Animal Nursing Assistants – Level 2

Required qualifications

You should be aged 16 or above at the time you start the course and have a strong interest in working with animals.

To be accepted onto the course, you will need a minimum of 4 GCSEs at Grade 3 or above, including English, maths, and science, or you will have gained a Distinction in a relevant Level 1 qualification.

Adult learners aged 19+ with other qualifications and/or experience are also welcomed and are accepted on a case-by-case basis depending on their individual circumstances.

What skills will I develop?

Over the course of the year, you can expect to cover skills and knowledge relating to the following units:

• Introduction to animal anatomy and physiology
• Provide basic nursing treatments to animals
• Principles of infection and control for animal nursing assistants
• Maintain animal accommodation
• Provide nutrition to animals
• Principles of animal nursing assistance
• Handling and restraint of animals
• Companion animal parasitology and zoonosis
• Principles of companion animal anaesthesia and fluid therapy

You will also develop your communication skills, learn how to work effectively as part of a team, and conduct yourself in a manner that promotes sound husbandry and high animal welfare.

Careers

Passing this course will qualify you for a career as a Veterinary Care Assistant within a veterinary care setting.

If you would like to continue your journey within the veterinary industry to become a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN), the Level 2 course is held in high regard in veterinary practices and enhances your opportunities to progress on to our Level 3 Veterinary Nursing apprenticeship. You could also progress on to one of our Level 3 or T Level courses in Animal Care and Management if you would like to expand your training into the wider animal care industry.

Work experience

To pass the course, you will be required to complete a work experience placement of at least 40 hours throughout the year in any animal-related setting.

If you intend to progress to higher level study within the veterinary industry, it is a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) requirement to complete at least 600 hours of work experience throughout the year in an Approved Training Practice.

Completing work experience will enable you to gain real life experience of a veterinary care environment and learn essential employability skills, and some learners have gone on to secure either employment or an apprenticeship following a successful work experience placement.

English and maths

If you don’t have a Grade 4 or above in English, maths, or both, you will be required to attend weekly GCSE classes during your time at college. This is a mandatory requirement for those who are aged 16-18 at the start of the course and will typically mean you attend college for an extra day each week.

English and maths will also be incorporated into all of your units during this course as they both play an important role in the veterinary sector. A decent level of English will be required to be able to read written medication instructions, to type up reports of animals’ health and wellbeing after checking on them, and to verbally give this feedback to clients, whilst maths will be important for medication dosages, anaesthesia, and nutrition.

Other important information

You will have a practical teaching session once a week at our on-site zoo, the Rodbaston Animal Zone, to give you hands-on experience working with animals.

To take part in these practical lessons you will need to be equipped with the correct PPE, which comprises of dark-coloured overalls and safety boots or wellies with a steel toe cap. As well as wearing PPE, long hair will need to be tied back, nails will need to be short and clean, and studs are the only piercings allowed for both your safety and the safety of the animals.