This qualification is intended for people who are aware of the importance of animals in society, and who intend to work as a veterinary nurse in clinical veterinary/animal healthcare settings such as companion animal veterinary clinics, equine veterinary clinics, or alongside veterinarians providing companion animal or equine healthcare services in a variety of settings.

Graduates will have technical knowledge and skills to work as a veterinary nurse in a clinical veterinary setting. They will have a high level of responsibility and discretion within their scope of practice, in a wide range of dynamic and often unpredictable situations and following protocols in all aspects of clinical veterinary practice or animal healthcare settings.

The qualification is stranded to recognise the specialist skills required for providing veterinary nursing care to either companion animal or equine veterinary practices.

Graduates will be eligible to apply for registration on the New Zealand Register of Veterinary Nurses.

Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

- Apply principles of clinical governance to lead and support the safe and effective care of animal patients in an animal healthcare setting.
- Apply knowledge of professionalism, professional development, and future-focused animal healthcare industries to lead and support the safe and effective care of animal patients in an animal healthcare setting.
- Apply knowledge of animal functional anatomy and physiology to animal management.
- Apply knowledge of veterinary microbiology and infection control to provide effective sterilisation, sanitisation, disinfection, hygiene, and isolation procedures.
- Apply knowledge of animal learning and communication, and factors that influence behaviour and welfare to manage the safe and effective care of animal patients.
- Apply knowledge of pharmacology to provide and support clinical pharmacological interventions to animal patients and manage clinic pharmacy processes.

Graduates of the Companion Animal Veterinary Nursing strand will also be able to:
- Apply knowledge of companion animals to manage companion animal husbandry.
- Apply knowledge of companion animal behaviour to manage effective handling techniques that minimise stress to the companion animal patient.
- Apply first aid, and emergency processes for companion animal patients requiring basic and advanced life support in an emergency or simulated emergency.
- Apply knowledge of companion animal endemic, exotic and emerging diseases; parasitology, and immunology to support the provision of companion animal patient healthcare and disease prevention.
- Apply knowledge of companion animal nutrition to provide clinical and therapeutic nutritional support to companion animal patients.
- Apply the nursing process and care planning to manage a range of medical and surgical interventions for companion animal patients of different life stages and health status.
- Apply knowledge of physiological fluid and electrolyte balance to provide fluid replacement therapy, and blood transfusions to companion animal patients.
- Apply knowledge of wound physiology and bandaging to apply and maintain bandages for companion animal patients.
- Apply knowledge of anaesthesia and analgesia to support the provision of anaesthesia and pain management to companion animal patients.
- Apply surgical nursing skills to carry out preoperative, intraoperative, post-operative procedures and management of companion animal patients undergoing surgery.

Graduates of the Equine Veterinary Nursing strand will also be able to:
- Apply knowledge of equines to manage equine husbandry.
- Apply knowledge of equine behaviour to manage effective rural animal handling techniques that minimise stress to the equine patient.
- Apply first aid, and emergency processes for equine patients requiring basic and advanced life support in an emergency or simulated emergency.
- Apply knowledge of equine endemic, exotic and emerging diseases; parasitology, and immunology to support the provision of equine patient healthcare and disease prevention.
- Apply knowledge of equine nutrition to provide clinical and therapeutic nutritional support to equine patients.
- Apply the nursing process and care planning to manage a range of medical and surgical interventions for equine patients of different life stages and health status.
- Apply knowledge of physiological fluid and electrolyte balance to provide fluid replacement therapy, and blood transfusions to equine patients.
- Apply knowledge of wound physiology and bandaging to apply and maintain bandages for equine patients.
- Apply knowledge of anaesthesia and analgesia to support the provision of anaesthesia and pain management to equine patients.
- Apply surgical nursing skills to carry out preoperative, intraoperative, post-operative procedures and management of equine patients undergoing surgery.

This qualification may build on the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Healthcare Assisting (Level 4) with strands in Companion Animal Healthcare, Equine Healthcare and Rural Animal Healthcare [Ref: 4388]; or the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Management (Level 4) with strands in Canine Behaviour and Training; Companion Animals; Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles; and Zookeeping [Ref: 2489].

This qualification may lead to higher level study in veterinary nursing.

TEOs offering programmes leading to this qualification must:

Ensure currency with amendments to, and replacements of, relevant legislation, regulations, and codes of practice which may include some or all of the following: Veterinarian's Act 2005; Animal Welfare Act 1999; Biosecurity Act 1993, Health and Safety at Work Act 2015; Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996; Resource Management Act 1991; Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997, Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, Privacy Act 2020.

Abide by Animal Welfare Act 1999 Part 6 legislating ethics surrounding use of animals in learning and teaching, including seeking Animal Ethics Committee Approval where applicable.

Providers must ensure learners complete health declaration and declaration of any criminal convictions to ensure fitness to practice.

A Programme Guidance document is available on request from Muka Tangata Workforce Development Council - qualifications@mukatangata.nz.

The Graduate Outcomes of this qualification align with the Allied Veterinary Professional Regulatory Council (AVPRC) Graduate Competencies available from: www.avprc.org.nz.