• Area of Study
    Business
    Beauty
    Creative
    Animal Care
    Education
    Finance
    Trades
    Health
  • Online / On-Campus
    * Optional
  • Qualification
    * Optional

Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing

Provided by  Open Colleges

Course Overview

lead form graphic FREE Industry Guide

Want to discover actual pay and employment rates for the industry? All this and more inside the guide.

Download Now

Enter the rewarding world of working with animals with this industry qualified online course in Vet Nursing. Learn animal clinic safety processes and add to your knowledge of animals.

Workplacement (which needs to be undertaken in Australia) allows you to gain vital practical skills.

Course Quick Look

Awarded By:
Open Colleges
Qualification:
Certificate lV
Study Mode:
Online
Duration:
Maximum 24 months
Nationally Recognised:
YES

Subjects

Module 1: Introduction to the veterinary workplace

Participate in workplace communications

  • Follow routine spoken messages
  • Perform workplace duties following routine written notices
  • Obtain and provide information in response to workplace requirements
  • Complete relevant work-related documents
  • Participate in workplace meetings and discussions

Contribute to workplace health and safety processes

  • Plan and conduct work safely
  • Support others in working safely
  • Contribute to workplace health and safety participative processes
  • Contribute to hazard identification, workplace health and safety risk assessment and risk control activities
  • Participate in the control of emergency situations

Perform clinic office procedures

  • Maintain veterinary supplies
  • Maintain clinic accounts
  • Process and prepare correspondence

Carry out veterinary nursing reception duties

  • Compile patient and client histories
  • Consult the duty veterinarian
  • Identify information required
  • Maintain clinic records

Comply with infection control policies and procedures in animal work

  • Follow infection control guidelines
  • Identify and respond to infection risks
  • Maintain personal protection
  • Limit contamination
  • Contribute to incursion readiness processes

Module 2: Animal advice and care

Source information for animal care needs

  • Read and interpret product labels
  • Gather information on products and services
  • Profile nominated animal physiological features relevant to health and application of treatments
  • Take an animal history

Provide specific animal care advice

  • Provide specific animal health advice
  • Offer animal care product advice
  • Advise on animal nutritional requirements
  • Provide animal behaviour advice

Feed and water animals

  • Prepare for feeding
  • Feed and water animals
  • Complete the feeding and watering process

Assist in health care of animals

  • Assist in capture of animals
  • Assist in assessment of animals
  • Assist in treatment of animals

Module 3: Admit and prepare patients

Coordinate patient admission and discharge

  • Coordinate clinic admissions
  • Provide veterinary nursing care
  • Provide grief support to clients
  • Implement discharge procedures

Carry out daily clinic routines

  • Maintain clinic hygiene
  • Carry out daily treatment of patients
  • Assist in stock control and clinic security

Assist with surgery preparation

  • Prepare animal for surgery under direction
  • Prepare theatre or surgical operating area for use
  • Provide pre- and post-operative patient care
  • Clean theatre equipment

Module 4: Medical, surgical and dental nursing procedures

Nurse animals

  • Identify patients and monitor clinical signs
  • Communicate with clients concerning hospitalised patients
  • Provide animal care in pain situations
  • Care for animals
  • Care for hospitalised animals

Carry out medical nursing routines

  • Prepare for and assist with medical procedures
  • Prepare for specific clinic routines

Carry out surgical nursing routines

  • Prepare for surgical procedures
  • Provide support for surgical routines
  • Monitor patients and anaesthesia
  • Perform post-operative procedures

Carry out veterinary dental nursing procedures

  • Perform oral examination
  • Complete dental chart
  • Perform dental prophylaxis under veterinary supervision
  • Assist in the performance of a simple extraction under veterinary supervision

Module 5: Imaging, pathology and theatre procedurea

Apply imaging routines

  • Prepare imaging environment
  • Prepare imaging equipment
  • Implement imaging procedures
  • Carry out post-imaging procedures

Perform clinic pathology procedures

  • Implement pathology procedures
  • Perform and record appropriate tests
  • Assist with post-mortem examination

Coordinate and perform theatre routines

  • Prepare surgery schedules
  • Implement surgery preparations
  • Clean, maintain and store theatre instruments , equipment and supplies
  • Carry out post-operative theatre routines.

Module 6: Plan, provide and maintain animal health

Provide basic care of dogs

  • Identify commonly available dogs
  • Identify and evaluate behavioural and housing needs
  • Handle and restrain dogs
  • Assist with health care needs
  • Feed dogs
  • Maintain records

Maintain and monitor animal health and wellbeing

  • Follow animal health management practices
  • Monitor and maintain the physical wellbeing of animals
  • Identify and report signs of ill health or injury in animals
  • Administer and record animal treatments

Provide enrichment for animals

  • Observe and record animal behaviour
  • Assist with managing undesirable animal behaviour
  • Implement enrichment programs

Plan for and provide nutritional requirements for animals

  • Identify nutritional requirements of animals
  • Evaluate food sources and calculate dietary requirements
  • Prepare diets and provide food and water
  • Monitor feeding and watering practices

Payment Options

Flexible