Senior Veterinary Nurse - dynamic and supportive environment

Vetted Recruitment Limited; Essex; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

6.6 weeks annual leave

CPD budget

Paid lunch breaks

Private medical scheme

Medical cashback incentives

Job summary

Vetted Recruitment Limited is seeking a Senior Veterinary Nurse to advance clinical leadership and patient care in a well-equipped hospital on the outskirts of Essex. The role includes supervising a nursing team, coordinating in-house CPD, and supporting busy ICU and theatre areas.

The position is full-time (40 hours/week) with a 1:6 weekend rota and up to 3 bank holidays per year, offering a salary of £35,000–£39,000 FTE and growth opportunities within the role.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in emergency and critical care nursing.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to mentor and support colleagues.
• Competence in anaesthesia and clinical nursing.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• A proactive approach to continuous improvement and quality assurance.

Responsibilities

• Deliver outstanding nursing care and ensure the highest standards of patient welfare across all areas of the practice.
• Nurse emergency and critical care patients, including unstable anaesthetics, triage, blood pressure monitoring, blood transfusions, chest drains, and jugular catheter management.
• Assist veterinary surgeons during consultations, surgery, and diagnostics, utilise Schedule 3 nursing skills.
• Lead and support the nursing team, act as a Clinical Supervisor and mentor students/new starters.
• Coordinate and deliver in-house training and CPD, including emergency crash drills and clinical protocols.
• Maintain and audit clinical equipment, controlled drugs, crash trolley readiness, analysers, and documentation for compliance.
• Support day-to-day hospital operations, weekend/ad-hoc Charge Nurse duties, leadership meetings, and client care across reception and clinical teams.
• Demonstrate excellent organisation, communication, and teamwork with a proactive approach to continuous improvement.

Skills

Emergency & critical care

Leadership

Anaesthesia

Organisation & communication

Tools

Laboratory analysers

Job description

Are you a dedicated and experienced Senior Veterinary Nurse looking to elevate your career in a dynamic and supportive environment? This role offers the perfect blend of clinical excellence, leadership, and patient care, making it an ideal fit for someone passionate about veterinary nursing and eager to make a significant impact.

In this role, you will be part of a well-equipped hospital featuring consulting rooms, a spacious prep and theatre area, a dedicated intensive care space, and a comprehensive in-house laboratory team. These facilities ensure you have everything needed to provide the highest standard of care to patients. Additionally, a dedicated colleague rest area is available for those essential lunch breaks.

Key duties and responsibilities:

• Delivering outstanding nursing care and ensuring the highest standards of patient welfare across all areas of the practice.
• Confidently nursing emergency and critical care patients, including unstable anaesthetics, triage, blood pressure monitoring, blood transfusions, chest drains, and jugular catheter management.
• Assisting veterinary surgeons during consultations, surgery, and diagnostics, making full use of Schedule 3 nursing skills.
• Leading and supporting the nursing team, acting as a role model, and providing guidance to students and new starters as a Clinical Supervisor.
• Coordinating and delivering in-house training and CPD, including emergency crash drills and clinical protocols.
• Maintaining and auditing clinical equipment, controlled drugs, crash trolley readiness, in-house laboratory analysers, and clinical documentation to ensure compliance and best practice.
• Supporting the day-to-day running of the hospital, including weekend and ad-hoc Charge Nurse duties, contributing to leadership meetings, and helping to maintain excellent client care across reception and clinical teams.
• Demonstrating excellent organisation, communication, and teamwork, with a proactive approach to continuous improvement and quality assurance.

Skills and experience:

• Proven experience in emergency and critical care nursing.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to mentor and support colleagues.
• Competence in anaesthesia and clinical nursing.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• A proactive approach to continuous improvement and quality assurance.

The role is full-time, averaging 40 hours per week, with a 1:6 weekend rotation and up to 3 bank holidays per year. The salary band for this position is £35,000 to £39,000 (FTE), depending on experience, with room for growth within the role.

Benefits include:

• 6.6 weeks annual leave including bank holidays.
• CPD budget every year plus up to 2 days' paid CPD leave.
• Paid 30-minute lunch breaks.
• Opportunity to join a private medical healthcare scheme at a reduced rate, plus medical cashback incentives.

Located on the outskirts of urban Essex, the area offers the perfect balance of urban and rural life, with excellent transport links into London via a short walk to a Central Line tube station. Please note that there is no on-site parking available, and public transport is advised.