WA Veterinary Nurses

Registration and Duties

Information for Western Australian Veterinary Nurses and Students

Are you a Western Australian based Vet Nurse or Student?

In WA only, there is a legal requirement for nurses who are working in a veterinary practice to be registered with the Vet Practice Board (WA). Vet Nursing Students no longer need to register with the Vet Practice Board. A list of duties that are allowed to be performed by a Vet Nursing Student under veterinary supervision is shown below.

The veterinarian who is providing the supervision needs to be approved by Applied Vocational Training, in writing, prior to performing the duties listed below.

It should be noted that people performing acts listed below are acting illegally if AVT does not have written consent from the supervising veterinarian.

You can download our AVT Supervising Veterinary Authorisation Form (to be signed by the veterinarian and returned to AVT by the student), using the link below.

Download Form

Duties that may be performed by veterinary nursing students

Veterinary Practice Regulations 2022 |  Part 4 Authorised persons | Division 2

Subdivision 2 — Veterinary nurse students
23. Acts of veterinary medicine veterinary nurse students are authorised to carry out

A veterinary nurse student is authorised to carry out an act of veterinary medicine specified in Schedule 5 in circumstances where:
(a) carrying out the act of veterinary medicine is required as part of the veterinary nurse student’s course of study; and
(b) the act of veterinary medicine is carried out under the personal supervision of a veterinarian; and
(c) the veterinarian who is providing the supervision — (i) is approved in writing by the registered training organisation with which the veterinary nurse student is enrolled to supervise the carrying out of the act of veterinary medicine; and (ii) has given written consent to providing the supervision;

Veterinary Practice Regulations 2022
Schedule 5 — Acts of veterinary medicine: veterinary nurse students [r. 23(1)]

  1. Assisting a veterinarian to perform surgical procedures
  2. Dental prophylaxis including simple extraction of teeth
  3. Superficial surgical procedures (such as suturing skin)
  4. Taking images using x-rays, ultrasound, ECG or similar imaging techniques, in accordance with the Radiation Safety Act 1975 and any other relevant written law
  5. Taking samples for the purposes of pathology tests
  6. Setting up and supervising intravenous drips and transfusions
  7. Inserting and removing indwelling catheters for the administration of intravenous fluids
  8. Assisting with and monitoring the administration of anaesthetics
  9. Monitoring the recovery of animals from anaesthesia
  10. Physically examining animals
  11. Giving general health advice in relation to weight loss, nutrition, parasite control and similar matters
  12. Isolating animals and carrying out barrier nursing
  13. Administering scheduled drugs
  14. Supplying to customers medication specified by a veterinarian
  15. Dressing wounds and providing post-surgical care
  16.  Supervising, caring for and nursing animals
  17. Performing clinical pathology tests

Duties and veterinary services that may be  performed by veterinary nurses

Veterinary Practice Regulations 2022 | Schedule 4 — Acts of veterinary medicine: veterinary nurses [r. 7]

Division 1 — Acts authorised to be carried out under personal supervision of veterinarian

  1. Assisting a veterinarian to perform surgical procedures
  2. Dental prophylaxis including simple extraction of teeth
  3. Superficial surgical procedures (such as suturing skin)
  4. Taking images using x-rays, ultrasound, ECG or similar imaging techniques, in accordance with the Radiation Safety Act 1975 and any other relevant written law
  5. Taking samples for the purposes of pathology tests
  6. Setting up and supervising intravenous drips and transfusions
  7. Inserting and removing indwelling catheters for the administration of intravenous fluids
  8. Assisting with and monitoring the administration of anaesthetics
  9.  Monitoring the recovery of animals from anaesthesia

Division 2 — Acts authorised to be carried out under direction of veterinarian

  1. Physically examining animals
  2. Giving general health advice in relation to weight loss, nutrition, parasite control and similar matters
  3. Isolating animals and carrying out barrier nursing
  4. Administering scheduled drugs
  5. Supplying to customers medication specified by a veterinarian
  6. Dressing wounds and providing post-surgical care
  7. Supervising, caring for and nursing animals
  8. Performing clinical pathology tests

Veterinary Practice Board of WA Health requirements

Due to the nature of a Veterinary Nurse’s work and the environment in which they work, the Veterinary Practice Board of WA will request and assess information about an applicant’s health and wellbeing and the management of any condition prior to registration. Disclosure is strictly confidential and considered on a case by case basis. 

Find out more about Veterinary Nursing

Search