Course Design
Training offers veterinary nurse training via the apprenticeship route. Qualified veterinary nurse status is now achieved by completing a Level 3 Veterinary Nursing Diploma and is delivered as a blended learning course.
It is a requirement of BGT’s course that students attend college for 4 hours a week for theoretical input and spend 3 hours on blended learning in practice.
The majority of the blended learning has been assigned as practical tasks or homework. Students do not need to be under direct supervision of a clinical coach to complete each task, but the student’s clinical coach is required to sign off the work undertaken once completed. Tasks will be marked and feedback will be given by tutors at Bottle Green.
Each list of blended learning tasks will be sent to practices via students during each module.
Once a module is completed it is expected that students will complete a reflective learning journal with their clinical coach. This learning journal needs to be signed by the practice principal once completed.
This piece of documentation will then be stored at BGT as evidence of students training in practice.
The course is aimed to run for 2 years and 2 academic terms for the complete diploma. During this time students will sit RCVS external examinations and in house examinations (some of these in house examinations go towards the final qualification). They will also be required to complete 5 assignments (for small animal pathway and 6 assignments for equine) and their nursing progress log. All of these will need to reach an approved standard to enable students to qualify as a veterinary nurse.
The nursing progress log is an electronic list of skills that need to be completed prior to students sitting their final practical examinations.
Small animal students will be given the opportunity to achieve some of the equine handling and management skills through BGT. This will involve students attending a riding for disabled stables for at least one full day during their training.
Students will be given academic writing support and structured tutorial time at Bottle Green Training during half terms to enable them to complete written work.
College times are either 8.45am to 1.00pm for a morning session and 1.45pm to 6.00pm for an afternoon session. Sessions run on all week days with Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning reserved for first year students. These dates are subject to change upon progression within the course.
Entry Requirements
Students will be required to bring their RCVS enrollment paperwork, original examination certificates and cheque with them on the first week of college.
BGT enrollment forms should be completed prior to commencement on the course.
The entry requirements are still as before – 5GCSE or equivalent Grade C or above, including – Maths, English and Science.
If you have any queries regarding qualification equivalents please contact BGT or alternatively there is a list of the more commonly encountered alternatives on the RCVS website – www.rcvs.org.uk