Getting started as a veterinarian, veterinary nurse, or animal care assistant

A veterinarian is a medically trained (Master’s in Veterinary Medicine) professional who is legally recognised (and registered) to practise veterinary medicine. Veterinarians are allowed to examine animals, make diagnoses, carry out treatments, and prescribe medication. As a veterinarian, you are responsible for your patients. Within the Nesto network, veterinarians work under a self employed status. A service agreement gives you the stability and clarity you need. As a starter, we help guide you on your way as a self employed professional.

A veterinary nurse supports the veterinarian by carrying out non medical tasks. For example, they help prepare procedures, assist during consultations or examinations, and care for the animals. Animal care assistants focus on caring for the animals and hygiene related tasks. As a veterinary nurse or animal care assistant, you work as an employee under an employment contract.

To become a veterinarian, you need to obtain a Master’s degree in Veterinary Medicine. In Flanders, you can follow this six year programme at Ghent University or at the University of Antwerp (Bachelor’s only). In Wallonia, at the Université de Liège and UC Louvain (Bachelor’s only).

If you have obtained a Master’s degree in Veterinary Medicine, we welcome you to start working as a veterinarian in one of our practices. From there, you can grow according to your own ambitions. Do you want to work in a specific discipline within veterinary medicine? Would you like to grow into a leadership role, or do you dream of building your own practice? Is your passion first line veterinary care? Within the Nesto network, all of this is possible.

With your diploma, you can also set up as a self employed veterinarian. You can also find opportunities with pharmaceutical or biotech companies, government, education, and more.

To become a veterinary nurse, you follow a Bachelor’s in Agro and Biotechnology with a specialisation in Animal Care. This three year programme is offered, for example, at the university colleges Thomas More, VIVES, Odisee, and HOGENT.

With your diploma in hand, you are warmly welcome within the Nesto network to start working as a veterinary nurse in one of our practices. In most practices, veterinary nurses work in an all round capacity. This means they help with consultations, staff the reception desk, assist in the operating theatre, and care for hospitalised patients. Only in larger clinics can veterinary nurses specialise in a particular area. If you have ambitions to grow further, this could be as a practice coordinator or area lead, for example.

We have to be honest: studying veterinary medicine is not for everyone. First and foremost, you need to pass the entrance exam. During your studies, you follow a solid package of scientific subjects, as well as subjects that require considerable study effort, such as anatomy. Practical subjects are also part of the curriculum. But that does not mean it is demanding for everyone. With passion, perseverance, and the right approach, you can go far.

The veterinary medicine programme is intense, but with the right approach you will certainly get through it. Study actively: make diagrams, draw connections, and explain the material out loud to yourself or a fellow student. Flashcards, summaries, and practical examples help you understand and remember better.

Use visual tools for subjects such as anatomy or pharmacology, and practise your clinical skills whenever you can. During placements you learn an enormous amount: ask questions, observe, and keep a notebook.

And do not forget about yourself: good planning, enough sleep, fresh air, and exercise work wonders for your focus.

The Agro and Biotechnology programme, with a specialisation in Animal Care, combines theory with practice. That calls for a smart approach. Work with diagrams and visual tools, especially for subjects such as anatomy or behavioural science. Draw connections, ask questions, and dare to explain the material yourself. That way everything sticks better.

Placements and practical classes are the perfect moment to gain experience. Observe, assist where possible, and learn from people in the field. That way you discover where your talents and interests lie.

Take good care of yourself too. You study with your head, but you keep going with your whole body. Get enough sleep, eat well, and regularly step outside for fresh air and some exercise.

Being a veterinarian is a challenging profession that can be both physically and mentally demanding. The work sometimes calls for long working days, irregular hours, and often emergency duties and on call shifts as well. It also brings emotional aspects with it, such as dealing with very sick animals and emotional owners. Physical strain, for example during surgery or when working with large animals, also plays a role. Even so, many veterinarians experience their work as extremely valuable and meaningful, precisely because of the impact they have on animal welfare and health. A good balance between work and rest is essential to keep practising the profession in a healthy way.

1. Choose your status: self employed as a main or secondary occupation.

Do you work full time as a veterinarian? Then you choose self employed as a main occupation.

2. Join a social insurance fund.

Some examples of good social insurance funds are Liantis, Acerta, or Xerius. They take care of your social contributions.

3. Apply for a company number through a business counter.

Or through your social insurance fund. Your number is immediately activated as a VAT number.

4. Open a separate business bank account.

This keeps your work and personal finances clearly separated.

5. Take out professional liability insurance.

For veterinarians this is mandatory, and simply smart too.

6. Think about extra protection.

Such as hospitalisation insurance, guaranteed income, or legal assistance insurance. Not mandatory, but strongly recommended.

As a self employed professional, your income depends on your performance. But that is exactly the advantage: you are rewarded for your effort. You work with clear hourly rates or monthly fees, plus extra compensation for on call duties. On top of that, you receive guidance to invoice your work correctly.

Here are a few tips to optimise your income as a self employed veterinarian:

• Work with a good accountant. A good advisor is worth their weight in gold.
• Use your expenses wisely. Everything you need for your profession (car, mobile phone, work clothing, laptop, and so on) can be (partly) deducted.
• Start with a sole proprietorship and consider a company structure later on.
• Growing income? Then a company structure may be more tax efficient.
• Think about your pension. As a self employed professional, you can save tax efficiently for later through a VAPZ (Free Supplementary Pension for the Self Employed).
• Build financial security. Arrange a fixed income and good hospitalisation insurance. Protect yourself against unexpected costs.

A veterinary nurse is essential to running a veterinary practice professionally.

At the reception desk, they are the face of the practice. They are the point of contact for patients’ owners, welcome everyone efficiently and with a smile, schedule appointments, and more.

During consultations, they support the veterinarian, for example by holding the patient correctly, helping with blood samples, and carrying out basic dental care, among other tasks.

For hospitalised patients, they are the main source of support and comfort. Alongside tasks such as wound care and monitoring various parameters, reassuring words or a warm shoulder also contribute to the wellbeing of patients.

Veterinary nurses are also a key link in carrying out procedures, from preparing the patient and ensuring sterile materials to monitoring anaesthesia and helping to place tubes.

Finally, veterinary nurses are also administrative all rounders. They create fun and informative posts for the practice’s social media, keep the practice’s stock accurately up to date, prepare accurate invoices, and more.

In short, a highly varied set of tasks. No two days are the same, and you will never be bored!

The programme that prepares you for a job as a veterinary nurse is a Bachelor’s in Agro and Biotechnology with a specialisation in Animal Care. This three year programme can be followed, for example, at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, VIVES, Odisee, and HOGENT.

First of all, an important note. The profession of veterinary assistant, veterinary nurse, or animal care assistant is not currently a protected profession or protected job title, unlike the profession of veterinarian.

Within the Nesto network, work ethic, experience, and personality are at least as important as a diploma. That said, we do notice that a Bachelor’s in Animal Care can give you an edge in terms of medical knowledge early in your career.

Informally, the title veterinary assistant is used as a generic job title for any team member in a practice who carries out supporting tasks, ranging from staffing the reception desk to supporting consultations and assisting during procedures.

The title animal care assistant indicates that a team member has obtained a diploma in animal care at secondary school level or an equivalent qualification. This could, for example, be through technical secondary education in animal care techniques, or vocational secondary education in the seventh year of animal care. An animal care assistant’s tasks include, for example, maintaining the hospitalisation ward, holding animals during medical imaging, and walking hospitalised dogs.

Within the Nesto network, a veterinary nurse holds a Bachelor’s diploma in animal care. This means that, alongside supporting and non medical tasks, they are also permitted to carry out a certain number of medical procedures. Examples of this include measuring blood pressure, administering medication, and wound care.

Working in veterinary care is incredibly rewarding, but it can sometimes be emotionally and physically demanding too. It is important to pay attention to your own wellbeing. Plan enough moments of rest and dare to set boundaries, even though you want to help every animal. Talk to colleagues when you experience stress; within a close knit team, you are never on your own. At Nesto, we believe in a supportive working environment where there is room for open conversations and mental resilience. That way you remain not only a strong professional, but also balanced alongside your work.

As a veterinarian, you will also need to carry out administrative tasks. This is often more than expected, especially if you are self employed. Working for a network of veterinary practices means you are relieved of many of these tasks. At Nesto, we offer support in areas such as HR, Marketing, Business Support, Finance, Medical, and more.

That does not mean that you or the practice are forced into a ‘Nesto mould’. We provide support so that you and the practice can remain yourselves and provide the best possible care.

The salary of a veterinary nurse or animal care assistant is determined by several factors, such as experience, expertise, and the practice or clinic, among others. This makes it difficult to determine an average salary. Nesto naturally follows the legal rules regarding pay. On top of that, fringe benefits are also part of your package.

As a veterinarian, you can work as a self employed professional, in a liberal profession, as an employee of a network, and so on. This makes it difficult to attach a single average salary to the profession of ‘veterinarian’. Moreover, salary also depends heavily on your experience and specialisation.

The working hours of a veterinarian can vary greatly, depending on the type of practice and the chosen specialisation. In a standard veterinary practice, the number of hours is usually 40 per week for a full time contract. Even so, extra responsibilities often come into play, such as evening and weekend duties, especially in emergency cases. Anyone who works with animals knows that flexibility is important: every day is different. Although the workload can sometimes be high, good planning helps maintain a healthy balance and keep working in veterinary medicine with passion.

The number of working hours for a veterinary nurse can vary, but a full time working week amounts to 38 hours. Tasks can also include evening and weekend work, depending on the practice’s opening hours and any need for emergency care. Flexibility is therefore essential, since working with animals can be unpredictable. Despite these varying hours, it remains a versatile and engaging role in which every day is different. Good planning helps keep the workload under control and maintain a healthy balance.