ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing

The course is delivered entirely by distance education using our online ‘Learning Centre’. You’ll receive printed learner’s guides and will need to purchase a couple of textbooks.

This allows you the flexibility to study when it suits your schedule. You won’t need to attend any on-campus classes. We’ve designed the course to fit around your work and lifestyle. Many of our students work full time in addition to their study.

Once the course starts, you’ll receive printed learner’s guides, which will guide you through your studies and prepare you for assessments. You’ll also have access to the extra study resources available via our ‘Learning Centre’ online and can contact us for help when you need it. You can submit assignments through this portal, too.

Each subject contains various assessment tasks:

• • Expect to complete written assessments like assignments, case studies, projects, and reports.
  • Multiple choice questions are in our learning activities so you can check your learning as you progress through the course.
  • Workplace-based assessments for practical skills will be completed at the clinic in which you work or at your placement clinic. These will include completing skills log books and some video assessments. Don’t stress, we provide full instructions for the video assessments so you know what to include.
  • On average, expect to submit one short assessment task each week to keep on track.

If you enrol in the full course, you will complete your ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing over 2 years + 3 months for study breaks. If you choose the modular enrolment method, then you will be given 12 months to complete each module (so 4 years in total for the entire course).

Generally, most students dedicate approximately 10 hours per week to your studies, completing assessments and undertaking the required reading. This is in addition to your clinical hours.

We’ll provide you with a study schedule so you can keep on track to finish without requiring an extension.

Please note:
Additional fees apply if you want to extend your study and you can extend for a maximum of 24 months if enrolled in the full course, or 12 months if enrolled in a module.

If the training package updates whilst you are still completing your study, you may be required to transition to the new qualification. There is always at least 12 months notice of this happening.

You will be given 2 years + 3 months for study breaks to complete your full course. If you enrol in the module method, then you will be given 12 months to complete the module. There are 4 module to complete to graduate.If you need more time, that’s ok! Arranging an enrolment extension is easy, however, be aware that it attracts a fee.

We do provide a study schedule that if you follow, you will finish within your normal enrolment period.

Yes, it can. We can take into account the knowledge and skills you’ve already gained through your previous education and work, including:

• Formal or informal training
• Paid or unpaid work experience
• Credit transfers if you hold equivalent units from other study.

Please speak to us to gain recognition for your previous studies and work skills.

Your previous studies may also count as credits towards your new qualification. If so, you’ll be entitled to a lower course fee (depending on units of competency completed).

To claim a credit transfer, please include transcripts of your previous qualifications with your application form. We will then advise you of any adjustments to your course fee.

Certified copies will need to be supplied when you enrol for the credits to be officially granted.

If you have completed units of competency elsewhere relevant to your ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing, we will apply these credit transfers to your course.

You will not be required to pay for enrolment in these units. However some of our subjects cover more than one unit of competency, so you may find you’ll need to pay for and complete an associated subject.

If you’ve already completed an ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care or ACM30122 Certificate III in Animal Care Services (Animal Care), or commenced your ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing with another training organisation, it’s vital you supply us with a copy of your transcript as part of your application. This will allow us to give you an accurate price and tell you exactly what units and subjects you’ll need to complete. A certified copy of the transcript must be supplied with your enrolment for the credits to be applied.

If you have credit transfers, secure your place with the  first instalment of $495 with enrolment. Then we will adjust your further instalments to suit your study and remaining course cost.

Please note: The ACM40412 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing qualification is not the equivalent of the ACM40418, and many of the units are not credit transfers, even if the unit name is similar. This is set at the training package level and applies to all providers.

No. You can have a higher qualification such as an ACM30122 Certificate III in Animal Care Services or other related animal care or sciences qualification, including overseas qualifications.

If you have been employed as a veterinary nurse for over 12 months, and do not hold at least a Certificate II level qualification, please phone us to discuss your options. We may still be able to accept you on the course if you have the equivalent knowledge of someone with a Certificate II qualification and can demonstrate this.

Unfortunately not, there are strict requirements in the training package around performing hours across all units which would be very difficult to meet without regular clinic contact. Long term vocational placement (2 years) is unsustainable for many people and could potentially contravene fair work legislation if the training plan is not strictly adhered to.

As our course is very comprehensive and veterinary nurses must master many many skills, undertaking it with less than the recommended hours a week in a clinic would not enable you to develop the appropriate level of knowledge or practical skills to become the successful Veterinary Nurse we would like to see you become.

Many of the assessments are also based on cases you nurse, so less contact time at a clinic would mean you may not see the kinds of patients you need to write about in your course work, holding up your studies.

If you’ve been working in a practice for at least 12 months as a veterinary nurse, then we may still be able to accept you onto the course as long as you can demonstrate you have the equivalent knowledge and skill of someone who has completed a Certificate II.

If you have more than 5 years of experience as a veterinary nurse, we suggest you consider the ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing via RPL FastTrack.

This program assesses your prior learning both on the job (called Recognition of Prior Learning or RPL) and through continuing education. It’s a quicker way for you to gain qualifications for the experience and skills you already possess.

Please note:
FastTrack is NOT a course and no learning resources are provided. If you want to learn more, we suggest a combination of RPL and formal study.

The program is designed so you can demonstrate that you already have the necessary knowledge and skills gained from working as a Veterinary Nurse.

You’ll still need to complete some written assignments, video assessments and examples of work from the clinic.

For more information, please visit our ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing via RPL FastTrack page.

Yes! We welcome offshore international students. That is, you’re not in Australia on a study visa.

As an international offshore student, payment plans are not available. You will be required to pay the full course fee prior to starting. We also do not offer the pay in full discount to international offshore students however we do not charge you extra for resources to be sent to you, or for bank fees.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you can legally perform the practical tasks required in your country. In some countries, like the UK, it is illegal for a non-qualified person to perform some of the practical skills necessary to complete the course. Check with your local veterinary surgeons board.

If you are completing placement, you will also need to arrange your own insurance and provide evidence of this to us.

After achieving this qualification candidates may undertake:

• Certificate in Professional Veterinary Nursing
• Advanced Certificate of Professional Veterinary Nursing
• ACM50212 Diploma of Veterinary Nursing (Surgical Nursing)
• ACM50412 Diploma of Veterinary Nursing (Emergency & Critical Care)
• ACM50512 Diploma of Veterinary Nursing (General Practice)
• Bachelor of Veterinary Technology at university

Please contact our partner RTO The University of Queensland (UQ Skills) on 07 5460 1353 for details on available funding.

If you are not eligible you can enrol with one of our easy interest-free payment plans.

We do encourage you to contact your local job seeker service or apprenticeship centre for further suggestions.

Veterinary Nurse Solutions, trading as the Australian College of Veterinary Nursing (‘ACVN’), has a third party arrangement with UQ Skills which is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). UQ Skills is a business within the University of Queensland under the Faculty Science. In this arrangement, UQ Skills is the ‘Principal RTO’.

For more information about our third party partner UQ Skills, go to:
https://uqskills.uq.edu.au/about-uq-skillsor
https://training.gov.au/Organisation/Details/1511

At all times, the Principal RTO is responsible for the quality of the training and assessment you will receive in compliance with Standards for RTOs 2015, and for the issuance of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) certification documentation. These Standards set out the requirements that an organisation must meet in order to be an RTO and ensure the integrity and quality of nationally recognised training provided by registered training organisations.

What does this mean for students?

Who are students enrolled with?

Students are enrolled with UQ Skills as the principal RTO.

Who do students do training and assessment with?

All training is conducted by ACVN on behalf of UQ Skills, the principal RTO. All learning and assessment materials are developed by ACVN and approved by UQ Skills.

Who do the trainers and assessors work for?

All trainers and assessors are employed by ACVN, but are approved by UQ Skills.

What if a student needs to make a complaint?

In the first instance you can provide feedback and make a complaint directly to us, ACVN at [email protected]. You are also able to make a complaint or provide feedback directly to the Principal RTO, UQ Skills directly, at: [email protected].

Who issues qualifications and statements of attainment?

On successful completion of all course requirements students are provided with the appropriate qualifications and statements of attainment issued by the Principal RTO, The University of Queensland, trading as UQ Skills, RTO ID: 1511.

What if a student needs to have a qualifications or statement of attainment reissued?

Students can contact either ACVN and we can assist you to organise this. You are also able to directly contact UQ Skills to obtain a new copy of a certificate.