Veterinary nursing application and interviews

Congratulations on being invited for or a test or interview for our Veterinary Nursing courses.

This is an opportunity for us to find out about you and your journey so far. Remember that there are no trick questions and we'll try our best to make you feel comfortable and at ease.

In order to prepare for your interview, please read the course specific interview questions below.

How we'll assess you

During the interview, we will be looking for the following knowledge:

• Demonstration of your knowledge and understanding of the role of a  Registered Veterinary Nurse
• Experience of caring for animals and challenges for personnel providing this care in veterinary practice
• Awareness of a Registered Veterinary Nurse’s role and responsibilities in the field

We highly recommend you read the following material for additional information and guidance given by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) relating to recruitment for veterinary nursing programmes:

• Guidance on recruitment
• Fitness to Practise: A Guide for UK Providers of Veterinary Nursing Education and Student Veterinary Nurses
• RCVS: Day One Competences for a Veterinary Nurse

Your outlook

• Evidence of appropriate personal awareness, empathy and caring approach

Your skills and qualities

• Clear and coherent communication skills
• Good time management skills
• Knowledge of, and coping strategies for the challenges of the programme
• Knowledge of advantages and disadvantages of working in teams
• Able to carry out practical tasks with accuracy and efficiency

You should expect your online interview to take up to an hour. You will need to bring along a form of ID such as your current passport or driving license.

What to bring to your interview

Please bring along your current passport, EU ID or a Driving Licence photo card.

What to submit

You will be required to submit the following clear scanned documents on an online platform:

• Original academic certificates - GCSE/'O' level, 'A' Level and/or any other equivalent certificates already achieved
• References - Veterinary Practice and animal work experience
• Original birth certificate
• Original passport photo page and/or UK Driving Licence photo page/card

Course specific interview questions

In preparation for your interview, please prepare a short presentation on the following scenario. The presentation can be in a format of your choice (e.g. PowerPoint, Prezi, verbal, written) and should be no longer than 5 minutes.

Scenario

A client presents their 10 week old kitten to the veterinary surgeon as her leg is very sore and she is not eating. The veterinary surgeon advises the client that the leg is fractured; there are several options in terms of treatment:

• The leg can be repaired surgically, although there will be some risk involved in terms of healing which could lead to amputation of the limb. This is the most expensive option


• The other option is amputation of the limb as a first line of treatment. It is very likely that it will heal well and the kitten will go on to live a normal life. The amputation option will also be cheaper than a surgical repair.

Having considered the options the client asks the veterinary surgeon to euthanase the kitten; it will be the cheapest and easiest option for them.

Are there any other options for this patient?

In order to prepare for this task you may wish to review some animal charity websites and also The Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses/Veterinary Surgeons.

After your interview

We aim to contact you within seven working days to inform you of the outcome of your interview. If you are successful we will update your UCAS track record with your offer and the conditions you need to meet. You will also receive an email from us if you have been successful.

Studying at Middlesex University and the College of Animal Welfare