Subjects Covered

Cert IV in Veterinary Nursing

 

We’ve split all the units of competency into subjects so you can find the information you need to become a skilled nurse without lots of repetition.

 

After long discussions with our students, Anatomy & Physiology has been split and added into the subject that matches each body system. For example, when studying nutrition you’ll also learn about the digestive system.

 

Please scroll down for a full list of subject descriptions.

 

Subject Overview Table

This table is designed to show you how the subjects are related to our qualifications. 

 

 

Subject ID Code	VNS Subject	Cert II in Animal Studies	Cert III in Animal Studies	Cert IV in Vet Nursing	Diploma of VN (Surgical)	Diploma of VN (ECC)
INF-0A	Practical Infection Control
OHS-0A	OH&S in the Veterinary Clinic
AHT-0A	Animal Handling Techniques
WCO-0A	Workplace Communication
VRE-0A	Veterinary Reception
NUT-0A	Nutrition
SNA-0	Surgical Nursing A
NPA-0A	Nursing Patients
BEH-0A	Companion Animal Behaviour, Training & Environmental Enrichment
DCD-4A	Diseases of Cats & Dogs
PPM-4A	Parasitology & Preventative Meds.
REP-4A	Animal Reproduction
VOP-4A	Veterinary Office Procedures
MNU-4A	Medical Nursing
SNB-4A	Surgical Nursing B
ANA-4A	Anaesthesia
PHA-4A	Pharmacology
DEN-4A	Dental Nursing
CPA-4A	Clinical Pathology
PAM-4A	Pain Management
ERN-4A	Emergency Nursing
FLU-4A	Fluid Therapy
AIP-4A	Advanced InPatient & Critical Care
WMA-4A	Wound Management
PHY-4A	Physical Therapy
RAD-4A	Radiology & Imaging

 

Subject Descriptions

 

Animal Handling Techniques

Animal Handling Techniques is a whole subject devoted to the correct handling and restraint of the animals in our care. Although a large focus is on dogs and cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds are also covered. Providing safe and low stress animal handling is a vital skill for any veterinary nurse. Students will also learn the basics of reading animal body language.

 

Occupational Health & Safety in the Veterinary Clinic

Occupational health and safety is a vital aspect of working in a veterinary clinic. This subject covers topics such as legislation and how it applies to employees; basics of risk management and controls; sharps, allergies, noise; dangerous chemicals and drugs; radiation safety; fire safety and emergencies; biological hazards & zoonoses and finished off with animal hazards and manual handling. There is a large influence on hazards and risks found within a veterinary clinic to give the students a good understanding of how to minimise these risks when they undertake work in a clinic.

 

Workplace Communications

Communicating with colleagues, clients and other people is a large part of the job of a veterinary nurse, so understanding how to effectively communicate is a must. It is not always the question you ask that gets you the answer, but how you ask it.

 

Animal Nutrition

Correct nutrition is not only vital for the patients we nurse and animals we care for, but advising owners on correct nutrition for their pets is often a daily occurrence for veterinary nurses. This subject will ensure students understand what makes up nutrition, how to feed for particular life stages, how to read pet labels, diseases that are influenced by nutrition, and how to calculate energy requirements. The digestive system is also included in this subject.

 

Nursing Patients

Patients are often kept in hospital and knowing how to look after them from food to bedding, exercising, taking vital signs, recording observations and knowing when to alert the vet are all skills that form the basis of good nursing. This subject goes into detail on how to really look after patients well, providing nursing interventions where necessary, and looking at the patient as a whole – not just ticking off a box that a treatment has been given.

 

Veterinary Reception

Almost all veterinary nurses are required to perform reception duties. This can cover making appointments, triaging emergency cases, admissions and discharges, product advice, and some basic office procedures. All of this is covered in this subject along with a recap of communication techniques, customer service skills and just how to deal with those clients that complain.

 

Sustainable Work Practices

This short subject looks at the resources we use each day and how to minimise the impact we have on the environment. As part of this subjects undertake an 'audit' of a clinic workplace to see what resources are used and how measures to reduce waste could be implemented. This subject is included as part of the government requirements and aims to increase awareness sustainable work practices.

 

Surgical Nursing A

This subject covers a vast array of surgical topics from asepsis and disinfection, the correct patient preparation for surgery and post-operative care. Students also learn how to master those medical terms, how to correctly clean and sterilize instruments, how to assist in surgery, basic after care instructions for routine surgeries, and how to maintain the theatre suite. Students are also introduced to anatomy with the study of the tissues and body cavities. This subject does not cover monitoring anaesthesia.

 

Companion Animal Behaviour, Training & Environmental Enrichment

Understanding how animals learn is covered in this subject and will assist students in understanding why animals act the way they do. Basic training techniques are also covered, along with some strategies for dealing with common behaviour problems, such as barking and digging. Environmental enrichment is also essential for animals to have good mental health, and helps control those unwanted behaviours. This subject will give you a basic understanding so you can advise owners on common problems, assist with puppy school, and know when to refer owners to professional help.

 

Students also learn how to structure a good puppy class, what your handouts should cover, and how to manage those problem dogs, whether too boisterous or too shy. We also cover the basics of how to communicate with owners in regards to providing training advice.

 

Veterinary Office Procedures

Every veterinary nurse will find themselves at some stage in their career, dealing with some administration. This subject will cover the basics of clinic administration, including accounts payable and receivable, stock control, clinic security and preparing professional looking clinic correspondence.

 

Medical Nursing

Medical Nursing will introduce the student to a wide variety of equipment found within the veterinary clinic from otoscopes to endoscopes and ultrasounds to ECGs. Students study not only how to set it up and what it is used for, but how to assist the vet, and the correct maintenance of this equipment. Students are also introduced to the endocrine system and some related diseases, as well as study a basic overview of fluid therapy. Chemotherapy is also covered, with an emphasis on the OH&S considerations of chemo administration in the veterinary practice, and how to correctly nurse these patients to minimise any risks of exposure when handling them.

 

Diseases of Cats & Dogs

Having an understanding on the diseases of cats and dogs is essential for veterinary nurses, not only to assist the vet in their treatment, but to educate the client and nurse these patients appropriately. This subject covers the common diseases found in companion animals, zoonotic and infection diseases, vaccinations and how the immune system works.

 

Parasitology & Preventative Medicines

Parasites! This subject prepares students for recognising, treating and preventing the common parasites found on and in domestic animals. Students learn how preventative products work, how to educate clients on protecting their pets and their family and achieve a high compliance.

 

Animal Reproduction

This subject covers the reproductive system of common domestic animals, their reproductive cycles and whelping/queening. Students will also learn about reproductive emergencies and what advice should be given to the owners when complications occur or are suspected. There is also an emphasis on understanding what is normal to allow the nurse to advice clients on the correct care of their breeding adults and the neonates.

 

Anaesthesia

Monitoring Anaesthesia is a large part of the veterinary nurse’s job. This subject introduces students to basics of anaesthesia - how to set up, what circuits to pick and when, how the drugs we use affect the body, and why premedication is necessary. Studying the cardiovascular system is also undertaken as part of this subject. Judge anaesthetic depth and monitoring techniques are discussed, from manual monitoring to equipment such as pulse oximetry, ap-alerts, blood pressure, capnography and ECG. Students also learn how to classify ASA statuses, and recognise and respond to anaesthetic complications.

 

Radiology & Imaging

This subject will cover radiation safety, how x-ray machines and cassettes work, positioning aids, how to position correctly, film faults, and everything in between. Students will also learn about MRI, CT scans, ultrasound and specialist imaging techniques such as contrast studies. Anatomy wise students will learn about the skeletal system.

 

Surgical Nursing B

Building on from Surgical Nursing A, this subject will give students the knowledge and skills to work as an accomplished surgical nurse. This includes learning about scrubbing in to assist, complicated surgeries, orthopaedic implants and instruments. They will also learn how to schedule surgical schedules so the clinic runs efficiently, about the reproductive system and be introduced to pain management, which is expanded on in a later subject.

 

Pharmacology

This subject covers various types of commonly used medications, when they are used, how to determine the drug dose and related calculations, correct storage, handling requirements etc. We also recap dispensing and labelling, and cover legislation pertaining to the administration and prescribing of drugs.

 

Fluid Therapy

Fluid therapy is an integral part of the modern veterinary clinic. This subject will teach students about the various fluids available, when to use them, how to monitor patients receiving fluid therapy. Students will also learn about osmosis, and how to calculate correct fluid rates.

 

Advanced InPatient and Critical Care

This subject follows on from Nursing Patients, and students learn more advanced nursing tasks such as how to map out care plans and nursing interventions for particular patients. Students also learn about correct urinary catheter care and tied in with this, they will learn about the urinary system. Feeding tube maintenance is also covered along with managing recumbent patients, neonates, blood transfusions, and providing oxygen therapy.

 

Emergency Nursing

Emergency nursing can be exciting and very daunting. This subject will teach students about how to effectively triage cases over the phone, and in clinic; first aid advice to provide to owner, how to prepare for the arrival of the emergency patient and how to assist the veterinarian in the management of these cases. Setting up and maintaining crashcarts is also covered along with cardio-pulmonary cerebral resuscitation.

 

Pain Management

Analgesia knowledge and the ability to recognise pain is vital in so many aspects of veterinary nursing. This subject will teach students about the nervous system, pain pathways, and the drugs we use to control pain. It will look at recognising pain and pain scoring, and alternative methods of controlling pain in our patients including nursing interventions we can provide.

 

Practical Infection Control

Infection control is an extremely important in any veterinary clinic and this subject is structured to get the students to look at their current clinic policies and procedures for infection control and then with guided research, evaluate and improve their clinic policies.

 

Students will also learn more about barrier nursing (first touched on in Nursing Patients), setting up and using an isolation facility and how to adjust this to suit clinics that do not have a dedicated isolation area. We also cover how to assemble and maintain an Infectious Disease Control Kit, and notifiable diseases and the procedure for notifying government departments.

 

Wound Management

Wound Management is an area that nurses can be actively involved in. This subject starts off with learning about the integument system; it then branches into the physiology of wound healing. Students will learn about dressings and bandages, which to use when, and how to decide on a wound care plan in conjunction with the veterinarian.

 

Clinical Pathology

Clinical pathology will introduce students to laboratory techniques used in the veterinary clinic, what equipment is used and how to maintain it including microscopes, refractometers, in house lab machines, centrifuges etc. Students will also learn how to perform a urinalysis including sediment, PCV/TP, faecal floats, blood smears and will also cover the basics on haematology and biochemistry, and cell structure. Correct sample handling and storage techniques are also covered.

 

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is an essential part of the post op recovery period and an area of care where nurses can be actively involved. Providing physical therapy is a great way to improve owner compliance with post op care, and allow regular contact with the clinic to monitor the patient’s progress. This subject will prepare students to discuss physical therapy with clients, devise routines they can follow, and recognise when to refer to a veterinary physiotherapist. It also covers techniques they can implement in clinic to help speed up the recovery of the post op patient. This subject will also teach students about the various muscles and muscle groups.

 

Dental Nursing

Dentals! You either love them or hate them. This subject will teach students dental anatomy and diseases, how to perform a dental prophylaxis, charting, why extractions are sometimes necessary, and the home care required for dental health, and post op.

 

Customisation

Some students will require the knowledge and skills they get from some subjects earlier than the timetable. Students are welcome to discuss their needs with us, and where possible, subjects can be moved around to suit the student.