Veterinary Nurse (RVN)

Job Description

Introduction
Our Client is an independently owned mixed veterinary practice in East Sussex looking for a Registered Veterinary Nurse to join an established and collaborative clinical team. This is a varied nursing opportunity offering exposure to small animal, farm and equine work, alongside the practice’s interesting zoo and exotic caseload.

The practice places a strong emphasis on teamwork, communication and continued development, with nurses encouraged to build their skills and take an active role in delivering high-quality patient and client care.

Working Hours / Rota
The role is ideally full-time across five days per week, although a four-day working pattern can also be considered. Nurses working a four-day week currently tend to work shifts of approximately 8am to 6pm or 8am to 6:30pm.

The current nursing OOH rota is approximately one weekend in six on duty, with the intention of moving closer to one in eight as the nursing team grows. There is also a weekday duty commitment shared across the team.

OOH responsibilities can include evening, weekend and overnight inpatient checks alongside returning to the practice when required by the duty Veterinary Surgeon, with enhanced payments provided.

Role Description
The successful RVN will provide high-quality nursing care across a varied mixed-practice caseload and will be involved in theatre work, anaesthesia monitoring, inpatient care, diagnostic testing, medication administration and supporting Veterinary Surgeons during surgical procedures.

The role includes blood sampling, urine analysis, radiography, preparing patients for surgery, monitoring anaesthesia and maintaining accurate clinical records. Strong anaesthetic skills are particularly valued, alongside the ability to recognise changes in a patient’s condition and communicate effectively with the wider clinical team.

As a mixed practice, nurses benefit from exposure beyond routine companion-animal work, with the caseload also including farm, equine and zoo/exotic patients. This creates an interesting environment for an RVN who enjoys clinical variety and would like to broaden their experience.

Team Size
The practice currently has approximately 10 Veterinary Surgeons and 10 Veterinary Nurses, supported by dedicated administration and reception teams. Teamwork is an important part of the practice culture, with nurses working closely alongside the vets and wider support team.

Practice Details & Equipment
The practice provides its own surgical and out-of-hours services and has the facilities required to manage routine, emergency and inpatient cases on site. Equipment includes digital X-ray, dental X-ray, ultrasound/scanning facilities and an in-house blood-testing machine.

All operating is carried out internally, giving the nursing team regular involvement in surgical and anaesthetic cases alongside the wider medical and diagnostic workload.

Ideal Candidate
The practice is looking for a friendly and approachable Registered Veterinary Nurse who enjoys working collaboratively as part of a close-knit clinical team. Strong interpersonal and client-facing skills are particularly important, with communication considered a key part of the role.

The successful candidate should have a good grounding in general nursing duties and be comfortable around anaesthesia and patient monitoring. They should be proactive, able to remain calm under pressure and confident asking for support where needed.

Previous mixed-practice experience would be useful but is not essential for the right candidate. More important is a willingness to become involved in a varied caseload, work collaboratively with colleagues and provide consistently high standards of patient and client care.

This is just some of the information about the job and company, but there will be more questions. Tempus Veterinary Recruitment is happy to get those questions answered for you during the recruiting process. Tempus Veterinary Recruitment is here to make the recruiting process simple and stress free.
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