Ulster University is set to launch Northern Ireland’s first veterinary nursing degrees in an effort to combat staff shortages in the industry. The new full and part-time courses will begin at the university’s Coleraine campus in September and are the first degrees in veterinary nursing in the country. The courses will include clinical practice time in veterinary surgeries across Northern Ireland, with the first 30 graduates expected in 2029. The launch of the degrees has raised hopes among industry professionals that staff shortages can be eased, as Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK without a specialist vet school.
The degrees have been welcomed by the industry, with Dr Esther Skelly-Smith from the North of Ireland Veterinary Association (Niva) saying, “We have been calling for veterinary degrees here in Northern Ireland for a long time as a lot of those who travel to study don’t return.” Ballymoney-based vet, Dr Adam Conn, who runs his own practice has remarked that “More places means more veterinary nurses. It’s a growing sector and recruiting for both vets and veterinary nurses is extremely hard, so there’s definitely plenty of jobs out there if we could get the people to fill them.”
A report commissioned by the former agriculture minister Edwin Poots found the creation of a veterinary school in Northern Ireland needed more work to justify the estimated investment of more than £75,000 per student. This has been a significant issue regarding staff shortages in Northern Ireland for some time, as vets and nurses who leave the country to study veterinary medicine frequently do not return due to rising costs and perceived drawbacks of studying outside of Northern Ireland.
The University of Ulster’s degrees in veterinary nursing are a welcomed addition to the profession and will go a long way in addressing the growing demand for skilled veterinary professionals across Northern Ireland. Though the shortage of veterinary surgeons remains a bigger challenge, courses for veterinary nurses will hopefully make the profession more attractive and provide adequate resources to relieve the pressure on veterinary services as a whole
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