A Veterinary Nurse cares for animals under treatment or in temporary residence at veterinary facilities and assists Veterinarians to perform procedures and operations.
Occupation description
A Veterinary Nurse cares for animals under treatment or in temporary residence at veterinary facilities and assists Veterinarians to perform procedures and operations.
Occupations considered suitable under this ANZSCO code:
- Animal Nurse
- Veterinary Assistant
Occupations not considered under this ANZSCO code:
- Veterinarian
- Pet Groomer
- Zoo Keeper
These occupations are classified elsewhere in ANZSCO or are not at the required skill level.
Veterinary Nurse is a VETASSESS Group D occupation
This occupation requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate III or IV. Applicants can fulfil the assessment criteria for this occupation in one of four ways.
Description of Pathways
The information below describes the available pathways for a Skills Assessment under Group D. Please note that in order to achieve a successful Skills Assessment Outcome, a suitable assessment for both qualifications and employment is required.
Pathway 1
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate IV or higher and in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Certificate IV or higher includes AQF Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma, Master Degree or Doctoral Degree.
In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Please note: The qualification level requirement AQF Certificate IV or higher can be satisfied by one qualification, while the requirement for a highly relevant major can be met by a separate qualification at a minimum of AQF Certificate III level.
Pathway 2
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate IV or higher and in a field not highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Certificate IV or higher includes AQF Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma, Master Degree or Doctoral Degree.
In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least two year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Please note - This pathway applies where a qualification is assessed at AQF Certificate IV level or higher and is not highly relevant to the nominated occupation, or where no other relevant qualification at AQF Certificate III level is available for consideration.
Pathway 3
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate III in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least three years of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Pathway 4
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate IV or higher with or without a highly relevant major field of study to the nominated occupation.
Certificate IV or higher includes AQF Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma, Master Degree or Doctoral Degree.
In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least four years of employment at an appropriate skill level that includes at least one year of highly relevant employment within the last five years before applying,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Qualification and Employment Criteria
Employment
Highly relevant tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Holding animals to allow examination and treatment by veterinarians.
- Cleaning and sterilising examination tables and equipment.
- Preparing instruments and handing them to the veterinarian.
- Assisting veterinarians to administer anesthetics and oxygen during operations.
- Placing animals in cages for recovery from operations and monitoring their condition.
- Giving medications to animals.
- Maintaining stock control and records.
- Providing animal care advice, and preparing, delivering, and reviewing animal care education programs.
Additional tasks may include:
Highly relevant tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Performing diagnostic laboratory tests.
- Acting as receptionist, accepting payments and undertaking clerical work.
*If employment is prior to the completion of the qualification at the required level, an applicant must have at least one year of highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level within the last five years. The remaining three years of pre-qualifying period may be within the last ten years. A positive assessment of both qualification level and employment duration is required for a positive Skills Assessment outcome.
Employment information
Veterinary Nurses are employed in veterinary practices, animal hospitals and government and council animal health departments. A Veterinary Nurse may also be employed by a research institute to oversee animals within a study or research and development program.
This occupation usually requires on-the-job training or placement during undergraduate studies. These training periods are not considered at the required skill level for assessment purposes.
Veterinarians performing the duties of a Veterinary Nurse alongside higher level duties are not considered relevant under this occupation.
Supporting material for assessment
When applying for a Skills Assessment, please ensure you submit sufficient evidence supporting your proof of identity, qualification and employment claims. A full list of the documents required can be found on the VETASSESS website under Eligibility Criteria.
While the VETASSESS Skills Assessment for migration purposes is distinct from an assessment for licensing or registration purposes, applicants are advised to provide copies of relevant licences/registration (including from overseas) if held.
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