Certificate III in Animal Care Services / Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing

Kick start a rewarding career working with animals with this dual qualification. Combine entry-level knowledge with specialised skills and launch your career as a veterinary nurse. According to the Australian Government's Job Outlook service, the number of people working as veterinary nurses is expected to grow strongly in the future. There are likely to be around 9,000 job openings in this industry over the next five years with employers looking for qualified candidates who are caring, empathetic, and can communicate clearly. You'll start by developing fundamental skills in animal care including anatomy and physiology, hygiene techniques, animal identification, animal nutrition, and client communication. You'll also learn how to handle animals correctly, maintain and monitor animal health, and assist in providing treatments for animals. Then move on to your veterinary nursing studies where you'll learn how to support hospitalised animals through their medical procedures, prepare animals for surgery, assist in surgical nursing procedures, and monitor patients when under anaesthesia. You'll also discover how to perform clinical pathology procedures, prepare equipment and animals for x-rays, and carry out veterinary dental nursing procedures. You'll get the opportunity to put your skills into practice with work experience and vocational placement a key component of this course. Successful completion of this dual qualification will open up a range of career opportunities in the animal care industry. You will also be equipped with the skills required to seek work as a veterinary nurse.