Veterinary nursing is one of Nigeria's less-saturated yet highly respected medical fields. But there’s much more to this profession than respect: you must love animals and be passionate about their health. And if that’s something you already do, you’re clearly on the right track.
There are well over 9,000 registered veterinary doctors in Nigeria today, with an upsurge in demand for their services in recent years. This suggests that there may also be equal demand for veterinary nurses in the coming years since both professionals work hand-in-hand.
Suppose you're wondering how to become a veterinary nurse in Nigeria. In that case, you'd be glad to know that there are a few options for you to become one, even though the profession is not really recognized in Nigeria, nor offered as one of the branches under a Nursing course in our higher institutions.
In this article, we'll discuss the roles & responsibilities of a veterinary nurse, how to become one, and career opportunities available in the field. Read on below to find out.
Here's a comprehensive guide to becoming a nurse in Nigeria.
What Are the Responsibilities of a Veterinary Nurse
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Veterinary nurses are valuable assets to running a veterinary clinic and hospital properly. Even though there are fewer activities in Nigerian veterinary clinics compared to countries such as Canada, the USA, the UK, and South Africa, nurses will better aid the job of a vet.
The roles of a veterinary nurse are pretty multifaceted and are broken into the following categories:
Medical Nursing
This facet of veterinary nursing involves administering drugs, giving progress reports of animals to their owners, and keeping comprehensive records for the clinic. It also encompasses administering intravenous fluid therapy in different animals, including dogs, cats, sheep, cattle, and rabbits.
Nurses in this facet are also responsible for blood transfusion, rehydration, and intensive care in male dogs and cats.
Bandaging
This is a branch of veterinary nursing where your compassion for animals needs to shine through. You're tasked with applying pressure bandages, casts, splints, and even dressing the animals when needed.
You might also have the extra role of staying in the vet's laboratory and collecting blood samples from various veins in cats and dogs, especially the cephalic, jugular, and lateral saphenous veins. Don't worry if all these sound alien to you now. You'll understand them even more once you go into training for veterinary nursing.
Lastly, You may receive training on how to operate X-ray machines in a facility-rich vet clinic and collect skin scrapes for examination under a microscope. There's pretty much a lot to handle in this department of veterinary nursing.
Surgical Nursing
This facet of veterinary nursing is not very much in demand in Nigeria, given that few vet clinics have the capacity and facilities to carry out surgical operations on animals.
However, suppose you find yourself in an environment where the skill is in-demand. In that case, you will be tasked with sterilizing surgical instruments, preparing the surgical suite, and assessing the animals that are going under the knife.
Working as a veterinary nurse in Nigeria means you may have to carry out all the tasks in all the departments highlighted above. And that is because very few vet clinics in the country have the employing power to take in different types of veterinary nurses.
It will translate to a big paycheck, which is not something feasible for most Nigerian veterinary clinics in the long run. Simply put, they can't pay that many nurses.
You can also read how to become a mental health nurse.
What is the Average Income of Veterinary Nurses in Nigeria?
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To get an idea of how much a veterinary nurse can potentially earn in Nigeria, we need first to understand how much their employers, the vets themselves, make.
According to the survey on the website SalaryExplorer, the average salary of a veterinary doctor in Nigeria is ₦382,000, potentially increasing to ₦604,000. But can you bank on that? Certainly not; vet services are usually in high demand in highbrow areas such as the city of Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. And, yes, vet doctors earn that much and even higher there.
However, there are also vet doctors in less-urban areas, where they may not be raking in enough profits. The idea is this: Vet clinics in Nigeria are mostly owned by the doctors themselves, which means they'll pay the nurses from what they earn.
In a situation where the doctors and nurses are both employees under a big firm or the government, which is a rarity in Nigeria, veterinary nurses could earn considerably well.
Steps to Become a Veterinary Nurse in Nigeria
Now that we've discussed the roles and responsibilities of a veterinary and their potential earnings in Nigeria, it's time to walk you through the steps of becoming one.
Complete a University Degree
The options available to become a veterinary nurse in Nigeria are minimal compared to other countries. And that's because there is no designated Veterinary Nursing course in Nigeria.
Even worse, veterinary nursing is not very recognized in the country, and there are no agencies or associations that specifically train or license veterinary nurses. Compared to their doctor counterparts who have Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) or the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA).
That said, if you're truly passionate about becoming a veterinary nurse in Nigeria, your best bet is to complete a Nursing course in one of our institutions, where you'll be taught the core and essentials of the profession, which apply to animals. Then, you can branch into the veterinary field after earning your degree.
Undergo Apprenticeship
This is the less formal way to become a veterinary nurse in Nigeria, but it should get you up and running in no time. Some veterinary nurses worldwide earn their skills from working under and learning from a certified doctor in a veterinary clinic.
Degree holders who have just completed their Nursing course can also explore this route to become veterinary nurses. All you have to do is approach a vet clinic in your preferred location and inquire whether they're taking in nurses for an apprenticeship.
In most cases, you'll be issued a certificate upon completion of your apprenticeship, with your experience from there positioning you as a competent and passionate person if you decide to work in a vet clinic elsewhere.
Enrol for a Veterinary Nursing Course Outside Nigeria
Since Nigerian institutions don't have a designated Veterinary Nursing course, going to an offshore college or university that offers the course might be the best option if you're keen on becoming a distinct and licensed veterinary nurse.
One of the benefits of exploring this option is that you're not limited to the confines of a Nigerian working environment after completing your studies. You can choose to work in countries such as Canada, the USA, UK, where the services of veterinary nurses are in high demand.
College of Southern Nevada, USA, University of Liverpool, UK, and University College Dublin, Ireland all have designated Veterinary Nursing courses that you can enrol in, provided you have the funds to secure admission and your studies overseas.
These are the steps required to become a dental health nurse.
Tips for Practising Veterinary Nursing
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Hone Specific Skills
Veterinary nurses are trained professionals whose jobs require empathy and excellent communication skills with the pet owners and, of course, the doctors. Ensure to hone these skills as time goes by.
Take Online Courses
Learning as a veterinary nurse doesn't have to end in a classroom or at the clinic. You can also enrol in various online courses to broaden your experience and give you an edge over your colleagues.
Besides free training and videos on platforms such as Youtube, you can enrol in premium courses relevant to your discipline on websites such as Coursera, SkillShare, and Udemy. Coursera, for instance, has a course on animal behaviour and welfare and Dog Emotion and Cognition.
Some of these courses are dished out by professors from great universities worldwide, and they are a great asset to own in your veterinary nursing journey.
Learn Under a Nurse for Further Advice
You can check out Superprof.ng and enrol for a lesson under one of the professional nurses in Nigeria offering their services on the platform. Not only will you learn the basics of nursing from them, but you'll also get career advice that is valuable to your journey in veterinary nursing.
Interestingly, enrolling under a Nursing tutor on Superprof tutor means you get your first lesson for free, with subsequent ones coming at a fee between ₦500 to ₦5,000, depending on your tutor. And, here, we round up by saying good luck on your journey in the veterinary nursing field.
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