National Certificate in Veterinary Nursing
Level / 5Credits / 160
This qualification has been reviewed. The last date to meet the requirements is 31 December 2018.
Transition Arrangements
This qualification has been reviewed and replaced by the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology (level 5) with strands in Rural Animal Technician and Veterinary Nursing Assistant [Ref: 2490].
The last date for entry into programmes leading to the qualification is 31 December 2016.
The last date to meet the requirements of the qualification is 31 December 2018 at which point the qualification will be designateddiscontinued. From that date no results can be reported against the qualification.
For detailed information see Review Summaries on the NZQA website.
This qualification contained standards that had expired or been replaced by other standards. For the purposes of this qualification people who have gained credit for the expiring standards are exempt from the requirement to gain credit for the replacement standards.
Credit for / Exempt from503 / 12349
545 / 12355
5150 / 21382, 21383
5170 / 21379
5193 / 21380
5216 / 21384
7399 / 21381
16649 / 19894
NZQF National Qualification Registration Information
Process
/Version
/Date
/Last Date for Assessment
Registration /1
/ October 1996 /December 2006
Revision /2
/ December 1996 /December 2006
Revision /3
/ November 1997 /December 2006
Revision /4
/ December 1998 /December 2006
Review /5
/ October 1999 /December 2007
Revision /6
/ October 2003 /December 2009
Review /7
/ December 2005 /December 2018
Revision /8
/ June 2007 /December 2018
Review /9
/ January 2015 /December 2018
Standard Setting Body
Primary Industry Training Organisation
PO Box 10383
The Terrace
Wellington 6143
Telephone 04 801 9616
Facsimile 04 801 9626
Website
National Certificate in Veterinary Nursing
Level
/ 5Credits
/ 160Purpose
This certificate recognises competence in a wide range of skills that enables people to become a functioning part of a veterinary team, clinic, or hospital.
Specified standards reflect the core animal care and handling, and more specialist industry knowledge and skills required of a veterinary nurse whose primary role is to be an informed and skilled assistant to a veterinarian. Electives provide some flexibility for people to select business, generic, and industry standards relevant to their needs in a particular veterinary setting.
This qualification builds on the National Certificate in Animal Care [Ref: 0241], and can lead to and is a prerequisite for the National Diploma in Veterinary Nursing [Ref:0222]. It provides an alternative career path to the proposed National Certificate in Animal Care (Rural Animal Technician) with strands in Production Animals, and Equine, with which there is a degree of overlap.
Credit Range
Compulsory
/Elective A
/Elective B
/Elective C
/Elective D
Level 1 credits
/ - / - / - / 0-10 / 0-6Level 2 credits / 28 / 8 / 0-4 / 0-10 / 0-6
Level 3 credits / 46 / - / 0-6 / 0-10 / 0-6
Level 4 credits / 12 / - / 0-6 / 0-10 / 0-6
Level 5 credits / 44 / - / - / 0-10 / 0-6
Minimum totals / 130 / 8 / 6 / 10 / 6
Requirements for Award of Qualification
This qualification will be awarded to people who have met the requirements of the compulsory and elective sections.
Compulsory
All the standards listed are required
Elective A
A minimum of 8 credits from the listed standards is required
Elective B
A minimum of 6 credits from the listed standards is required
Elective C
A minimum of 10 credits from the domain of Interpersonal Communications is required
Elective D
A minimum of 6 credits from the listed standard and domains is required
Award of NQF Qualifications
Credit gained for a standard may be used only once to meet the requirements of this qualification.
Unit standards and achievement standards that are equivalent in outcome are mutually exclusive for the purpose of award. The table of mutually exclusive standards is provided in section 7 of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) Rules and Procedures publications available at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/acrp/index.html.
Reviewed standards that continue to recognise the same overall outcome are registered as new versions and retain their identification number (ID). Any version of a standard with the same Id may be used to meet qualification requirements that list the ID and/or that specify the past or current classification of the standard.
Detailed Requirements
Compulsory
The following standards are required
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Animal Care and Handling > Animal Care
Id / Title / Level / Credit5148 / Monitor health and provide husbandry for cats / 2 / 5
5176 / Collect and test diagnostic samples from companion animals, and prepare the samples for dispatch / 3 / 4
5180 / Demonstrate knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of animals / 2 / 10
5189 / Follow safe working practices and standards in the animal facility / 3 / 4
5195 / Demonstrate knowledge and skills for providing veterinary reception services / 3 / 6
5200 / Prepare for an intravenous drip, and monitor an animal while on fluid therapy / 4 / 4
5222 / Recognise and interpret problems of behaviour in companion animals / 5 / 5
7337 / Monitor health and provide husbandry for dogs / 2 / 5
19894 / Demonstrate knowledge of zoonoses and their control / 3 / 3
21380 / Demonstrate and apply knowledge relating to animal facility environmental hygiene / 3 / 5
21381 / Demonstrate knowledge of ethical behaviour in relation to animals / 2 / 3
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Animal Care and Handling > Animal Handling
Id / Title / Level / Credit5183 / Handle and transport injured companion animals / 3 / 2
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Animal Care and Handling > Animal Husbandry
Id / Title / Level / Credit5165 / Describe parturition and after care of companion animals / 3 / 3
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Animal Care and Handling > Veterinary Nursing
Id / Title / Level / Credit5155 / Prepare animal patients for surgery / 4 / 5
5156 / Assist with animal surgery as a circulating veterinary nurse / 5 / 8
5157 / Assist with animal surgery as a surgical veterinary nurse / 5 / 5
5158 / Assist the veterinarian with animal anaesthetic and analgesic procedures / 5 / 18
5160 / Nurse a hospitalised animal patient / 3 / 5
5178 / Assist to take radiographs of animals, and process / 3 / 4
5179 / Conduct preliminary clinical examination of an animal / 4 / 3
5181 / Provide emergency first aid care to companion animals / 5 / 8
5191 / Admit and discharge animal patients / 3 / 4
5192 / Dispense animal drugs as directed by the veterinarian / 3 / 3
21384 / Demonstrate and apply knowledge of professional behaviour for veterinary nurses / 3 / 3
Core Generic > Core Generic > Self-Management
Id / Title / Level / Credit12349 / Demonstrate time management / 2 / 3
12355 / Demonstrate knowledge of stress and ways of dealing with it / 2 / 2
Elective A
A minimum of 8 credits
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Animal Care and Handling > Animal Care
Id / Title / Level / Credit5149 / Monitor health and provide husbandry for rodents and rabbits / 2 / 4
5151 / Monitor health and provide husbandry for caged birds / 2 / 3
5152 / Monitor health and provide husbandry for horses / 2 / 5
5153 / Monitor health and provide husbandry for ruminants / 2 / 5
5154 / Monitor health and provide husbandry for pigs / 2 / 4
21360 / Monitor health and provide husbandry for poultry / 2 / 4
21382 / Monitor health and provide husbandry for ornamental fish / 2 / 2
21383 / Monitor health and provide husbandry for reptiles and amphibians / 2 / 2
Elective B
A minimum of 6 credits
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Animal Care and Handling > Animal Care
Id / Title / Level / Credit14377 / Recognise normal and abnormal behaviour and conditions in animals / 4 / 5
21358 / Demonstrate and apply knowledge of parasites affecting horses and production animals / 4 / 8
21379 / Demonstrate knowledge of requirements relating to transport of cats and dogs / 2 / 2
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Animal Care and Handling > Veterinary Nursing
Id / Title / Level / Credit5202 / Assist the veterinarian to perform post-mortem procedures / 3 / 3
5203 / Assist the veterinarian with equine consultations and surgery / 3 / 15
5204 / Assist the veterinarian with consultations and surgery involving farm animals / 3 / 15
5213 / Assist with artificial breeding of dogs / 2 / 2
Elective C
A minimum of 10 credits
Field / Subfield / DomainHumanities / Communication Skills / Interpersonal Communications
Elective D
A minimum of 6 credits
Service Sector > Retail, Distribution, and Sales > Sales Transactions
Id / Title / Level / Credit11831 / Apply skills and qualities of a salesperson in a retail or distribution environment / 3 / 6
Field / Subfield / Domain
Business / Business Administration / Business Administration Services
Business Information Processing
Computing and Information Technology / Computing / Generic Computing
Service Sector / Service Sector Skills / Service Sector - Core Skills
Transition Arrangements
Version 8
This qualification was issued following the change of standard setting responsibility from NZQA National Qualifications Services to the Agriculture Industry Training Organisation. The opportunity was taken to transfer to the latest qualification template and update titles of standards.
For detailed information see Review Summaries on the NZQA website.
Previous versions of the qualification
Version 7 was issued following a review, which increased the flexibility of the qualification and reflected the outcomes of a review of the Animal Care and Handling standards.
Version 6 was issued following a revision to reflect the review of standard 16649.
Changes to structure and content included: replacement of standard 16649 by 19894; update of standard titles resulting from other reviews; and specifying the New Zealand Veterinary Association logo in the certification section.
Version 5was issued following a review. Changes to structure and content included: removal of elective section, addition of two standards, eight standards moved from the elective to the compulsory section, five standards were removed, and standard 2780 was replaced by standard 111. The credit total for the qualification increased from 161 to 167.
Version 4 was issued following a revision, as it comprised unit standards that were reviewed and replaced.
Version 3 was issued following a revision. The structure was expanded to include standard 5222, and the level was increased from 4 to 5. This change reflected the need for qualifying Veterinary Nurses to be able to recognise and interpret behaviour problems in companion animals.
Other standard setting bodies whose standards are included in the qualification
NZQA
Retail ITO
Certification
The certificate will display the logos of NZQA and the Agriculture Industry Training Organisation.
Classification
This qualification is classified according to the NQF classification system and the NewZealand Standard Classification of Education (NZSCED) system as specified below.
DAS Classification
/NZSCED
Code
/Description
/Code
/Description
941 / Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Animal Care and Handling > Veterinary Nursing / 061103 / Health > Veterinary Studies > Veterinary AssistingQuality Management Systems
Providers and Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by a recognised Quality Assurance Body before they can register credits from assessment against standards. Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards. Accreditation requirements and the moderation system are outlined in the associated Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) for each standard.
Prerequisite Diagram
National Certificate in Veterinary Nursing
Primary Industry Training OrganisationSSB Code 101558
MoE Code 8105 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2019