Schedule 3 veterinary nursing: What does it mean for your practice?

23 January 2025 -
A veterinary nurse holds a black and white cat. This picture represents Schedule 3 Veterinary Nursing skills

Schedule 3 is an area of veterinary nursing that is gathering interest at the moment. However, there is often confusion about how it can be implemented in practice. We’re going to take a look in more detail at Schedule 3 veterinary nursing, as well as how it might benefit you and your team. 

What is Schedule 3 veterinary nursing?

In the supporting guidance of the RCVS professional code of conduct for Veterinary Surgeons, there is a section that outlines Schedule 3 exemption. The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (Schedule 3 Amendment) Order 2002 allows veterinary surgeons to direct registered, or student, veterinary nurses to carry out limited acts of veterinary surgery. 

Under Schedule 3, registered veterinary nurses, and student nurses in certain circumstances, can perform certain medical treatment and minor procedures. These must have been delegated to them by a veterinary surgeon. 

Delegation under Schedule 3 is often underutilised because many practices are uncertain about it. As such, many nurses don’t get to practise their skills and may also feel under-confident about putting themselves forward. So, it can end up becoming a self-fulfilling cycle. 

What procedures can veterinary nurses perform under Schedule 3?

In addition to more commonly performed duties like monitoring anaesthetic and administering a vaccination prescribed by a vet, there are a whole array of other minor operations that RVNs can carry out under Schedule 3. This includes skin biopsies, placing of urinary catheters, and even tail and digit amputation. 

However, these must always be under the direct delegation of a veterinary surgeon, meaning that a registered veterinary nurse cannot diagnose a problem or make a treatment plan, but can perform a planned procedure on behalf of a vet. The vet does not need to be present, or even be on the premises, while one of these procedures is carried out, but they do need to be sure that the nurse is competent and confident enough. Veterinary nurse students however will require direct supervision from the vet or a registered veterinary nurse, which must be continuous and they must also provide guidance. 

Following a 2017 survey, the RCVS recognised that there was confusion within the profession so produced some case examples to help provide clarification. This can help vets and veterinary nurses to understand how Schedule 3 can be used in real-life scenarios. 

List of Schedule 3 procedures for veterinary nurses 

The following is a list of procedures that veterinary nurses can carry out under Schedule 3 delegation:
 

  • Suturing minor wounds 
  • Taking skin or lump biopsies 
  • Removing appropriate skin lumps 
  • Tail amputation 
  • Ear tip amputation 
  • Digit amputation 
  • Surgical management of aural haematomas 
  • Routine dental hygiene work  
  • Central venous catheter placement and management 
  • Naso-oesophageal and nasogastric feeding tube placement 
  • Placement and insertion of intra-osseous needles 
  • Urinary catheter placement (male and female) 

It must be noted that under the Schedule 3 exemption RVNs are not able to enter a body cavity. This rules out major operations such as neutering. They are also not able to extract teeth using instruments during a dental procedure.  

How does Schedule 3 benefit your veterinary practice?

With recruitment issues rumbling on, vet practices feeling the strain, and team morale becoming affected, businesses need to look more closely at how things are being run. 

There are numerous ways that utilising the Schedule 3 exemption can benefit veterinary practices. These include (but are not limited to) – 

  • Improving job satisfaction for RVNs who are keen to take on more surgical work 
  • Allowing a greater throughput of patient numbers through the practice by fully utilising the whole of the team’s skillset 
  • Freeing up veterinary surgeons’ time to perform more complicated procedures, work on patient care plans and update patient records 
  • Improving patient care. Delegating can increase the veterinary surgeon’s capacity to consider other aspects of the case. 
  • Using and investing in the skills of all staff members. This can lead to improved team morale and greater staff retention. 

How can Improve support veterinary nurses’ confidence with Schedule 3 procedures?

As mentioned, one of the issues with Schedule 3 procedures is that many RVNs may have been historically underutilised, losing faith in their abilities and leaving their skill set rusty. If a veterinary practice wants to use these nurses to their fullest, they’ll often need to invest in Schedule 3 veterinary nursing CPD. Career breaks, lack of confidence, or a change in job role may also cause an RVN to feel they need a skills boost with some practical nursing CPD. Whatever the reason, we can help. 

We offer two vet nurse CPD courses for those looking to work on their Schedule 3 skills. 

  1. Schedule 3 surgery course

This is a face-to-face course covering theoretical and practical aspects of Schedule 3 surgery. There will be the opportunity to practise suture techniques, as well as procedures such as ear tip amputation, biopsy, and wound closure using cadavers. Digital notes will also be provided ahead of the course. . 

  1. Schedule 3 surgery – Masterclass 

This course is aimed at RVNs who have completed the Schedule 3 surgery course with us already. Nurses will be given the chance to hone their surgical skills as well as being able to practise advanced practical nursing techniques. This includes the placement of tubes, catheters and drains. Digital course notes will also be provided. 

Summary

Schedule 3 veterinary nursing carries so many benefits; not only for nurses who want to fully utilise their professional skills but also for the vets they work alongside them and the way the veterinary practice runs as a whole. To help RVNs to feel confident in their abilities, we run practical CPD courses to help solidify vet nurse skills. Why not book onto one of our practical Schedule 3 veterinary nursing courses, and give your career the boost you deserve?

Author

Dr Rebecca MacMillan graduated from the RVC in 2009. Since then, she has worked as a small animal veterinarian, including in leadership and practice management roles. Becky currently works in a first opinion practice in Gloucester where she sees a varied caseload of routine and emergency patients. She enjoys all aspects of general practice but is particularly interested in medicine. Becky was pleased to receive a commendation for her post-graduate certificate in small animal medicine, which she completed in 2021. She juggles her clinical day job with her passion for veterinary content writing, as well as caring for her three young boys.