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1 Sept 2026

Your veterinary nursing career choices – possibilities unlocked

Charlie Fisher RVN provides practical help for those feeling ‘stuck’ in their role and weighing up decisions for their future.

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Charlie Fisher

Job Title
Your veterinary nursing career choices – possibilities unlocked

Image: Allistair/peopleimages.com / Adobe Stock

Becoming a registered veterinary nurse wasn’t something I dreamed of being when I was little.

It wasn’t “up there” with the aspirational careers of doctor, police officer and, for a brief stint, lawyer that I imagined when I was young.

Of course, these were ruled out pretty fast when I realised that most dealt with people. People, as it turns out, have a habit of being so very “peoplely”.

The next thought was to become a vet, but, again, that seemed out of reach due to the long hours spent volunteering for work experience, an incredibly long time at university and an affinity for maths, a skill that passed me by.

A flash of a bottle green tunic and I was swiftly directed towards veterinary nursing, a career that didn’t seem so daunting.

The benefits of helping and caring for animals without as much of the responsibility. Little did I know.

Veterinary nurse – to be or not to be?

My eager little mind soaked up as much knowledge about the role as possible – who were these miracle workers that appeared to be at the heart of the veterinary team?

The definition later defined “to ease the suffering and pain of animals, and to improve their health and welfare” (RCVS, 2023) seems a bit vague, but is improved with the amendment of also having the “ability to provide medical care and minor procedures under veterinary direction, supporting animal health and welfare while working with owners and carers”.

But this definition, however thorough, ignores the humanity, empathy, skill and passion that every single veterinary nurse I have ever met holds in spades.

Back to my career aspirations, I was hooked. This was my calling. Then the training, the studying and working ridiculous shifts at the same time and the life-consuming, life-altering career kicks in – and it becomes so much more.

Being a veterinary nurse has been one of the single-most satisfying and juxtaposing heart-breaking careers and identity I could have ever wanted. The back-breaking, knee-crippling and soul-wrenching – combined with the incredibly uplifting – job of caring for a hospitalised patient until they go home is euphoric. Supporting that patient’s needs overshadows your own. These disappear into thin air and pale in comparison to that feeling you get when you finally convince an anorexic cat to eat for the first time in six days.

For the adrenaline junkies among us, this chaotic world of living moment to moment works, and it works very well, for a time. Then things begin to stagnate. The emotional turmoil begins to take more than you can give, the antisocial hours become less exciting and more compromising, frustrations (occasionally linked to legislation limitations with what you can and can’t do) set in. When this happens, it can feel constricting. You worked so hard for the qualification that you thought was endgame. That realisation can be a slow burn or a crash landing, but, either way, it can signal that a change is required.

The natural and human response to change is to seek a solution and there are so many possible solutions that allow veterinary nurses to take charge of their career, upskill and inject a much-needed jab of self-worth. These can be broken down into (but are not limited to) the following three categories:

  • Advanced certification within clinical practice.
  • Diversification into a non-clinical role while remaining within the veterinary profession.
  • Leaving the profession.

Advanced certification

So many areas exist in which veterinary nurses can choose to expand their skill set, regardless of whether they are “in small animal, large or equine practice” (BVNA, 2026).

Lots of external providers are available that specialise in veterinary nursing certificates, with flexible learning options that include online, face-to-face and blended formats. With a variety of postgraduate topics, there is bound to be one that captures your interest. Not only will this broaden and enhance your existing skill set, but it can also help highlight environments you may wish to move into. Addicted to the fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled environment of emergency work? A certificate in emergency and critical care can support your transition into that specific environment, hone your skills, improve your response to a critical patient and support the team around you.

Referral centres tend to focus on a more singular aspect of veterinary care, such as orthopaedics, neurology, ophthalmology and cardiology. There are lots of post-graduate certificates available for nurses that can open doors to working within those particular sectors and making you the best person to provide patient care within that speciality.

Advanced certificates accredited by the RCVS are hard work. No arguments. To try and fit studying, course work and exams around a busy schedule isn’t for the fainthearted. We’ve all been there, done that, and let’s face it, did so when a lot younger and with fewer life responsibilities. However, it is possible.

The sheer range of potential courses and certificates available is huge, and if you have an area of passion, why not explore that to see what else you’re capable of? I guarantee it’s more than you think.

Veterinarian woman in blue uniform is using laptop to searching pet information and typing treatment. Image: Katcha / Adobe Stock
Image: Katcha / Adobe Stock

Diversification

As a veterinary nurse, you are already equipped with an incredible skill set containing a variety of uniquely transferrable skills (Fisher, 2024). We are resilient. We keep coming back; even after the patient we’ve grown to care for deeply gets put to sleep. We show up for the next one, time and time again. That is not something to be overlooked. We are incredibly committed and loyal to a fault – to our patients, our team and our practices.

We have an ability to communicate with a whole plethora of people (and animals). Whether it’s a pet owner, vet, nurse, kennel assistant, receptionist, work experience student, vet student or insurance company, we’ve spoken to them all. Built within this communication skill is the ability to actively listen while also thinking and planning the next step. We can multi-task so well that we can receive a handover, stop a beeping drip pump, calculate a drug dose and drink that coffee that’s been on the side too long.

Veterinary nurses are skilled in so many different areas; we can help a pet in its final moments before taking a deep breath, rolling our shoulders and shape-shifting to perform a nurse clinic on puppy socialisation.

All these unique and transferrable skills (CV terminology gold) can open the doors to so many different areas within the veterinary sector.

Insurance companies often seek out veterinary staff to better understand clinical cases. Account management is often needed within bigger pharmaceutical companies that like to have their team complemented with those experienced in clinical practice. Veterinary publications often seek those with a veterinary knowledge base to be able to write articles on specific topics. And so many more.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of diversification is the number of nurses (and vets) who have already done it and continue to provide the most incredible support to those feeling “stuck”.

From Facebook groups and online coaching companies to LinkedIn communities, there are pockets of vets and nurses cheering each other on, lifting each other up and encouraging people to get the most out of their career and their life.

Leaving the profession

According to the RCVS Exit survey 2022-2024, out of the 202 nurses who responded, “54 per cent of nurses were found to be leaving the profession to pursue roles in different fields” (Improve International, 2025) citing “pay and stress” as their top reasons.

The president of the BVNA at the time responded by stating that they, “alongside other veterinary organisations, […were] pushing towards much-needed reform of the outdated Veterinary Surgeons Act” (BVNA, 2025) in order to protect the title of veterinary nurse and “positively impact earning potential, as well as professional recognition and job satisfaction” (BVNA, 2025).

“The title of ‘veterinary nurse’ is not protected, meaning literally anyone can call themselves a veterinary nurse with no training or professional competencies” (Mullineaux, 2026). This has a huge impact on the veterinary nursing community.

The work that goes into training, maintaining and advancing your skill as a veterinary nurse is overwhelming. For someone who hasn’t done that to call themselves a veterinary nurse is insulting.

“The protection of professional titles is just one part of the proposals for reform of the VSA” (Mullineaux, 2026). The BVNA has helped drive this important legislation, acknowledging that “it is time that RVNs are finally recognised for their full range of knowledge, skills and potential” (Hughes, 2025).

The RCVS wrote that “Schedule 3 should be replaced by flexible powers that allow the regulator to decide which veterinary acts can be undertaken by VNs, [along with the] need for the delegating veterinary surgeon to work for the same employer as the veterinary nurse” creating “the opportunity for specialist qualifications and statuses that would allow VNs to do more, for instance ‘community nursing’ or ‘nurse practitioner’ roles”.

This recognition and change in legislation will not only allow for further career progression, but hopefully drive employers to increase the financial compensation of a hard-working role, easing off some of the financial pressure nurses described.

There is so much camaraderie and connection within the veterinary community that if you are thinking of leaving, I urge you to stay.

The community is small. Sometimes, all it takes is a brief conversation for you to realise how small; be it a shared colleague, a training practice, or sometimes even practice accommodation. Which means, in turn, that you are not far from someone who can empathise and help turn things around.

Conclusion

There are no restrictions with veterinary nursing, regardless of how you might feel. You can explore any option, without the need to stick to just one.

I have lived all three. I have had careers outside of veterinary. I have trained, worked, lived and breathed being a veterinary nurse.

I have achieved an advanced certification and I have, for the past two years, fully diversified into account management for a veterinary digital communications company.

Registered veterinary nurse may not have been the career choice straight out of the gate, but having embodied every single soul-crushing, heart-warming minute of it – having the experience of evolving with it to become something new – I wouldn’t want to be anything else. The opportunities are endless.

  • This article appeared in VN Times (September/October 2026), Volume 26, Issue 9/10, Pages 18-20

Charlie Fisher has more than 16 years’ experience in the profession. With a BA(Hons) in English and an NCert in ECC, Charlie now works in digital marketing for independent veterinary practices. Passionate about writing and championing the skills of RVNs, Charlie is dedicated to elevating the visibility and value of the nursing profession within the wider industry.

References and further reading