New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (Level 5) (Veterinary Nursing Assistant)

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare individuals as either a veterinary nursing assistant or rural animal technician by providing them with the skills, knowledge and attributes needed to help assist veterinarians and veterinary nurses in a companion animal practice and veterinarians in a rural veterinary practice.

This qualification is targeted at people with previous animal handling experience who wish to work in a veterinary related field or in a veterinary clinic with either companion or rural animals.

The animal industry will benefit by having graduates qualified with skills to allow them to be ready to work in a veterinary clinic or independently as a rural animal technician, under the direction of a veterinarian.

Graduates of the rural animal technician strand will be able to assist a veterinarian in large animal or mixed practice and in the field or work independently as a rural animal technician.

Graduates of the veterinary nursing assistant strand will be able to provide assistance to veterinarians and veterinary nurses in a veterinary clinic and perform some tasks independently.

For the Rural Animal Technician and Veterinary Nursing Assistant strands: - Students should be able to demonstrate previous experience working with animals, and an aptitude for working with the public. 1. Suitable experience includes: 3 or more days observing in a veterinary clinic for the VNA and technician strands or equivalent. 2. An aptitude for working with the public may include reference from an employer where the prospective student has worked with the public (e.g. retail), reference from a teacher attesting to social skills.

For those people entering this qualification the following entry requirements apply:

• have completed 60 NCEA credits at level 2
• have a minimum of 12 NCEA credits in English at Level 2 and 12 credits in Maths at level 1; and 12 credits of relevant science at level 1

or

• the equivalent tertiary study

or

• meet the education provider's requirements for the equivalent numeracy and literacy standards.

This qualification, with the veterinary nursing assistant qualifier leads to the New Zealand Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Level 6) [Ref: 2491].

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