Full Time - Veterinary Nurse

Lort Smith Animal Hospital; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pet-friendly workplace

Discounts on veterinary care

Employee assistance program (EAP)

No on-call roster

Job summary

Lort Smith Animal Hospital in Melbourne is seeking experienced Veterinary Nurses to join our busy, not-for-profit hospital. We offer full-time, part-time, and casual opportunities across departments, with an emphasis on clinical variety and compassionate care.

You will triage patients, monitor anaesthesia, assist in ICU/theatre and deliver high-quality care while supporting our team and clients throughout challenging cases.

Qualifications

• Formal veterinary nursing qualifications such as a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing or Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing are essential.
• At least three years’ hands-on experience in an animal hospital, veterinary clinic or shelter environment.
• Ability to independently triage patients, prioritise clinical needs and manage multiple cases.
• Strong practical skills in anaesthetic monitoring across routine and emergency procedures.
• Ability to perform CPR in line with current RECOVER guidelines.
• Competence in venepuncture, IV catheter placement and basic clinical pathology procedures.
• Understanding of infection prevention and control, including cleaning and disinfection protocols.
• High-quality clinical documentation skills with accuracy and following protocols.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and ability to work in a multidisciplinary team.
• Emotional intelligence, resilience and calmness in fast-paced, challenging cases.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality clinical nursing care across hospital departments.
• Triaging patients and monitoring anaesthesia in various procedures.
• Support emergency cases and ensure excellent patient care.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary team to maintain standards of care.
• Contribute to daily hospital operations and client experience.

Skills

Triage skills

Anaesthetic monitoring

CPR RECOVER

Venepuncture

Infection control

Clinical documentation

Communication

Teamwork

Emotional intelligence

Education

Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing

Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing

Tools

EzyVet

SmartFlow

Job description

Lort Smith Animal Hospital – Melbourne VIC

Veterinary Nurses

Full-time|Part Time (Four Days a week )

Make a difference in the lives of animals and the people who love them.

Are you a passionate Veterinary Nurse who thrives in a busy hospital environment, enjoys clinical variety and wants your work to make a genuine difference? At Lort Smith, veterinary nursing is about more than clinical care. It’s about supporting animals through some of their most vulnerable moments, helping their people navigate challenging times and working alongside a team that genuinely cares. We’re looking for experienced, compassionate and motivated Veterinary Nurses to join our team across full-time, part-time and casual opportunities. Whether your interests lie in emergency and critical care, complex theatre or general hospital nursing, you’ll have the opportunity to build your skills, broaden your experience and contribute to a purpose that matters.

About the role

Working alongside our experienced veterinary and nursing teams, you’ll provide high-quality clinical nursing care across a diverse range of hospital departments. You’ll need sound clinical judgement, confidence in your nursing skills and the ability to think on your feet in a fast‑paced environment. From triaging patients and monitoring anaesthesia to supporting emergency cases and delivering exceptional patient care, you’ll play an important role in the day‑to‑day running of our hospital and the experience we provide to our clients.

What makes this opportunity different?

• Clinical variety: Work across departments including complex theatre, Accident and Emergency (A&E), and Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
• Room to grow: Develop your clinical expertise through hands‑on experience, training and opportunities to progress into senior nursing or management.
• A team that supports you: Collaborate with skilled, experienced professionals who share a commitment to high standards of patient care.
• A meaningful purpose: Put your nursing skills to work in an organisation dedicated to keeping pets and their people together.

As our hospital operates 365 days a year, a range of shift options are available, including late shifts, overnight shifts and weekends.

About you

You’re a confident and capable Veterinary Nurse who takes pride in delivering excellent patient care. You’re comfortable working independently when needed, but understand the importance of teamwork, communication and supporting those around you. You can manage competing priorities, recognise when a patient needs urgent attention and remain calm and considered in emotionally demanding situations. Just as importantly, you bring compassion to every interaction, whether you’re caring for an unwell animal, supporting a concerned client or helping a colleague through a challenging case.

Your skills and experience

To be successful in this role, you’ll bring:

• Formal veterinary nursing qualifications, such as a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing or Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing (essential).
• At least three years’ hands‑on experience in an animal hospital, veterinary clinic or shelter environment.
• The ability to independently triage patients, prioritise clinical needs, manage multiple cases and elevate concerns appropriate.
• Strong practical skills in anaesthetic monitoring across routine and emergency procedures.
• The ability to perform CPR in line with current RECOVER guidelines.
• Competence in venepuncture, intravenous catheter placement and basic clinical pathology procedures.
• A thorough understanding of infection prevention and control, including cleaning and disinfection protocols.
• High-quality clinical documentation skills, with a strong focus on accuracy and following established protocols.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Emotional intelligence, resilience and self‑awareness, with the ability to work in a fast‑paced environment where cases can be complex and outcomes can be challenging.

Additional study, specialist training or experience in areas of particular clinical interest will be highly regarded.

Experience that will set you apart

We’d particularly welcome candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Anaesthetic management of complex and critical patients, including FLUTD cats and patients undergoing enterectomy or enterotomy procedures.
• Use of capnography, Doppler and oscillometric blood pressure monitoring.
• Anaesthetic monitoring for general and orthopaedic procedures.
• Caring for exotic animals and wildlife.
• EzyVet and SmartFlow practice management and patient monitoring systems.

Why Lort Smith?

For more than 90 years, Lort Smith has been helping keep pets and their people together. As Australia’s largest not‑for‑profit animal hospital, we provide veterinary care to more than 20,000 animals each year, alongside rehoming programs and community initiatives that support people and their pets. Our purpose is at the heart of everything we do. We believe every animal deserves access to care, and we work hard to ensure financial circumstances are not a barrier to getting the help pets need. Joining Lort Smith means becoming part of an organisation where your clinical skills contribute to something bigger. You’ll work with a diverse and highly skilled team, encounter a broad range of cases and have opportunities to keep learning and developing throughout your career.

What we offer

• Meaningful work in a purpose‑driven organisation with a genuine community impact.
• A supportive, collaborative team committed to high standards of patient care.
• Exposure to a wide range of clinical cases and varying levels of patient acuity.
• Opportunities to work across complex theatre, A&E and ICU.
• Access to advanced equipment, including CT and fluoroscopy.
• Ongoing training and development, with high-quality learning delivered on the floor and through dedicated workshops led by industry professionals.
• Opportunities to contribute to innovative projects and develop specialist interests.
• Career pathways into senior nursing and management.
• Employee wellbeing support, including a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Pet‑friendly workplace policies, plus discounts on veterinary care, products and pet insurance.
• A commitment to work‑life balance, including a focus on finishing on time and one‑hour lunch breaks.
• No on‑call roster.