Patient Care Assistants

Our patient care assistants are supported to achieve their training needs via utilisation of our apprenticeship levy for appropriate courses. This may be a Level 2 Veterinary Care Support or patient care assistant course. To find out more about being a patient care assistant at Linnaeus click here.

Student Veterinary Nurses

We support both college and university student veterinary nurses within our practices. Eligible college student veterinary nurses can take advantage of our apprenticeship levy to fund their Level 3 Veterinary Nursing diploma course. University student veterinary nurses are encouraged to apply for clinical placements within our practices as part of their degree course. To find out more about being a student veterinary nurse at Linnaeus click here.

Post Registration Programme

Newly registered nurses are supported as they enter referral practice via our one-year Post Registration Programme. To find out how you can get involved with this innovative programme, click on the Nurse PRP Programme tab.

The Linnaeus apprenticeship levy

The government’s apprenticeship levy is a compulsory tax on large companies to help fund the development and delivery of apprenticeships. Linnaeus meets the criteria as a levy-payer.

The Linnaeus apprenticeship levy is available for apprenticeship students to access in order to pay for their training/course provision. We regularly utilise this funding for both Level 2 and Level 3 courses.

In addition to supporting students with the cost of their training through the apprenticeship levy, Linnaeus have pledged a commitment to ensuring that all apprentice students will be paid at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in replacement of the standard apprenticeship wage.

Committed to quality of work

To be a good veterinary nurse you need good communication skills, to work as a part of a team and use initiative. You have to be eager to learn and adapt to new situations.

I eat, sleep and breathe veterinary nursing. I am constantly reading journals and being inspired. I’m not saying this is a required attribute, but it’s important to listen to new ideas, communicate with colleagues and work together to get the best outcome.

My passion has always been nurse consultations. Avonvale’s clinical directors could see this passion and asked me to create protocols and assist with setting up nurse consults in our seven practices.

We are a rapidly growing team but we work as one. I am based at the Heathcote surgery but I am also expected to help at other surgeries and I love that I can walk into any of these and feel welcome.

A career in veterinary nursing can be challenging - emotionally and physically - but very rewarding. I am truly inspired every day by the work we do.

Kim Rathbone, Veterinary Nurse, Avonvale Veterinary Centres