Veterinary Nursing and Companion Animal Behaviour
Veterinary nursing is a healthcare profession focused on supporting veterinary surgeons in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of animals, with companion animal behaviour adding a specialism that is increasingly recognised as central to good animal welfare and clinical outcomes. Understanding why animals behave as they do, how stress and fear affect their clinical presentation, and how behavioural problems can be prevented or addressed through evidence-based methods is as important in a clinical setting as technical nursing proficiency. The two disciplines are genuinely complementary: behavioural knowledge makes veterinary nurses more effective clinicians and more sensitive carers.
At Bristol this four-year full-time programme combines practical nursing skills with focused study in comparative anatomy and physiology, animal psychology, and behaviour management. Clinical placement is central to veterinary nursing education, and you will develop hands-on competence in clinical settings under professional supervision throughout the programme. Bristol's veterinary facilities provide an exceptional learning environment for this work.
You will study the principles and practices of veterinary nursing across species alongside the scientific and applied study of animal behaviour, developing the expertise to excel as a veterinary nurse and to support evidence-based nursing practice. The programme is designed for students who are passionate about team-based clinical healthcare and committed to promoting the physical and mental wellbeing of animals.
Graduation from an RCVS-accredited veterinary nursing programme leads directly to eligibility for registration as a Registered Veterinary Nurse, enabling you to practise in veterinary practices, referral hospitals, and animal welfare organisations. The additional qualification in companion animal behaviour opens roles in behaviour therapy and consultancy, animal shelters, research, and specialist clinical behaviour services. Many graduates go on to further study in animal behaviour, clinical animal behaviour, or veterinary science, or develop specialist expertise within veterinary nursing practice.