DkIT B.Sc. in veterinary nursing graduates

Once you graduate from DkIT with your three year (ordinary level) B.Sc. in Veterinary Nursing you are eligible to register as a veterinary nurse with the VCI and practice your profession in Ireland. This option is also available to graduates of the other four accredited courses in veterinary nursing in Ireland: St John's College, Cork (2 year level 6), Letterkenny IT, Athlone IT (both 3 year level 7 degrees like DkIT) and UCD (4 year level 8). 

Topics on this page:

DkIT conferring

  • DkIT conferring

  • Registering with the VCI

  • Career resources

  • Further education options

  • Clinical specialities

  • Continuing veterinary education

  • Working overseas

Information on your DkIT conferring ceremony and how to register with the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) are available from this link.

All our students and graduates are welcome to join the DkIT B.Sc. in Veterinary Nursing LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4744101

 It's a useful way to keep in touch and we will post any job advertisements, graduate news and other relevant information there.  

 

Useful links& Support services

VCI website: www.vci.ie

CV tips: http://www.workinracing.ie/job-board/cv-preparation/

Interview tips: http://www.workinracing.ie/job-board/interview-tips/

DkIT careers office: https://www.dkit.ie/dkit-life/careers-and-employability.html

Support services:

Suggested Facebook groups:

  • Vets: Stay, Go or Diversify (VSGD)

  • Veterinary Voices Ireland

  • Irish Veterinary Nurses Unite (now linked with the IVNA)

 

Career information & support

Irish veterinary nursing association: www.ivna.ie

The VCI regulates the veterinary profession of the public good while the IVNA represents veterinary nurses and works on their behalf. The IVNA is run by its members for its members so don't hang back: join up and engage with the future of your profession.

Irish veterinary job resources:

 

further education options

University of Napier B.Sc. Hons in Veterinary Nursing (Top up)

Edinburgh Napier University offer a distance learning top up option for qualified RVNs who wish to obtain a level eight degree. As you already have a three year level seven qualification you would need to complete the final (4th) year of their veterinary nursing course. 

It's a modular course, designed to fit in around employment, so you can take the modules at your own pace. For further information please see the link, where you can also contact the University yourself for more details. EU citizens are currently entitled to a reduced rate of fees in Scottish Universities. 

http://www.napier.ac.uk/en/courses/bsc--bsc-hons-veterinary-nursing-top-up-undergraduate-distance-learning-fulltime

St John's College, Cork offer support for Irish RVNs who wish to complete this course. See http://www.stjohnscollege.ie/courses-2/applied-sciences/bachelor-science-honours-degree-veterinary-nursing/

Letterkenny IT B.Sc. (Hons) in Animal Behaviour & Welfare

One year full time level eight top-up degree for level seven RVNs

https://www.lyit.ie/full-timecourses/science/lysanbwb/

 

clinical specialities

RCVS Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing

You must have one year's experience prior to enrolling on one of these courses. However if you are interested in a clinical specialty (anaesthesia, surgical nursing, critical care etc.) they are well worth considering.

http://www.rcvs.org.uk/education/diploma-in-advanced-veterinary-nursing/

Royal Dick College of Veterinary Medicine online postgraduate courses

http://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/studying/postgraduate/taught-programmes/online

What's the difference between a level 8/9/10 qualification and a clinical speciality?

Successful PhD candidates

Successful PhD candidates

Levels 9 (a Masters) and 10 (a PhD) are postgraduate qualifications (postgraduate means they take place after you have already obtained a degree) and are designed to help you develop research skills in your career, generally in preparation for a specialised career in research, teaching or academia. Most postgraduate courses are full time, as they tend to be demanding and require a lot of time input. Masters typically take 1-2 years to complete versus 3-4 years for a PhD.

A clinical speciality is also a postgraduate qualification but it is aimed at those who are in clinical practice. It is a course designed to help you develop more expertise in a specific patient-care topic, such as anaesthesia, orthopaedics or animal behaviour. Most clinical specialities are part-time or blended learning (a mixture of online and face-to-face classes) courses. Given the practical nature of clinical work, very few of them are available solely online. Examples are the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing and the Royal Dick postgraduate courses.

 

continuing veterinary education (CVE)

Audience

CVE

CVE credits are awarded for certified attendances at conferences and clinical presentations

In order to remain on the veterinary nursing register in Ireland you are required by the VCI to obtain 12 CVE credits annually. These are available for a wide range of courses and activities. Examples include:

  • Veterinary conferences

  • Clinical society meetings

  • Clinical presentations and seminars

  • Publishing veterinary-related articles

  • Supervising students on work placement

  • Online courses and webinars

  • Presenting at conferences

For more information and to submit and manage your CVE credits, please see this link.       

 

working overseas

Registering with the RCVS to work in the UK, see https://www.rcvs.org.uk/registration/applications-veterinary-nurses/overseas-qualified-veterinary-nurses/ Note: these procedures may change in the future, due to Brexit.

Veterinary nursing organisations overseas:

Some overseas job adverts:

A day in the life of an equine veterinary nurse in California.

DkIT veterinary nursing graduate Katie Dunne talks about her job at Fitzpatrick Referrals in the UK