Safe 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, you’ll also learn about guinea pigs, birds and wildlife.

Work Health and Safety is a vital element of working in a veterinary clinic. There is a large number of hazards and risks within a veterinary clinic.

Sourcing correct information is the mainstay of not only your study, but working as a veterinary nurse. This subject will take you through how to locate and evaluate sources of information on animal care products and services and medications.

Veterinary nurses care for a variety of animals with differences in anatomy that affect how we nurse our patients. In this subject you’ll learn all about the body systems and how they work.

This subject will take you through what is animal welfare. From exploring some animal welfare issues, various animal welfare models and frameworks, you'll learn how to use some tools to assess welfare and put plans in place for improvement.

Providing enrichment is essential for animal welfare. This subject looks at the methods we can use for many species to enrich their environment and life. You'll complete your own enrichment plans as part of your assessment.

This short subject looks at the resources we use each day and how to minimise the impact we have on the environment. You'll explore the animal care workplace to see what resources are used and how waste reducing measures could be implemented. 

This subject credits into the Diploma of Veterinary Nursing.

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.

Working in animal care and as a veterinary nurse is extremely rewarding but can take a toll on our own wellbeing as we place the care of animals at the forefront. This subject will make you aware of the importance of looking after your own wellbeing and you will devise a self care plan as part of your assessment.

Veterinary Nurses are required to communicate with a range of people from colleagues to clients. You’ll learn how to adjust your communication techniques to match your audience, including switching between medical terminology and client friendly explanations. You’ll also learn about customer service skills and how to deal with difficult situations.

This subject will introduce you to what to do in an emergency situation when you come across an ill or injured companion animal.

Infection control is extremely important in any veterinary clinic and this subject is structured to help you with understanding both basic and advanced precautions that are necessary to keep you and your patients safe from transmissible diseases.

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 your 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. You'll also learn about some of the more common diseases and parasites that we provide preventative care for.

Work placement is where you get the opportunity to learn, practice and master the necessary practical skills. You'll also undertake your practical assessments there. Read more.