Career opportunities: Work experience at Feldon
Feldon Veterinary Centre offers enthusiastic individuals the invaluable experience at working in a veterinary practice. Our high standards and array of medical, surgical and diagnostic facilities offer a practical insight into the day to day activities and procedures that occur ‘behind the scenes’.
There is an extremely high demand for work experience placements as students wishing to enrol to become a veterinary surgeon or a veterinary nurse require evidence of working in practice to help support their application.
There are strict Health and Safety requirements within every industry and due to its very nature the veterinary practice is seen as a high risk environment. We are exposed to unpredictable animals which bite, scratch and peck, radiation, gaseous anaesthesia, sharps such as hypodermics and surgical instruments, drugs and potential infectious agents such as blood, urine and faeces and very stressful and emotional situations.
It is because of these strict guidelines we have to put restrictions on the students that we allow to do work experience and therefore only take on students over 15 years of age unless applying through the schools own work experience scheme.
Successful applications are initially accepted as a week placement working Monday - Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm. (One hour is allocated for lunch which the student may take off the premises or use the staff room. Lunch can be taken at the student’s convenience between 12.00pm and 2.00pm.) These placements may be extended after completion of the first week after a debriefing with Erica Starling RVN our work experience coordinator.
Due to the nature of veterinary practice, the role of students undertaking work experience is largely one of observation rather than participation.
Examples of tasks undertaken by the student during a placement:
- Completion of our in-house work experience portfolio
- Assisting veterinary nurses with the cleaning of floors, surfaces and kennels
- Assisting veterinary nurses with the cleaning, packing and sterilising of surgical instruments
- Assisting veterinary nurses with the care of hospitalised in patients including feeding and grooming
- Minimal restraint of animals
- Observing veterinary nurses perform in-house laboratory tests
- Observing veterinary surgeons during consultations with the public
- Observing veterinary surgeons during surgical and medical diagnostic procedures
Individuals wishing to undertake a work experience placement should write a letter explaining why a placement is desired and your current CV; including courses/examinations studying, or download the online application form and post to Feldon Veterinary Centre marked for the attention of:
- Sharon Robinson (Leamington Branch)
- Harriet Goulden (Hinckley Branch)
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