Abstract
The enactment of the Act on Veterinary Nursing in June 2019 will establish the first national veterinary examination, which is planned to take place in 2023. The heightened awareness of veterinary nurses has motivated many students to pursue the career; however, their ambitions seem to decrease over the course of their studies at universities or technical schools. This study conducted a questionnaire among students studying veterinary nursing with the goal of finding out how and when their attitudes toward the subject changed. The images first-year students had about the duties of veterinary nurses were nebulous, while third-year students demonstrated more hostile attitudes. Responses from fourth-year students include more detailed, positive opinions for both questions about the images and duties of veterinary nurses. These findings imply that students become more independent and responsible as they learn specialized subjects with hands-on practice. The number of students hoping to become veterinary nurses significantly decreases between the students’ first and third years. By contrast, their opinions seemingly take a positive turn from the third year to the fourth year, contributing to the increase in applicants for veterinary nurse positions among fourth-year students. Further studies will be
necessary; however, these outcomes suggest students should have an educational environment where they can sufficiently learn the value of veterinary nurses in specialized subjects.
