Head Veterinary Nurse

Inspiring Vet Care; Chatham; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

6.6 weeks' annual leave

Private Medical Insurance

Pension scheme

£550 CPD allowance

RCVS fees covered

Discounted veterinary care

Job summary

Inspiring Vet Care in Chatham is seeking a Head Veterinary Nurse to lead and mentor our nursing team within Easipetcare, Chatham. The role is full-time and involves 40 hours per week, including weekends and bank holidays, with no OOH duties.

You’ll set nursing standards, drive governance, and support professional development across the practice to maintain excellent patient care and team performance.

Qualifications

• Registration as a Veterinary Nurse with the RCVS.
• Significant experience in clinical practice with advanced medical and surgical nursing skills.
• Proven experience of leading, mentoring and developing nursing teams within a busy FO practice.
• Strong understanding of clinical governance, quality improvement and professional standards.
• Excellent communication, leadership and organisational skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead, inspire, and develop the nursing and care team.
• Uphold clinical standards and ensure high-quality patient care.
• Collaborate with the Lead Vet and Practice leadership to guide growth.
• Balance hands-on clinical work with leadership and mentorship, support Student Nurses and VCAs.

Skills

RCVS registration

Advanced nursing skills

Leadership experience

Clinical governance

Communication skills

Job description

At inspiring vet care, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the UK’s number one vet care provider, we're trusted with the care of over 2 million animals, delivering our purpose of healthier animals and happier owners.

We are seeking a knowledgeable, confident Head Veterinary Nurse to join our team at Easipetcare, Chatham, on a full-time basis. We are also offering up to £3,000 welcome bonus for this position.

At Easipetcare Chatham, you’ll be joining a close-knit and supportive nursing team. This is a key leadership position, requiring someone who can confidently lead and motivate a team, promote excellent patient care, develop colleagues and work collaboratively with the wider practice team to support continued growth.

Our practice is home to a friendly and supportive team of 1 Veterinary Surgeon, 4 RVNs, 1 SVN, 5 Receptionists, a Practice Director, and a Practice Manager. We benefit from a varied medical and surgical caseload, with exposure to orthopaedic, cardiac, soft tissue, and diagnostic imaging cases through collaboration with visiting specialist clinicians. We pride ourselves on fostering a positive team culture, with a strong focus on collaboration, communication, and ongoing professional development.

Practice Highlights

• 4 consult rooms
• Digital radiography and ultrasound
• Dedicated theatre and prep room
• In-house laboratory equipment

How You’ll Make a Difference

As a Head Veterinary Nurse, you will provide senior clinical and professional leadership for the nursing team, overseeing all nursing aspects of the practice and supporting the delivery of high-quality patient and client care.

You’ll be responsible for setting and maintaining nursing standards, leading clinical governance and quality improvement activity, and developing a capable, confident nursing team. Working closely with the wider practice leadership team, you'll play a key role in shaping culture, performance and ways of working.

This position is 40 hours per week, across 4 or 5 days. This will include a fair share of weekends and bank holidays. No OOH.

General responsibilities include:

• You’ll play a pivotal role in leading, inspiring, and developing our nursing and care team.
• Ensure the smooth running of the practice, uphold clinical standards, and help us continue to deliver the best possible patient care.
• Working closely with the Lead Vet, Client Care Manager, Practice Manager, and Practice Director, you’ll be part of the practice’s leadership group shaping our operations and helping to guide our continued growth and success.
• This is a hands-on role, combining clinical work with leadership and mentorship. You’ll lead by example, supporting our Student Veterinary Nurses and VCAs, maintaining high standards of infection control and clinical governance, and ensuring the team is confident, capable, and motivated every day.

You Might Be a Great Fit If...

You are an experienced and confident Registered Veterinary Nurse with strong leadership capability and a passion for clinical excellence. You'll bring:

• Registration as a Veterinary Nurse with the RCVS
• Significant experience in clinical practice with advanced medical and surgical nursing skills
• Proven experience of leading, mentoring and developing nursing teams within a busy FO practice
• Strong understanding of clinical governance, quality improvement and professional standards
• Excellent communication, leadership and organisational skills

How We’ll Support You

• A senior leadership role with accountability for nursing standards and team development
• Clear career pathways with progression opportunities into wider practice leadership roles
• Ongoing learning and development to support leadership, governance and strategic growth
• A collaborative, values-led culture focused on care, community, and continuous improvement

What We Offer Our Team

• 6.6 weeks' annual leave plus your birthday off
• Increasing holiday allowance based on length of service
• Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Private Medical Insurance
• Employee wellbeing initiatives including - Healthcare Cash Plan and Cycle to Work scheme
• £550 CPD allowance plus 24hrs paid leave
• Certificate support
• RCVS and VDS fees covered
• Pension scheme
• Discounted veterinary care
• Voluntary benefits: choose from a range of benefits to suit you - including Green Cars salary sacrifice scheme and access to discounts/cashback with hundreds of participating retailers

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Salary up to £40,000 pa DOE