Job Description

An exciting, rewarding role for an enthusiastic and confident veterinary nurse, you’ll enjoy a great combination of hands-on clinical work and clinic management duties. You’ll be fully supported to take on the management duties and develop your nursing team, working alongside the Senior Vet and our expert Regional Teams. This role offers excellent training and development opportunities and an attractive package.

Role Summary
This is an excellent opportunity to further your nursing career as a Senior Veterinary Nurse. You’ll enjoy a stimulating hands-on nursing role treating a varied emergency caseload, but you’ll also gain exposure to a clinical management function, with the full support of a very dedicated regional support team (clinical and management support provided) plus an excellent induction and ongoing training programme.

As an Out Of Hours veterinary nurse you will make a real difference to our clients by providing high standards of hands-on nursing care for small animal emergency patients including schedule 3 procedures. Your duties will include clinical monitoring, drug administration, care of hospitalised cases, assisting the veterinary surgeon with anaesthesia, surgery and clinical procedures.

Whilst the Senior Veterinary Surgeon will have overall accountability for the clinic management this position also gives you management responsibility for the nursing and reception team. You will take charge of the efficient day to day operation of the clinic and shape the clinical team, ensuring that clinical standards are continually driven upwards and in line with RCVS Emergency Service Clinic (ESC) standards.

Working Pattern
A key part of your role will be managing the clinic’s nursing rota to suit your team’s needs. However, as a rough guide, full time at Vets Now typically means an average of 3 night shifts per week with a share of weekend days. As a Senior Veterinary Nurse your time will be varyingly split between clinical and management duties. You will also attend occasional offsite meetings and management training sessions.

Shift times,are to be confirmed, but are likely to be a share of: Monday to Friday nights from 6.30pm to 8.30am, Saturday night 6pm-9am and Sunday night 6pm to 8.30am), plus a share of weekend day shifts (Saturdays 12noon-6pm, Sundays 9am-6pm) and your share of bank holidays.

Clinic Description
Vets Now Ipswich is due to open summer 2010 to provide an Out Of Hours emergency service on behalf of Member Practices across the region. Based in a modern and friendly private practice, with excellent facilities, the clinic will provide a lovely working environment. You’ll have access to the latest equipment, including a digital x-ray, ECG, I stats, IDEXX machine, Multi parameter monitor and flexible and rigid endoscope.

Who we’re looking for
Our veterinary nurses work as sole charge nurses alongside a qualified veterinary surgeon and a receptionist. In light of this, we ask all our senior vet nurse applicants to have solid small animal work experience (a minimum of six months) within an English speaking practice, and to be listed with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. As a Senior Nurse you will also be confident in your nursing abilities and will have an enthusiasm to develop your management skills.

Your CPD
We’re passionate about developing our people and their skills. You’ll receive clinical skills development and paid CPD through our tailored On-Site Training Programme, a thorough induction including ECC refresh and management training, as well as a very generous CPD allowance to develop your own particular ECC areas of interest.

Your Package
In reflection of the Senior duties you will be rewarded with an attractive salary, with access to our excellent Flexible Benefits package, which can be tailored to meet your individual needs and lifestyle. You’ll also be eligible for our Clinic Bonus Scheme, which for an on target performance can add at least 2.5% of your salary. In addition, we provide a regional allowance in selected locations.

Other lifestyle benefits include generous discounts with a wide range of leading UK and international retailers and the holiday allowance for full time permanent employees is 28 days (pro rata for part time).

Next Steps
If the enjoyment of Emergency and Critical Care, developing you career and management skills, along with our culture, a better work/life balance and the training is appealing then please get in touch!

To apply please click the ”Apply now” button below, or for an informal chat about this or other roles, please call us on 01383 841181.