Registered Veterinary Nurse - Neurology

Linnaeus; Swindon; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RCVS & VDS fees paid

Pension scheme

Life Assurance (4x salary)

Cycle to work scheme

Staff discounts

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Linnaeus Eastcott Referrals in Swindon is recruiting a Referral Veterinary Nurse to join its growing neurology service. You will support consults, admissions and discharges, care for neurology patients and participate in CPD and skill development.

The role offers a collaborative hospital environment with extensive in-house training, exposure to a varied caseload, and opportunities to develop new skills within a specialist setting.

Qualifications

• Qualified RVN with neurology experience preferred.
• Experience in a referral hospital or neurology service is advantageous.
• Flexibility for on-call and weekend shifts may be required.

Responsibilities

• Preparing patients for anaesthesia, including examinations, premedication and assisting with induction.
• Monitoring patients under anaesthesia for neurology investigations and procedures.
• Recovering patients from anaesthesia and handing over to ward nurses.
• Preparing and sending cerebrospinal fluid samples for analysis.
• Providing inpatient care including urinary catheter placement and IV chemotherapy administration.
• Collaborating with physiotherapy for inpatient rehabilitation.
• Assisting with creating and updating neurology SOPs and protocols.
• Maintaining communication with the Workflow team to ensure patient flow.

Skills

Neurology nursing

CPD commitment

Team collaboration

Patient care

Education

Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN)

Tools

Anaesthesia equipment

Job description

Location: Eastcott Referrals
Job Type: Permanent
Hours: 40 hours per week, 1 in 8 weekends, 1 bank holiday per year, with the opportunity for on-call

An exciting opportunity to join our growing Neurology team

Following the continued growth and development of our Neurology service, alongside internal progression within the team, we are delighted to be looking to welcome an additional Referral Veterinary Nurse to our department. This is an exciting opportunity to join a well-established and supportive team and play an important role in the continued development of our neurology service.

Our Neurology team within the hospital currently consists of four neurology clinicians, one neurology intern, two neurology nurses and one neurology technician. The department is also supported by our anaesthesia and multidisciplinary nursing teams.

Your Role

Primarily as a neurology nurse, you will assist with consults, admits and discharges, nursing neurology patients, administering chemotherapy, and monitoring sedation and general anaesthesia for imaging, investigations and surgery.

We require all our associates to work closely with other hospital associates at all times to ensure efficient case throughput and gold standard patient and client experiences. All members of the nursing team are jointly responsible for maintaining high standards of hygiene, equipment care, effective stock control and rotation.

You will be encouraged to contribute to the continued growth of this service by sharing your valuable ideas and completing CPD according to your interests and development goals.

This is a great opportunity for an RVN with a keen interest in neurology to develop their understanding and practical abilities alongside our experienced and supportive team. The role provides exposure to a large and varied caseload and the opportunity to further develop your skills within a specialist referral environment.

You will have access to a wide range of internal CPD opportunities via Eastcott and Linnaeus, alongside a generous benefits package.

Referral experience is preferred but not essential, as full training will be provided.

Key responsibilities

• Preparing patients for anaesthesia, including patient examinations, administering premedication and assisting with induction.
• Monitoring patients undergoing anaesthesia for neurology investigations and procedures, including MRI, CT, neurosurgery and electro-diagnostics, under the supervision of the anaesthesia clinicians.
• Recovering patients from anaesthesia and handing over to ward nurses for further care.
• Preparing and sending cerebrospinal fluid samples for analysis to appropriate laboratories and assisting with cerebrospinal fluid collection.
• Providing inpatient care, including placement and maintenance of urinary catheters and administration of intravenous chemotherapy.
• Working alongside the physiotherapy team to assist with inpatient rehabilitation.
• Assisting with the creation of new protocols and SOPs relating to neurology and updating these as appropriate.
• Maintaining excellent lines of communication with the Workflow team to ensure patient flow across the hospital is efficient.

What We Offer

At Eastcott Referrals, we are committed to supporting our teams to develop and thrive. In return, we offer:

• A friendly, collaborative and supportive working environment
• The opportunity to work closely with experienced imaging professionals and veterinary specialists
• Extensive in-house training, coaching and mentoring within diagnostic imaging
• Exposure to a varied and interesting referral caseload
• CPD support to further your professional development
• Opportunities to develop new skills and broaden your knowledge within a specialist hospital setting

Benefits

• RCVS & VDS fees paid.
• Generous CPD allowance plus funded external CPD.
• Extensive free Linnaeus CPD programmes.
• Pension scheme with employer contribution.
• Life Assurance (4x salary).
• Enhanced sickness and equal family leave.
• E-car salary sacrifice scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Staff discounts and benefits hub.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Eyecare vouchers.
• Annual flu jab.