About the course
The course is delivered at University Centre Myerscough and awarded by the University of Central Lancashire. This innovative and dynamic course is a progression route from the FdSc Veterinary Nursing course and provides a unique opportunity to gain an Honours Degree in Veterinary Nursing and enhance your employability within the profession. The course focusses on the application of theory to professional practice and will facilitate both the personal and professional development of qualified registered Veterinary Nurses.
The course has been structured to provide a flexible opportunity to study through a combination of distance (online) learning and on-campus delivery (students are expected to attend weekend study days twice per semester). Students are also expected to have access to practice of at least 12 weeks annually for the duration of the course.
As a Myerscough Veterinary Nursing degree student, you will benefit from individualised support within a welcoming culture, ensuring that you follow in the footsteps of our previous students with their outstanding high achievements and excellent student satisfaction.
Key Information
Location: Preston Campus
Course length: Two Years (60 weeks)
Start date: September 2025
Interested in taking this course? Click here to apply for this course online
Course Modules
Critical Care Veterinary Nursing
This module will cover the implementation and evaluation of the advanced nursing care of emergency surgical and critically ill medical patients, critical care procedures, patient monitoring and the legal and ethical considerations of nursing such patients. It will also cover advanced nursing procedures encountered in veterinary practice.
Veterinary Nursing of Life Limiting Conditions
This module will develop an appreciation of the ageing process and common conditions affecting geriatric animals and how these considerations affect the selection of appropriate nursing protocols for these patients. It will also address the palliative nursing care of animals suffering from life limiting illness. In addition the provision of client support will be investigated in preparing and helping the owner deal with bereavement, grief and loss.
Veterinary Nursing Support of Pain Management
This module will enhance the student�s knowledge regarding the physiology of pain focusing on the impact pain has on an animal. Students will also explore the concept of multi-modal analgesia and the use design, implementation and evaluation of pain scoring systems in veterinary practice in order to improve and enhance patient health and welfare.
YEAR 1
Professional Practitioner Research Proposal
The module will foster research awareness, the development of transferrable skills, including the capacity for self-management and the concept of life-long learning. It will also enable students to develop the skills to locate and critically appraise research and present this information to an acceptable academic standard, and cultivate the student�s knowledge of a topic from their professional discipline as a basis for future action. Experimental and exploratory designs will be taught so that data and observations can be assessed for accuracy and reliability. The appropriateness of the investigational or exploratory methods will be explored together with suitable data analytical techniques. Methods of reporting the results of scientific investigations and explorations will be appraised.
YEAR 2
Dissertation (Double Module)
This module will enable the student to demonstrate their ability to work independently and nominate a topic of their choice that is of special personal interest and to investigate in depth this area of veterinary nursing practice. It will facilitate the development of research skills rather than the quest for new knowledge although this will be encouraged.
Entry requirements & additional information
Applicants must hold a UK HE Level 5 qualification in veterinary nursing, for example a Foundation Degree in Veterinary Nursing or Diploma Higher Education Clinical Veterinary Nursing and appear on the RCVS register for veterinary nurses (or be eligible to apply / be in the process of applying to the RCVS to be entered onto the register). Applicants must also provide evidence of successfully completing a research-based module at Level 5.
Applicants for whom English is a second language must be able to demonstrate proof of International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at level 7.0 or equivalent. The applicant must forward evidence of eligibility to the College prior to acceptance on the course.
All offers may be subject to successful interview.
Learning Environment:
Learning activities on the course are diverse, including weekly lesson delivery on Canvas for each module the student is studying, and lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops will also be delivered in the purpose-built veterinary nursing facility during the study weekends. Students will be expected to undertake extensive independent study and research to support lectures, seminars and assessments. Group work and collaboration will form an important part of the course and the student�s personal and professional development. Students will also have access to specialist IT hardware and software where necessary to support their studies.
Assessment:
Students will face a variety of assessments including a combination of coursework, unseen examinations, individual presentations and practical assessments. The coursework assessment methods will include essays, reports and dissertation work.
Additional Information:
Students will be required to attend timetabled lectures for all modules each study day according to the timetable provided at the start of each year. This will include 2 days in College per semester, per year, with the rest of their time allocated to independent study and time in practice to support their studies.
What work experience can I get?
The nature of the course, which embraces module outcomes from both a theoretical and clinical perspective, necessitates access to practice. Students will therefore be required to be employed in, or have agreed access to, placement in a suitable veterinary clinical environment for at least 12 weeks annually.
On completion of the course further academic opportunities are available including, MA, MEd, MSc, MPhil, PhD and related courses.
Additional costs for items that are essential for the course include:
Accommodation during study periods at Myerscough College - the price for accommodation depends on where the student chooses to stay, the length of their stay, and how far in advance they book.
Access to broadband internet and a computer.
Additional costs for items that are essential for the course include:
Books - Approx. �120. Students will be provided with a reading list for each module studied. The decision to purchase any books remains with the student, and no books are considered essential.
Veterinary Nursing
Myerscough School of Veterinary Nursing has been an established provider of education and training for veterinary nurses for more than 35 years, with approval from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons granted in 1975. In this time the College has successfully taught many small animal and equine student nurses from all parts of Britain and Europe.
Veterinary Nurses (VNs) work alongside veterinary surgeons and provide a high standard of care and treatment for animals. This includes skilled supportive care for ill animals as well as undertaking minor surgery, monitoring animals during anaesthesia, providing medical treatments and carrying out diagnostic tests
A Proud History
Myerscough College has been providing excellent veterinary nursing training for more than 35 years, meaning thousands of qualified vet nurses have left us to join the industry since we began.