B.Sc. in Veterinary Nursing Applicant information session 20th - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

B.Sc. in Veterinary Nursing

Applicant information session

20th January 2016

Welcome to veterinary nursing at DkIT

Today’s presentation

• Application routes
• The ideal applicant
• Common application

weaknesses

• How to address

these

Diarmuid Cahill

DkIT School Liaison Officer

Application routes

• Leaving cert (20 places)
• C3 (Hons) in biology or Ag science
• CAO points, ~400
• FETAC level 5 animal care (5 places)
• Lottery once you have eight distinctions
• Mature applicants (5 places)
• Apply via CAO then interview
• You can apply via >1 route

The course

• It’s a science degree
• Goes (far!) beyond basic rote learning &

recall

• You must understand the information & be

able to do something useful with it

• Lectures are just a starting point for your
• wn further study

Vet nursing experience

• Spend time in practice
• bserving what a registered

veterinary nurse actually does

• Be aware of the realities of

the job

• The veterinary industry is

made up of hard working & dedicated professionals Vet Ireland survey 2014: the average vet spends 105 hours per week working and on call

Education

• An interest in learning
• The dedication to complete a course
• Good basic writing & communication skills
• Be willing to learn to think!
• Be open to learning about a range of animal

species (farm animals, pets, exotics & horses)

Key attributes

• Personal responsibility
• Practical skills
• Writing skills
• Maths skills
• People skills
• Physical fitness

Personal responsibility

• We cannot teach you to be a veterinary

nurse...

• But we can help you to learn to be a

veterinary nurse

• Ultimately it’s up to you, nobody else can

do it for you

• You must take on this responsibility, no

excuses!

Physical fitness

• Nursing animals is a physically demanding job
• On your feet constantly, lots of manual

handling, it’s not 9-5.

• Working when tired/cold/hungry/injured
• You need to be able for this
• Running, cycling, team sports, horse riding,

swimming etc.

People skills

• Good communication skills are absolutely

vital in this career

• Clients must feel they can trust you
• Colleagues must feel you are a genuine

team player

• (Loving animals is not enough)

Practical skills

• You need to be able to make

your hands do what you want them to do

• You also need to be
• bservant
• Gardening, sewing, cooking,

playing sports, fixing things all help!

• Can you wire a plug, sharpen

a knife, change a tyre, replace a fuse, groom an animal?!

Writing skills

• Vet nurses work as part of a professional

animal care team

• Accurate and detailed case notes are vital
• Legal records
• Patient discharge instructions, reports etc.
• You must be able to write well

Maths

• You must be competent in practical maths
• Drug doses - give 1.1mg/kg of a 50mg/ml

solution to a 12kg dog

• Disinfectant dilutions - make up a 1:200

solution

• Lab test results - how many dl in a l?

An

• verdose

will kill me..

Do not apply for this course if:

• You think it will be a nice easy job with lots
• f cute animals to play with
• You hate studying and want to work outside/

with your hands all the time

• You don’t like working with people
• You want to be a vet

“Success implies endeavour”

You must be prepared to work hard!

Common mature application weaknesses

You need experience of what a vet nurse actually does

Incomplete/late applications

• Get completed applications in to the

CAO before Feb 1st

• Ensure you have included ALL requested

documentation, including academic results and references

• Course is

VERY popular so late applications have not been considered to date

Lack of references

• A FETAC work placement report from a

veterinary practice is not a reference

• A reference must be written by a practice

member specifically for the purpose of applying to the course

NEVER falsify references!

Inform yourself

• Use your initiative to research the job &

the course www.ivna.ie

Commitment to learning

• “Sure the course will be no bother, I love

animals”

• Have you really considered the realities of

going back to college?

• What have you done to prepare yourself?

Interviews

• Informal but look smart and be on time!
• If you plan not to attend please let us know
• Why do you want to be a vet nurse?
• How prepared are you?
• Are you informed about the course &

career?

• Realistic enthusiasm

Competition

• In 2015 we received 108 applications for 5

mature applicant places

• Short listing and interview of 12-15

candidates

• The process starts from scratch every year

(like a job interview)

Advice for applicants (the take home message)

Do your research

• Spend as much time as possible in practice,

ideally with RVNs

• Inform yourself about the course
• Inform yourself about the profession
• Ensure your application is complete &

accurate

• Get experience with a range of animal

species

The best of luck!

Any questions?

Thank you for your attention