The curriculum taught to veterinary nurses does not only qualify them to act as assistants in a vet’s practice where pets are treated; it also gives them broad-based skills in primary health care that are valuable to the agriculture sector in general.
Veterinary nursing is a challenging, exciting and stable career: only 50 students qualify per year, and there is good job security. All nurses are registered as para-veterinary professionals by the SA African Veterinary Council.
Veterinary nurses assist vets with surgery and the medical care of animals of all species. They can be employed by private veterinary clinics and hospitals as well as state veterinary services. Qualified veterinary nurses are in demand in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry and in animal welfare. Veterinary nurses can also follow careers in agriculture, game farming and in wildlife rehabilitation centres, research institutes and laboratories, pet boarding facilities and horse breeding or riding establishments.
The diploma in veterinary nursing is a two-year qualification, with theory taught in the first year and practical skills at the Veterinary Academic Hospital in the second.Subjects include basic anatomy and physiology of domestic animals, medicine, theatre practice, practice management and animal behaviour. In South Africa, the veterinary nursing qualification is offered only at the veterinary faculty of the University of Pretoria.
What you need
If you would like to follow this study path, you will need to pass English, a second language, mathematics, life sciences and physical sciences in Grade 12. The minimum achievement level for these four subjects is 50% to 59% and you will need a total minimum admission score of 24 points based on your National Senior Certificate results.
(You can calculate your score online by accessing the University of Pretoria website at up.ac.za.)
Use your Grade 11 final promotion marks when applying for admission, which closes on 31 May of the year preceding admission. An applicant who has veterinary nursing as his or her first choice will be given priority. When applying, you need to complete a value-added questionnaire. As part of this, you must submit a portfolio of biographical achievements such as leadership, sports, culture and community involvement. You should also list your previous exposure to veterinary practice, farming, animal welfare or wildlife rehabilitation facilities.
You will also have to write the National Benchmark Test, which has two categories: Academic and Quantitative Literacy (AQL) and Cognitive Academic Mathematical Proficiency (CAMP). This can be written at any of a number of venues throughout South Africa.
Selection rating
A selection rating index is calculated for each applicant by allocating 20% to each of the language marks and 60% to the mark for mathematics, and is used with the overall Grade 11 average. Once provisional selection of school leavers is completed, the other applicants are placed on a waiting list.
Final confirmation of selection takes place only once the Grade 12 results are obtained. If students cancel their applications, or their final Grade 12 marks are unacceptable, they will be replaced by candidates from the waiting list.
