Feline Nurse

Langford Veterinary Services; Langford; On-site; CAD 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A local veterinary clinic in Langford, British Columbia, is seeking a dedicated Registered Veterinary Nurse to join their Feline Team. The position involves working in custom-built feline wards, assisting with procedures, and providing high-quality care. Ideal candidates will possess a Registered Veterinary Nurse qualification and demonstrate a passion for cat-friendly practice. The clinic offers an excellent support system with various employee benefits including holiday pay and health initiatives.

Benefits

5 weeks holiday per year

On-site Mental Health Champions

Annual CPD allowance

Employee discount

Generous pension scheme

Free onsite parking

Qualifications

• Minimum 1-year experience as a qualified nurse.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Experience in referral environment is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide high standards of nursing care for feline patients.
• Assist veterinary clinicians during procedures.
• Teach and supervise veterinary nursing students.

Skills

Veterinary nursing

Cat handling

Client communication

Teaching supervision

Education

Registered Veterinary Nurse qualification

Job description

We are seeking a dedicated and compassionate Registered Veterinary Nurse to join our Feline Team on a full-time, 1-year fixed-term contract. This role offers the opportunity to work alongside an experienced and supportive team, delivering high-quality care to our feline patients.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work within our custom-built feline wards, collaborating across all of our hospital services, to include; orthopaedic, soft tissue, neurology, cardiology, chronic medicine, acute medicine, dermatology, radioactive iodine and more.

The feline team work within the ward areas, caring for our feline patients and providing a gold standard cat-friendly service to our patients. They also support with feline procedures such as hyperthyroid workups, endoscopy, medicine procedures, amongst others.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a high standard of nursing care, a desire to learn and a capability to work under pressure. They must be passionate about cat friendly practice, handling and be excited to work within a developing team.

We are looking for a nurse with at least 1-year experience as a qualified nurse. Previous experience in a referral environment is desirable but not essential. You will be involved with teaching and supervision of Veterinary and Veterinary Nursing undergraduates on clinical rotations, and so someone who is passionate about guiding them in cat friendly handling practices and environment is desirable. Flexibility will be necessary as the post will require participation in the OOH rota.

Benefits and wellbeing

Time off

• 5 weeks holiday per year (plus bank holidays)
• Additional holiday entitlement for Long Service

Wellbeing

• On site Mental Health Champions
• EDI committee
• Employee Forum – to ensure all employees voices can be heard
• Menopause Café
• Wellbeing talks and events
• Cycle to work scheme
• Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity and paternity pay (after 2 years’ service)

Health

• SimplyHealth Cashplan membership
• Free annual flu vaccination
• Free Specsavers eye test voucher

General

• Free onsite parking
• U2 bus service link to Bristol
• Annual CPD allowance
• Employee discount
• Generous pension scheme – we match up to 8% pension contributions
• Reimbursement of one professional membership fee per year

Interviews will be held: 21st and 22nd January

The purpose of the post is to nurse cats to the highest standards of care and support the smooth operation of the clinical activities within the Feline Centre, Small Animal Hospital (SAH). This is achieved by assisting with nursing care and procedures in the Feline Centre, promoting excellent client communication, supervising veterinary and nursing undergraduate students and working within the Terms of the RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct for Nurses.

Principal Accountabilities

• Constantly ensuring that cat friendly clinic principles are adopted throughout the SAH to enable the caring of cats to the highest of standards
• Organising and assisting veterinary clinicians with procedures to include endoscopy, chemotherapy, bronchoscopy, diagnostic imaging, administration of sedations and support for the hyperthyroid treatment service, discharge appointments
• Independently carry out feline nursing duties such as monitoring anaesthesia, intubating patients, assisting with diagnostic procedures, in-patient care, blood sampling, catheter placement, BP measurement, intravenous fluid therapy and nutritional tube feeding
• To provide restraint for blood sampling, sedations, treatments and physical examinations
• Daily nursing care of in‑patients, to include cleaning out and feeding, placement of feeding tubes, daily record keeping, patient checks, grooming, pain scoring assessment and fluid therapy as required
• Dispensing and administering (under the direct supervision of a veterinary surgeon) medication to animals, maintaining accurate stock control and following all protocols relating to drug holding, dispensing and handling and giving clear and accurate instructions to clients when dispensing medication
• Assisting with stock control, maintaining working areas to a high standard and actively participating in Clinical Governance and Infection Control directives
• Maintaining accurate patient records with regards to all clinical notes, treatment, diagnoses, client communication and client /patient information
• Ensuring that all procedures and consumables are accurately entered onto the patients’ records in order to keep the invoice up to date at all times during their stay
• Maintaining a good working relationship with all team members
• Communicating in an effective and pleasant manner with clients and colleagues
• Be actively involved in the teaching and support of nursing and veterinary undergraduate students, including providing feedback on their skills for assessments and promotion of cat friendly clinic principles
• Be responsible, when required, for providing inductions to nursing and veterinary undergraduate students on clinical rotations, as well as providing inductions to new staff in the Small Animal Hospital regarding cat friendly clinic principles
• Act as a professional mentor to our nursing students
• Act as a clinical coach to our nursing students
• Proactively identify and act upon opportunities for business improvement. Openly identify and discuss problems in order to implement and sustain improvements that increase the value we deliver to our, clients, employees, and students.
• Responsible for keeping themselves and others safe, reporting accidents, near misses and hazards and adhering to health and safety requirements and policies as required by the business/their line manager.
• Carry out all other reasonable duties as requested by the line manager