Advanced Certificate Surgical Nursing

We accept payments by credit card/debit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and bank transfer (BACS).

It is not possible to set up a payment plan for short or practical CPD courses. However, vet and vet nurse/paraprofessional certificate programmes have payment plans available, allowing you to pay a deposit for enrolment and then monthly instalments. Details about the amount and number of instalments can be found in the pricing tab for each programme on our website.

Not all payment methods can be used for direct debit due to their technical characteristics. For direct debit you can use a debit card, a credit card, or your bank account number.

Before starting to pay instalments, you will receive an invoice detailing the remaining balance (e.g the remaining amount after deducting the deposit you’ve paid from the total cost of the enrolment).

Your instalment payments will be allocated against this invoice, which reduces the outstanding amount with each instalment you pay. There won’t be a separate invoice for each instalment.

Depending on the payment method chosen for the Direct Debit the payment can take more days to be processed. For example, credit and debit card payments will be charged immediately and might appear on the same or the next day in your bank account statement. However, payments charged on your bank account (BACS/SEPA payments) might take up to 5 business days to be processed.

There might be other reasons for the payment not being processed. Here are the main reasons:

• Insufficient funds on the account
• Transaction is not authorised by the bank
• Card used for the payment has expired
• Card issuer suspected fraud and declined transaction

If the transaction has been declined by the bank, please contact them to discuss the problem, then try again to make the payment.

• Bad internet connection.
• Amount you have tried to pay is much higher than your daily spending pattern so your bank didn´t authorise the transaction for safety reasons.
• You have exceeded the limit of the transactions per day.
• Missing Strong Customer Authentication.
• Insufficient funds on the account.

If you wish to pay for your CPD course or certificate programme by bank transfer (BACS), the bank details are at the bottom of the invoice.

According to our terms and conditions you have a 14-day cooling off period from the date your order was placed. If you cancel your order within this time, your full order will be refunded. If your circumstances change after the 14 days have passed and it is more than 30 days from the start day of the CPD course you would be liable for the deposit, and the rest will be refunded to you. If it is less than 30 days from the start date of the course you would be liable for the full cost of the course. We are sometimes able to offer the option to defer to another cohort or to substitute another person into the place on the course. Please contact our friendly team for more information.

• Full payment – the total amount of the enrolment price must be paid within 30 days of registration.
• Deposit + remaining amount – deposit for the enrolment must be paid within 5 days of registration, while the remaining amount of the enrolment must be paid up to 30 days before the course starting date.
• Deposit + instalments – deposit for the enrolment must be paid within 5 days of registration, while the remaining amount of the enrolment will be split into instalments and paid once per month following an established payment plan.

The cost of any CPD course or veterinary certificate programme, including applicable payment schedules, can be found in the ‘pricing’ tab of any programme page.

For those taking a programme that includes a HAU qualification (eg a PgC programme), the cost of the assessments is included in the fees. However, this only applies to first attempts – if you require a re-sit, you’ll need to pay HAU directly. Please contact our team for more information on how to do this.

For those taking a programme that includes an ISVPS qualification, the cost of the assessments is included in the programme fee. However, this only applies to first attempts – if you require a re-sit, you’ll need to pay ISVPS directly. If you need more information, contact our friendly team.

Yes …..

Yes! We believe in peer learning and support, so we’ve built a forum into our online programmes. Each module typically has a dedicated forum where you can post questions or reply to discussions. Your module tutor also has access so they can help guide discussions and provide help and advice. Look for “Add discussion topic” to begin a new discussion in a forum or “Reply” to add a reply within an existing discussion.

In most lessons and quizzes, your progress is saved automatically. If your connection drops, simply re-open the module once you’re back online and navigate back to where you left off. If you continue to experience disruptions, contact support or your programme coordinator.

Most modules feature an overall progress bar and tick boxes per lesson and Week. Refer to your “My Courses” page or the module main pages to see what has been completed and what remains for your courses and modules respectively.

The platform and content are designed to be viewed on most smartphones and tablets.

You will need an active internet connection to load interactive lessons, quizzes, and videos. Some PDFs or notes may be downloadable for offline reference.

To access an online course, you’ll need a stable internet connection. Some courses may have downloadable PDFs to read through offline, but interactive components require being online.

You’ll also need an up-to-date web browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, or Safari). The online learning platform is optimised to work on all major browsers; however, we recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Safari. Make sure you update your browser regularly.

For video content, audio devices (speakers or headphones) are recommended.

• We will endeavour to allocate you face-to-face modules close together in date (e.g. within the same week) to reduce the numbers of trips to the UK required but these dates are restricted so you should be aware that you may have to make separate trips as places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
• It is your responsibility to check visa requirements and ensure that you have relevant documents in place well in advance of travel.
• Delegates attending from outside of Europe may require visas in order to participate in our face-to-face programmes. Please note that the Student Tier 4 visa is not applicable to Improve Education Delegates as a result of us being a private education provider. Further guidance on your entry requirements should be checked with your local embassy.
• Improve Education does not provide support in obtaining visas but can provide supporting documentation to support your application if requested.

• Registration is made directly to ISVPS (for the GPCert) and HAU (for the PgC) – you will be provided with contact details allowing you to complete their registration forms
• Ideally, the decision to aim for the PgC should be made within the first two months of the programme starting to enable you to benefit from the HAU library access and select your face to face modules if applicable to your programme

The PgC is worth 30 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits but delegates are advised to check with their local governing body for the relevance of these credits in their country.

The Nurse Advanced Certificate is a globally recognised further qualification for veterinary nurses. It is accredited by ISVPS and is the highest level of qualification they currently offer for veterinary nurses. Our advanced nursing programmes are designed to teach the knowledge and skills nurses will need to pass the assessments for the NAdvCert. Nurses who achieve the NAdvCert are highly regarded by colleagues and employers, having evidence of their advanced skills and knowledge in their subject area.

Veterinary nurses who successfully complete the assessments for the Advanced Nurse Certificates are eligible to use the postnominals NAdvCert followed by their abbreviated discipline in brackets. Postnominals are a fantastic way to showcase your further qualifications to your colleagues and pet owners. The ISVPS NAdvCert awards are not currently approved for inclusion in the RCVS register. They are internationally peer-recognised and respected qualifications. Your postnominals can be displayed wherever you deem appropriate, except on the RCVS register.

After completing the advanced veterinary nurse certificate programme, delegates take the following assessments with ISVPS:

• A 90-minute online examination using a variety of questions to assess application of clinical knowledge (pass mark 60%)
• A case log (a log of clinical cases where the candidate was involved in the majority of the patient care, demonstrating clinical experience in the chosen discipline, and covering a range of procedures from the syllabus)
• A written assessment, which is normally a literature review based on the candidate’s chosen subject area (Pass mark 50%)

These assessments may vary slightly depending on the subject. Full details of the assessment requirements and deadlines are available in your MyImprove area when you’ve started the course or, for more details, you can register your interest and we’ll be in touch.

The length of the advanced veterinary nursing programme varies depending on the subject being studied, with most courses taking between 6 and 10 months. Start and end dates can be found in the course details of each programme, while the planned date for each individual module is available in the modules tab. Module dates will be confirmed in your MyImprove area once you are registered for the course.

The Advanced Nurse Certificate assessments are held by ISVPS once the teaching programme has completed. Again, the dates can be found in your MyImprove area once you are registered on the programme.

The veterinary nurse Advanced Certificate programme fee includes:

• Learning materials
• Access to the online learning platform
• Registration with ISVPS and exam fee (first attempt only)
• Access to a programme coordinator to support your study

The Advanced Nurse Certificate programme fee does not include:

• Assessment fees or exam fees after the first attempt
• Missed module fees if you haven’t notified us in writing more than 14 days before the module date
• Access to further textbooks, libraries, and journals of your choice

The Advanced Nurse Certificate is designed for veterinary nurses working in general or referral practice. While it is ideally suited to those who have already completed a post-training qualification, such as a Nurse Certificate (NCert), previous study is not a prerequisite. Highly experienced veterinary nurses may also choose to pursue this advanced nursing certificate if they feel it is at a suitable level for their skills. We strongly advise that veterinary nurses have at least 5 years experience in clinical practice, in their chosen discipline, if they have not previously completed post-training qualifications.

In the UK, veterinary nurses must be on the RCVS register to take the advanced certificate. In the Republic of Ireland, veterinary nurses taking the advanced certificate need to be regulated by the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) and able to provide a unique VCI number. For more information about eligibility, please contact our team.