum.

Professional Practice (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to work in a professional role within a multidisciplinary veterinary team.

Clinical skills 4B (15 Credits)
The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to provide veterinary nursing services and care for animals as part of a multidisciplinary team. Demonstrate skills related to veterinary nursing services, wounds, bandaging, dentistry, first aid and imaging. This course will include 110 hours of practicum.

Previous related programmes

This two year New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Companion Animal Veterinary Nursing) supersedes and takes the best from the following programmes of study, which are no longer offered to students not already on the pathway:

New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Vet Nursing Assistant)
New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (one year)

Industry Connections

Veterinary Nursing Educational Standards Committee (VNESC)
Totally Vets
Southern Rangitikei Veterinary Services (SRVS)
Cahill's Animal Hospital
Pet Doctors Palmerston North
Levin & Horowhenua Vets
Robinsons Vet Clinic
Animates Vet Care
Boyce C G Veterinary Clinic
Gribbles Veterinary

Domestic Entry Requirements

General admission	To be admitted to this programme all applicants must be at least 16 years of age on the date of the programme's commencement for the semester in which they wish to enrol (or provide a completed Early Release Exemption form), and meet one of the following requirements, or equivalent: Achievement of 42 NCEA credits at Level 2 or higher including: 20 credits from relevant science (of which 14 credits should be biology) 12 Literacy credits at Level 2 or above including 5 credits in reading and 5 credits in writing or Literacy LNAAT Step 5 12 Mathematics credits at Level 2 or above, including achievement standards from the following range of subjects or unit standards: 26623; 26626; 26627 or Numeracy LNAAT Step 5 OR Equivalent
Special admission	Any person who is 20 years of age or older and does not meet the General Admission requirements stated above may be eligible for Special Admission. In assessing whether to grant Special Admission, the delegated authority will focus on the applicant's level of preparedness for this programme and/or relevant prior learning experiences.
Discretionary admission	Any person who is not yet 20 years of age and does not meet the General Admission requirements stated above may be eligible for Discretionary Admission. In assessing whether to grant Discretionary Admission, the delegated authority will focus on the applicant's level of preparedness for their intended programme.
Additional requirements	All applicants must complete a criminal convictions and health declaration.
English language requirements	All applicants for whom English or te reo Māori is not a first language will need to provide evidence that they have the necessary English language proficiency required for the Programme. Domestic applicants are required to provide acceptable evidence of English language proficiency through an approved proficiency test or an equivalent described in NZQA Rules.

For more information about NCEA Credits see the UCOL Te Pūkenga NCEA explained page.

International Entry Requirements

In addition to the Domestic Entry Requirements, the following applies to international student applicants.

English language proficiency
International students for whom English or te reo Māori is not a first language will need to provide evidence that they have an IELTS score of 6.0 (general or academic) with no individual band lower than 5.5 from one test taken in the preceding two years, or an equivalent described in NZQA Rules.

Under 20 years of age
In addition to this, international applicants under 20 years of age must have NCEA equivalency.

Advice & Guidance

To optimise chances of student success, 100% attendance is required for all practical classes and work placements. It is also strongly recommended for all theory classes.

Practical requirements: students must be able to carry out physical activities within the Animal Room and work placement to fulfil the requirements of the programme. Students must also have no objection to working with animals, dissection of animal body parts, body fluids and cadavers. UCOL reserves the right to decline entry to the programme should an applicant's physical ability or squeamishness prevent them carrying out practical activities required to fulfil the requirements of the programme. These practical requirements will be discussed and confirmed by staff when contacting students.

Clinical placements
All learners are required to complete work placements of at least 750 hours in a veterinary clinic setting. It is likely the placement will be out of the Manawatū region. Out-of-region placements are sourced by the student in consultation with the Programme Leader. Highest priority for local placement are students who are single parents of children under the age of 5. Not having a car, drivers licence or having work commitments or animals to care for is not sufficient to be considered priority for local placement. This means that you are very likely to be required to undertake your clinical placement outside the wider Manawatu region therefore you will have additional costs relating to your travel and accommodation.

Recognition of prior learning
Applications for Recognition of Prior Learning, including Cross Credit, Credit Transfer and Assessment of Prior Learning may be made on the Recognition of Prior Learning Form where a student believes all learning outcomes for a course have already been met. Applications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the UCOL Te Pūkenga Academic Statute and other relavant policies and procedures.

Application checklist
It will make the process easier if you prepare the following before you apply:

National Student Number (NSN) (If you don't have a NSN, you may request one from NZQA, or you can supply a verified copy of your birth certificate, passport or Whakapapa statement.)
Evidence of your highest level of academic achievement (and evidence of prior learning, if applicable)
Evidence that you meet the entry requirements of the programme
Check if you're eligible for additional support or a scholarship. If you're 19 years or younger, you may be eligible to enrol in one of our free Youth Transition programmes.

Note that you will need to provide any verified documents in person, via post or email (not via the online application form).

Additional Costs

Please note that there are additional costs associated with the New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Companion Animal Veterinary Nursing). These are to be confirmed but could include

Watch for taking heart rates $20
Small scissors $30
Stethoscope $45

Calculator

Text books approximately $300

BSAVA: Textbook of Veterinary Nursing (5th edition) by Lane, D.R., Cooper, B.C., and Turner L. (2011)
Dictionary of Veterinary Nursing (4th edition) by Lane, D.R. and Guthrie, S. (2007)
BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Anaesthesia and Analgesia, 3rd Edition (2016), edited by Tanya Duke-Novakovski, Marieke de Vries and Chris Seymour

Travel
Transport costs will vary according to the mode of transport and may include public transport, private car usage, and carpooling. An example of an approximate cost of petrol in a 1600cc car over 180 kilometres over five days could cost up to $80.00 or more.

Accommodation fees
These vary according to the types of accommodation used. Backpackers, Homestays, Student Hostels can be in the range of $50.00 - $120.00 per night.