Referral Veterinary Nurse

Inspiring Vet Care; Inverness; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation allowance

£2000 welcome bonus

6.8 weeks' annual leave

Private Medical Insurance

CPD allowance £550 plus 24hrs paid

RCVS and VDS fees covered

Pension scheme

Discounted veterinary care

Job summary

Inspiring Vet Care, based in Inverness, is seeking a dedicated Referral Veterinary Nurse to join Highland Vet Referrals. This role offers a relocation allowance and a £2,000 welcome bonus, with no weekends or out-of-hours work, supporting a diverse caseload across orthopaedics, internal medicine, dermatology, pain management, ECC, and more.

You will work within a supportive team using advanced onsite facilities (CT, ultrasound, endoscopy, IDEXX labs).

Qualifications

• RCVS registration required.
• Experience in clinical practice with anaesthesia and inpatient care.
• Experience in referral or advanced-care environment advantageous.
• Strong communication and teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Carry out advanced nursing procedures such as intensive monitoring, wound management, and specialised imaging.
• Support complex surgeries.
• Provide critical care for patients.
• Assist with advanced diagnostic tests.
• Administer/perform laser treatment.
• Support with complex medication regimes.
• Monitor patients with serious or chronic conditions, delivering tailored nursing care.
• Provide detailed aftercare instructions and support for owners of animals with long‑term or complex conditions.

Skills

Clinical nursing

Anaesthesia

Inpatient care

Team communication

Education

RCVS registration

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 an enthusiastic, team orientated Referral Veterinary Nurse to join our fantastic team at Highland Vet Referrals - offering a relocation allowance, welcome bonus* and no weekends or OOHs!

Highland Vet Referrals, founded in 2022, is an exciting and rapidly growing referral practice delivering a wide range of specialist surgical and medical services across the stunning Highlands and Islands. We’re on the lookout for a passionate RVN to join our warm, supportive team - backed by our dedicated VCAs - so you can focus on what matters most: providing exceptional care to our patients. You'll have the opportunity to work with the latest tech including onsite CT, ultrasound, Scoping, DR Xray, a full IDEXX lab suite with EPOC, and in-house coagulation testing - giving you the tools to provide top-tier care.

The Capital of the Highlands, Inverness offers a lively urban lifestyle with cafes, restaurants, live music, and the renowned Eden Court venue. If you like the outdoors there is a huge variety of activities, hill walking, wild swimming, mountain biking, paddleboarding in lochs and rivers. Escape from the hustle and embrace what our stunning local area has to offer! In addition, Inverness is family friendly boasting great schools, many parks, a good leisure centre, and an ice rink.

About Our Caseload

Orthopaedics and Soft Tissue Surgery

Caring for patients undergoing anything from routine lump removals to complex orthopaedic, soft tissue, and spinal surgeries. You will work closely with our experienced surgeon and play a vital role in ensuring the highest standards of patient care throughout their surgical journey.

Internal Medicine & Cardiology

Assisting our Medicine Vet with a diverse range of non-surgical cases, making use of our advanced diagnostic facilities, including ultrasound, CT, and endoscopy.

Dermatology

In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside our visiting European Specialist Dermatologist, gaining hands‑on experience in dermatological procedures such as intradermal allergy testing, skin scrapes, and blood tests.

Pain Management

Supporting our Pain Management Vet, who works closely with owners to tailor treatment plans using tools such as acupuncture, medication, and home environment adaptations to maximise patient comfort.

ECC

Delivering advanced nursing care to complex and critical cases through our referral services and also through our emergency care provider, Highland Vet Emergencies.

How You’ll Make a Difference

As a Referral Nurse, you will deliver advanced nursing care to complex cases within a referral hospital environment, supporting patients, clients, and clinical teams across a range of disciplines.

You’ll work as part of a knowledgeable team, contributing to high standards of nursing care, supporting clinical decision‑making, and sharing your experience and knowledge with colleagues to continually improve patient outcomes and service delivery.

Working Pattern

• 40 hours per week over 5 days
• Varied shift times within the hours of 07:30-20:30
• No weekends or out of hours

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out advanced nursing procedures such as intensive monitoring, wound management, and specialised imaging.
• Support complex surgeries
• Provide critical care for patients
• Assist with advanced diagnostic tests
• Administer/perform laser treatment
• Support with complex medication regime
• Monitor patients with serious or chronic conditions, delivering tailored nursing care
• Provide detailed aftercare instructions and support for owners of animals with long‑term or complex conditions.

You Might Be a Great Fit If...

We welcome RVNs of all backgrounds and experience levels to apply. If this is your first step into a referral practice, this is a great opportunity to grow your confidence and skills while being supported to reach your professional goals. However we also have a varied and interesting caseload that would support the ongoing development for a more experienced RVN too.

• Registration as a Veterinary Nurse with the RCVS
• Experience in clinical practice with solid foundational nursing skills in anaesthesia and inpatient care
• Experience working with complex cases in a referral or advanced‑care environment would be advantageous
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams
• A commitment to evidence-based practice, clinical governance, and continuous improvement

How We’ll Support You

• A referral nursing role delivering complex and rewarding caseloads across multiple disciplines
• Access e-learning courses and practical workshops through our dedicated Nurse Academy to improve your clinical knowledge and technical skills
• Clear career pathways with progression opportunities into specialist referral nursing or leadership roles
• Ongoing learning and development to support advanced clinical and professional growth
• A collaborative, values‑led culture focused on care, learning, and continuous improvement

What We Offer Our Team

• Relocation allowance
• £2000 welcome bonus (subject to eligibility)
• 6.8 weeks' annual leave
• Additional annual leave for your birthday, which will be added to your holiday allowance
• Increasing annual leave accrued through 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
• 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 and cashback with hundreds of participating retailers

We’re committed to supporting our people through career development opportunities, wellbeing initiatives and access to world‑class learning resources.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take the next step in your career, inspiring vet care offers the support, opportunity and community to help you grow.

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.

Up to £32,420 DOE