Head Veterinary Nurse

CVS Veterinary Group; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RCVS fees paid in full

Generous CPD allowance

BSAVA library access

Funded advanced training opportunities

Excellent Nursing Career Pathway

Up to 33 days holiday

Health cash plan

Employee Assistance Programme

Wellbeing Champions

Staff pet care discounts

Job summary

CVS Veterinary Group’s Priory Veterinary Centre in Beeston, Nottingham, is seeking a Head Veterinary Nurse. You will lead a nursing team across a busy, first-opinion practice, focusing on anaesthesia and high-quality patient care while supporting vets and the learning ethos of the site.

The role offers a permanent, full-time schedule with a varied caseload, strong development opportunities, and a collaborative team culture within CVS Veterinary Group.

Qualifications

• Must be a qualified veterinary nurse.
• Experience in anaesthesia preferred.
• Prior leadership experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a nursing team of 7 RVNs, helping grow and utilise nursing skills.
• Collaborate closely with a veterinary team of 5 vets to deliver outstanding patient care.
• Champion high clinical standards across the practice and ensure consistent quality.
• Manage nursing rotas and conduct staff check-ins.
• Drive innovation and bring ideas to enhance patient care and efficiency.
• Act as a positive, approachable people leader within the team.
• Foster an engaging learning environment for qualified and student nurses.

Skills

Qualified veterinary nurse

Leadership

Anaesthesia

Education

Qualified Veterinary Nurse

Job description

Head Veterinary Nurse

Priory Veterinary Centre - Beeston

Location: Beeston, Nottingham

Contract: Permanent/Full-time

Practice Type: First opinion

Competitive Salary: Up to £38,000 FTE, dependent on experience

At CVS, caring is what we do. As a Head Veterinary Nurse, you'll be at the heart of promoting pet wellness, monitoring patients' health, supporting their recovery, and offering reassurance to the people who love them. Because for us, caring isn't just a job, it's in our nature.

We put our people first because when you're supported, you can deliver the very best care. With industry-leading learning, hands-on training, and guidance, you'll have everything you need to grow your skills and confidence. Whether you're looking to progress in your current role or explore new career pathways, CVS is the place to nurture your future career.

Life at Priory Veterinary Centre

We are looking for a passionate Head Veterinary Nurse to join our team, working between 40 hours across 4 or 5 days a week with a share in the 1 in 4 Saturday morning rota.

Priory Vets are a busy, first opinion practice with a passionate team of vets and nurses, committed to providing high-quality, patient-focused care. Our facilities include digital x-ray, dental x-ray, separate cat wards, endoscope, in-house lab facilities, and an ultrasound machine, giving you the tools you need to deliver outstanding care.

Working at Priory Vets offers a fantastic opportunity to join a well-established, reputable small animal practice, offering a great variety of cases with the ability to keep them in-house while maintaining a manageable workload that allows for excellent patient care. With a strong reputation within the local community, they are conveniently located close Nottingham city centre with great access to the train station and main travel routes.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading and supporting a nursing team of 7 RVNs, supporting the growth, development, and utilisation of nursing skills
• Working closely with the veterinary team (5 Vets) to deliver outstanding patient care
• Championing high clinical standards across the practice
• Managing nursing rotas and conducting staff check‑ins
• Driving innovation and bringing fresh ideas to enhance patient care and practice efficiency
• Acting as a positive and approachable people leader
• Helping create an engaging and supportive learning environment for both qualified and student nurses

About you

Our ideal candidate will have some experience as a qualified veterinary nurse and be confident in all areas of nursing, including anaesthetics.

• Be passionate about delivering exceptional care to both our patients and their owners every day.

• Support the outcome of patients care in all aspects of clinical work as part of the team.

• Ensure Quality is maintained by keeping our practice in excellent condition- ensuring quality of care and the best possible outcomes for every patient

• Learn, develop and grow with us, taking advantage of ongoing training and development opportunities offered by CVS and our practice.

• Contribute to creating a positive environment, fostering a friendly, welcoming and supportive team culture.

• Communicate with confidence, use your exceptional communication skills-both written and verbal-to build strong, lasting relationships with colleagues, clients, and the pets they love.

The benefits

• RCVS fees paid in full

• Generous CPD allowance, Knowledge Hub access, BSAVA library, and funded advanced training opportunities

• Excellent Nursing Career Pathway

• Up to 33 days holiday (with the option to buy/sell)

• Health cash plan, Employee Assistance Programme, Wellbeing Champions, and enhanced family leave policies

• Staff pet care discounts - 50% off services, MiPet food, and medications

Join us at CVS

We're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to do their best work. We foster an inclusive and equitable workplace, where diverse perspectives are invited and people feel safe to speak up.

Wellbeing support is always available, from monthly line-manager check-ins to our network of 400 Wellbeing Champions, Pastoral Support Vets and personal mentors. We offer leading benefits and policies, such as our Health Shield which provides support for physical and mental health.

Our aim is to free up clinical colleagues to do what they do best, so we offer practices a wide range of operational support. Central expert HR, recruitment, payroll, IT, finance, procurement teams are on hand to support with all aspects relating to the smooth running of each practice.

We prioritise investment in our facilities, delivering significant enhancements across numerous practices through a dedicated multi-million-pound improvement fund.