| Code | Faculty | Department |
|---|---|---|
| 08130006 | Faculty of Veterinary Science | Department: Veterinary Science Dean's Office |
| Credits | Duration | NQF level |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum duration of study: 3 years | Total credits: 388 | NQF level: 07 |
This programme is accredited with the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC).
Each student must apply immediately after registration at UP to the Registrar of the South African Veterinary Council for registration as a student in Veterinary Nursing. Registration is compulsory and must be renewed annually for the duration of the study.
After the degree has been conferred, graduates are required to register with the South African Veterinary Council as veterinary nurses before they may practise in South Africa in this capacity.
Also refer to General Academic Regulations G1-G15.
Important information for all prospective students for 2024
The admission requirements below apply to all who apply for admission to the University of Pretoria with a National Senior Certificate (NSC) and Independent Examination Board (IEB) qualifications. Click here for this Faculty Brochure.
Enquiries: click here
Minimum requirements | |||
Achievement level | |||
English Home Language or English First Additional Language | Mathematics | Physical Sciences or Life Sciences | APS |
NSC/IEB | NSC/IEB | NSC/IEB | |
4 | 4 | 4 | 28 |
For advice on a second-choice programme for BVetNurs, please consult a Student Advisor. To make an appointment, send an email to [email protected].
Applicants currently in Grade 12 must apply with their final Grade 11 (or equivalent) results.
Applicants who have completed Grade 12 must apply with their final NSC or equivalent qualification results.
Please note that meeting the minimum academic requirements does not guarantee admission.
Successful candidates will be notified once admitted or conditionally admitted.
Applicants should check their application status regularly on the UP Student Portal at click here.
Applicants with qualifications other than the abovementioned should refer to the Brochure: Undergraduate Programme Information 2024: Qualifications other than the NSC and IEB, available at click here.
International Students: Click here
Transferring students
A transferring student is a student who, at the time of applying at the University of Pretoria (UP)is/was a registered student at another tertiary institution. A transferring student will be considered for admission based on NSC or equivalent qualification and previous academic performance. Students who have been dismissed from other institutions due to poor academic performance will not be considered for admission to UP.
Closing dates: Same as above
Returning students
A returning student is a student who, at the time of application for a degree programme is/was a registered student at UP, and wants to transfer to another degree at UP. A returning student will be considered for admission based on NSC or equivalent qualification and previous academic performance.
Closing date for applications from returning students is the same as the above
Note: Any deliberate ommission of information, or any false information provided by an applicant in his/her application or on the Veterinary Nursing Value-added Form (VNVAF) may result in the immediate cancellation of the application, admission or registration.
Refer to UP General Academic Regulations and General Student Rules
During the repeat year, exemption from the examination is granted for a module that was passed in the previous year if at least 80% of the practical periods were attended and a year/semester mark of at least 50% was obtained. This applies to modules where full exemption is not granted (because the final mark in the previous year was less than 65%).
Examinations are compulsory in all the modules previously failed, as well as in those modules in which exemption from the examination has not been obtained. If a student fails any of these examinations (or supplementary examination), he or she will be excluded from the programme and will not be permitted to continue.
Proof of satisfactory completion of all prescribed clinical and practical components of the programme must be submitted to the Head: Student Administration of the Faculty.
The BVetNurs is conferred with distinction on a student who meets the following conditions:
University of Pretoria Programme Qualification Mix (PQM) verification project
The higher education sector has undergone an extensive alignment to the Higher Education Qualification Sub-Framework (HEQF) across all institutions in South Africa. In order to comply with the HEQSF, all institutions are legally required to participate in a national initiative led by regulatory bodies such as the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Council on Higher Education (CHE), and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The University of Pretoria is presently engaged in an ongoing effort to align its qualifications and programmes with the HEQSF criteria. Current and prospective students should take note that changes to UP qualification and programme names, may occur as a result of the HEQSF initiative. Students are advised to contact their faculties if they have any questions.
Minimum credits: 120
Module content:
Find, evaluate, process, manage and present information resources for academic purposes using appropriate technology.
Module content:
Apply effective search strategies in different technological environments. Demonstrate the ethical and fair use of information resources. Integrate 21st-century communications into the management of academic information.
Module content:
The module aims to equip students with the ability to cope with the reading and writing demands of scientific disciplines.
Module content:
Relevant anatomy and physiology, husbandry and handling, hospitalisation, medical nursing, surgical nursing, emergency and critical care, nutrition, common conditions, neonatal care, and anaesthesia of birds; reptiles; small mammals including rabbits, rats and mice, guinea pigs and chinchillas; primates, small carnivores, sugar gliders, hedgehogs and small wildlife. The hand rearing of wild hoof stock. Community-based practical learning takes place off-site to enable students to apply theory and develop clinical skills.
Module content:
Nursing of the patients, of the relevant domestic animals, with diseases of the skin, hooves, teat and udder. Diagnostic procedures related to the skin.
Module content:
Veterinary terminology and the correct usage thereof. Career paths in the veterinary nursing profession. Collegiality and professional associations, veterinary-related laws and professional ethics. Introduction to wellness management. An introduction to establishing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating sustainable quality co-operative partnerships with communities and providing consistent veterinary nursing input in order to improve animal health and welfare within a One Health Context. This theoretical background is applied practically in a community engagement activity. Opportunity to interact with professionals and community partners working in developing communities, important communication skills with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. An introduction to research methodology, including defining a research question, research design, sampling design, methods of data collection, data analysis and interpretation and report writing. Aspects of animal welfare science and animal protection applied to companion animals (cats, dogs, horses) and production animals (cattle, sheep, pigs), and human-animal interactions.
Module content:
Breeding, feeding, handling and husbandry or care of domestic animals (cats, dogs, horse, cattle, sheep, pigs). Important parasitic and infectious diseases of domestic animals, including relevant immunology, food safety and zoonotic diseases.
Module content:
Essential nursing practices including disinfection and hospital hygiene, hospitalisation, basic nursing practices, observation and clinical examination of patients and occupational safety aspects. Fundamental pharmacology including medicine administration, storage and handling, drug regulations, dispensing, calculations, pharmacotherapeutics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The pharmacology of organ systems.
Module content:
Diagnostic procedures involving veterinary nurses, including diagnostic imaging, clinical pathology and other laboratory test, sample taking and sample management. Introduction to the general principles of animal physical rehabilitation procedures.
Module content:
Introductory anatomy, histology and physiology of the dog, cat, horse and ruminant. Applied ethology and communication of domestic animals (cats, dogs, horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs).
Module content:
Anatomy and physiology of the organ systems of the dog, cat, horse and ruminant.
Minimum credits: 120
Module content:
Nursing and physical rehabilitation of musculo-skeletal patients of the relevant domestic animals. Diagnostic imaging of the skeleton. Principles of theatre practice.
Module content:
Nursing of patients, of the relevant domestic animals, with dental and gastrointestinal diseases. Diagnostic Imaging of the abdomen. Other diagnostic procedures related to the gastro-intestinal tract.
Module content:
Nursing of patients, of the relevant domestic animals, with reproductive conditions. Care and nursing of neonates. Assisted reproduction technologies.
Module content:
Nursing of the patient with endocrine disease, of the relevant domestic animals. Nursing of urinary and renal patients. Diagnostic procedures related to the endocrine system, bladder and kidneys.
Module content:
Nursing of ophthalmological and neurological patients, of the relevant domestic animals. Diagnostic imaging of the skull and spine. Diagnostic procedures related to the eye and nervous system.
Module content:
Nursing of cardiac and respiratory patients, of the relevant domestic animals. Anaesthesiology of the veterinary patient. Diagnostic imaging of the thorax. Other diagnostic procedures related to the cardio-vascular and respiratory system. Physical animal rehabilitation related to the circulatory and respiratory systems.
Module content:
Critical care of patients, of the relevant domestic animals. Nursing of the oncology patient. Nursing of a patient with multi-systemic disease. Triage and emergencies.
Module content:
Communication for veterinary nurses. Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, professionalism, gender based violence and relationship management. Cultural diversity. Information management. Practice management for veterinary nurses, including relevant marketing, promotion and sales, human resources management work place discipline, rewards for good work performance and application of the Labour Law in the work place, strategic client service and management, compassion fatigue and its components. Continuation of a portfolio as evidence of learning.
Module content:
Experiential learning: a practical application of the theoretical aspects of veterinary nursing practice. Experiential learning and experience will be gained by means of the Onderstepoort Skills Laboratory and limited exposure to clinic rotations in the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital.
Minimum credits: 148
Module content:
A portfolio as evidence of learning is required to show that throughout the three-year degree programme, graduates developed the skills and competencies required to enable the veterinary nurse to be a consummate professional, capable of dealing with the diverse challenges of veterinary nursing professional and everyday life.
Module content:
Experiential learning: a practical application of the theoretical aspects of veterinary nursing practice covered in the curriculum of the BVetNurs programme. Topics include medical nursing, surgical nursing, intensive care nursing, reproduction, animal physical rehabilitation, diagnostic imaging, ophthalmology, dentistry, theatre practice, anaesthesiology and veterinary nursing professional life skills. Community-based practical sessions provide an opportunity to develop clinical and life skills. Domestic animals exposed to include cats, dogs, cattle, small stock, horses and exotic animals/wildlife. The emphasis of practical exposure is on attaining of the Day One Competencies for graduating veterinary nursing professionals.
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