Veterinary nurse to animal groomer
A veterinary nurse already meets 61% of what the animal groomer role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.
50/ 100
1 How much of what an animal groomer is expected to do is already part of a veterinary nurse’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the animal groomer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An animal groomer role treats 16 of its required skills as things a veterinary nurse already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- anatomy of animals
- animal behaviour
- animal welfare
- animal welfare legislation
- apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting
- biosecurity related to animals
What stands in the way is 9 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 24 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An animal groomer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a veterinary nurse background worth leading with.
- already held treat animals ethically assisting and caring
- already held manage animal welfare handling and moving
- already held understand the animal's situation handling and moving
- already held cope with challenging circumstances in the veterinary sector management skills
- already held safe work practices in a veterinary setting services
- already held environmental enrichment for animals agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary
All 24 carried skills, including the 16 the animal groomer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 18 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn dry dog's coat for further treatment required
- still to learn provide facilities for animal grooming services required
- still to learn style a dog's coat required
- still to learn apply animal hygiene practices required
- still to learn bathe dogs required
- still to learn groom animals required
- still to learn plan dog grooming work required
- optional, not held breed reptiles optional
- optional, not held understand the needs of animals optional
- still to learn advise on animal welfare required
- optional, not held interview animal owners on animals' conditions optional
- optional, not held communicate with customers optional
- still to learn animal species required
- optional, not held assess animal's condition optional
- optional, not held calculate rates per hours optional
- optional, not held take advantage of learning opportunities in veterinary science optional
- optional, not held assist customers optional
- optional, not held manage a small-to-medium business optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an animal groomer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 dry dog's coat for further treatment practise this
- 02 provide facilities for animal grooming services practise this
- 03 style a dog's coat practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 24 skills that carry over
- already held anatomy of animals knowledge
- already held animal behaviour knowledge
- already held animal welfare knowledge
- already held animal welfare legislation knowledge
- already held apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting skill
- already held biosecurity related to animals knowledge
- already held control animal movement skill
- already held handle customer complaints skill
- already held handle veterinary emergencies skill
- already held manage animal biosecurity skill
- already held monitor the welfare of animals skill
- already held physiology of animals knowledge
- already held provide first aid to animals skill
- already held safe work practices in a veterinary setting knowledge
- already held signs of animal illness knowledge
- already held treat animals ethically skill
- already held apply numeracy skills skill
- already held cope with challenging circumstances in the veterinary sector skill
- already held deal with challenging people skill
- already held environmental enrichment for animals knowledge
- already held follow work schedule skill
- already held make decisions regarding the animal's welfare skill
- already held manage animal welfare skill
- already held understand the animal's situation skill
9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held assess animal's condition optional
- optional, not held assist customers optional
- optional, not held breed reptiles optional
- optional, not held calculate rates per hours optional
- optional, not held interview animal owners on animals' conditions optional
- optional, not held manage a small-to-medium business optional
- optional, not held take advantage of learning opportunities in veterinary science optional
- optional, not held understand the needs of animals optional
- optional, not held communicate with customers optional
36 held skills the animal groomer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role administer appointments skill
- not needed by the target role administer treatment to animals skill
- not needed by the target role animal production science knowledge
- not needed by the target role animal recovery procedures knowledge
- not needed by the target role assess animal behaviour skill
- not needed by the target role assist in administering veterinary anaesthetics skill
- not needed by the target role assist in general veterinary medical procedures skill
- not needed by the target role assist the veterinary surgeon as a scrub nurse skill
- not needed by the target role collaborate with animal related professionals skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate information in the field of veterinary nursing skill
- not needed by the target role first aid for animals knowledge
- not needed by the target role handle veterinary patients skill
- not needed by the target role hospitalised animal nursing care knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain administrative records in the veterinary office skill
- not needed by the target role maintain stocks of veterinary materials skill
- not needed by the target role maintain veterinary clinical records skill
- not needed by the target role manage clinical environments skill
- not needed by the target role manage infection control in the facility skill
- not needed by the target role manage personal professional development skill
- not needed by the target role manage veterinary practice waiting area skill
- not needed by the target role plan schedule skill
- not needed by the target role practise veterinary professional codes of conduct skill
- not needed by the target role prepare animals for anaesthesia skill
- not needed by the target role prepare animals for veterinary surgery skill
- not needed by the target role prepare environment for veterinary surgery skill
- not needed by the target role prepare veterinary anaesthetic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role process payments skill
- not needed by the target role protect health and safety when handling animals skill
- not needed by the target role provide mentorship skill
- not needed by the target role provide nursing care for animals in recovery skill
- not needed by the target role provide nursing care for hospitalised animals skill
- not needed by the target role provide support to veterinary clients skill
- not needed by the target role supply veterinary medicine skill
- not needed by the target role support veterinary diagnostic imaging procedures skill
- not needed by the target role support veterinary diagnostic procedures skill
- not needed by the target role veterinary terminology knowledge
1 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn animal species required
Other moves recorded from veterinary nurse
- animal chiropractor 73% covered · moderate
- animal physiotherapist 73% covered · moderate
- animal hydrotherapist 73% covered · moderate
- animal massage therapist 73% covered · moderate
- animal osteopath 70% covered · moderate
- animal handler 68% covered · moderate
- alternative animal therapist 68% covered · moderate
- veterinary receptionist 64% covered · moderate
Common questions about this move
Can a veterinary nurse become an animal groomer?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A veterinary nurse already covers 61% of what an animal groomer is expected to do: 24 skills carry over, 16 of which the animal groomer role treats as required.
What skills does a veterinary nurse need to become an animal groomer?
9 required skills are missing, plus 9 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by handling and moving. The single most important is dry dog's coat for further treatment.
How hard is the move from veterinary nurse to animal groomer?
Its learning distance is 50 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.