Three years after opening the doors to its first student nurses, the Dick White Academy has attained exam results that are well above the National Average.
The Academy was established by DWR Veterinary Specialists in 2016, in response to the widespread shortage of qualified veterinary nurses and nursing assistants. It is approved as a Training Provider by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and as a Veterinary Nursing Centre by City & Guilds.
Initially, it offered a one-year VCA Level 2 course for Veterinary Care Assistants and a three-year Diploma Level 3 course for those wishing to qualify as Registered Veterinary Nurses. Recently, it has added the VetSkill Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Companion Animal) to its training programme.
To date, the VCA students at the Academy have completed 2 courses with 100% success for all those who started the course. The Academy is now celebrating the success of its first group of veterinary nurses, who recently sat their final OSCE exams, with an 83% first time pass rate. This compares with a national average of 66%.
The Academy is led by Principal Ali Heywood who commented “I am so proud, both of the students and of our excellent team of lecturers. Their knowledge and commitment, together with small class sizes and a heavy focus on practical skills, have ensured that the Academy is producing graduates who are well equipped to contribute greatly to the workforce of their chosen practices”.
Three of the successful candidates are already employees of DWR Veterinary Specialists and the remainder have positions in first opinion practices within the area.