Traineeship – Veterinary

Working with sick animals makes for a rewarding career.

Want to become well educated and earn a salary at the same time? Traineeships are a great option for those who want to work while they learn.

“It’s a really good way of helping you get in there and study more cost-effectively,” says Belinda Shelton, a veterinary nurse working with the RSPCA.
Shelton’s there four days a week and studies a Certificate IV in veterinary nursing one day a week at Richmond TAFE.

And the RSPCA pays for half of Shelton’s tuition which means she doesn’t have to take on extra work to pay for it. A typical day for Shelton is varied. She says: “You could be helping out with surgery, prepping animals before they go into surgery or on the front counter. “Or it might be just an animal attending day where you are monitoring the animals that aren’t particularly sick but are in hospital for some reason. “We get quite a lot of different animals; we get a lot of ferrets, rabbits and roosters. They can be quite interesting. I have a particular interest in horses but obviously we don’t get too many in here.”

Seeing a sick animal recuperate is one of the most rewarding aspects of the job, according to Shelton. She says it’s great when her furry little patients make a full recovery.

And a passion for animals should also be a top priority in the job. “You definitely need to have passion and you need to work hard because it is physical work,” she says. “I think in terms of schooling, an interest in science is good, too, because there is a lot of  medical jargon of which you have to be aware.

“I grew up on a farm in New Zealand and being around animals was always a passion and a way of life. It has always been an interest.” The 24-year-old says the RSPCA really appealed to her because she was particularly interested in animal welfare. She’s been with them for two years and finishes her traineeship at the end of the year.