Vet Nursing Careers

Looking for a vet nursing career with Greencross Vets?

Vet nursing is an exciting and well pursued career. Because of this, gaining a position within the industry can be difficult, but experienced and dedicated individuals are always sort after.

As an entry level employee, vet clinics are looking for punctual, hard workers with an eye for detail that are eager to learn and be part of a busy team. You would expect to be involved in tasks such as handling patients, monitoring procedures, reception duties, setting up and assisting the Veterinarian, feeding and exercising pets, general cleaning and of course a love for animals, which goes without saying.

As you progress with experience and through your formal studies of Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing your responsibilities would increase and may include scrubbing in to non-routine surgeries, completing basic dental procedures, participating in client consultations, performing pathology tests, completing administrative tasks, and preparing the patient for procedures including blood collection for routine screens and placing IV catheters for fluids.

Today, you can go far in a Veterinary Nursing career, aiding the Veterinarian in almost all parts of Veterinary Medicine. Nursing is a career of love. Like entry level nurses, the most experienced nurses must be willing to get their hands dirty and work flexible hours for modest wages. When looking for a Vet Nurse to join the Greencross Vets team we review many resumes that have been provided to the clinic. By reading the cover letter and resume details we will be aware of what sort of position applicants are looking for and can match you up to suitable opportunities.

About vet nursing studies

Greencross Vets works directly with Registered Training Organisations to offer their Vet Nurses the support to gain nationally recognised qualifications in Vet Nursing and your chosen career path. We understand many nurses wish to broaden their knowledge to specialise through Diploma studies or branch into customer service, coordinating teams and clinics, training, marketing and administration.

We place a strong emphasis on employee education, with an innovative internal training package that includes interactive seminars and practical workshops as well as our exciting and highly anticipated annual regional symposium.. A skill based levels system also means you are able to keep progressing in your career and be rewarded for your potential. All Greencross nurses receive ongoing support and structure in their training through clinic training, internal education programs and study groups.

Career path progression

Today’s’ veterinary industry offers Nurses an opportunity to progress in their chosen career. Greencross Vets offers a career path like no other, encouraging our nurses to grow within our team rather than discover new challenges elsewhere.

Greencross Vets offer many opportunities for Vet Nurses and support team members:

School-Based Veterinary Nurse Trainee
Qualified Veterinary Nurse
Practice Manager
Customer Service Manager
Retail Sales Manager
Group Coordinator
Training Coordinator
Administration and Accounts Managers
The sky is the limit!

Employment opportunities

As the largest provider of high quality veterinary services in Australia, Greencross Vets are continually seeking veterinary and nursing staff that have a strong desire to practice quality medicine, excellent patient care and are dedicated to maintaining their professional skills at a high level.

Where to start – turning dreams into reality

The current qualification that provides an individual with the skill to provide competent support to a Veterinary Practice is a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing (ACM40412). Prior to this, a Certificate II may be completed and gives credits towards this final certificate. This is a National qualification recognised in all states in Australia.

All training providers in Australia offer accreditation to this qualification through the Veterinary Nursing Training Package. Once this initial qualification has been gained further units of study can be achieved up to Diploma level, dependant on the skills you utilise in your practice.

For more information on these qualifications contact your selected registered training organisation or go to the National Training Information Service to choose a training organisation. Greencross Vets chooses to send their nurses through the Animal Industries Resource Centre for Certificate II, Certificate IV and Diploma level qualifications. Within each state there is also a minimum of at least one TAFE offering these qualifications. Enrolments may be full-time/part-time (at the training institute) or studied externally where the nurse can be employed and learn while completing their qualification. The external study mode is preferred by most nurses as it combines an income with the qualification they require for their job. Qualifications in Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing are competency based and tend to take the average student up to 3 years to complete.
Many training organisations require a minimum amount of regular work placement within a vet clinic in order to enrol so this should be kept in mind as the first priority when trying to enter the industry.
Greencross clinics accept volunteer placements from students who need to complete the practical elements of their course. All student placements are organised directly though the clinic due to rostering and suitable mentors. With this in mind most clinics will only take on one student at a time to ensure availability of rosters and mentors. Please contact your local clinic directly with your CV and a cover letter detailing your availability and goals of the placement.
We are always on the lookout for passionate people who wish to further their career in the Veterinary industry. From time to time Greencross Vets have traineeships available for those wanting to pursue a challenging and rewarding career in the Veterinary industry. All positions are advertised on the careers section of our website and we encourage you to regularly check back to see if a position is available.
For more information on Veterinary Nursing careers visit the Veterinary Nurses’ Council of Australia Website – The VNCA offers support and direction for Veterinary Nurses and sets and maintains standards for excellence in animal care through quality education and support.
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