Registered Veterinary Nurse – Small Animal

About the Role

This is an exciting part-time position offering genuine flexibility without the usual OOH commitments. You’ll work 20-30 hours per week across two days or three days, with shifts running 8am–6:30pm. The team has completely removed out-of-hours work from this role—weekend commitments are limited to just a 1:4 Saturday morning rota. It’s the kind of arrangement that lets you maintain a real life outside the practice.

You’ll be based at Acorn Veterinary Surgery’s main site on Portland Road in Hove, a vibrant seafront community just a 5-minute walk from the beach and 10 minutes by car from the South Downs. The practice operates two well-equipped sites (Portland Road and Hangleton), served by a team of 4 vets and 7 nurses working collaboratively across both locations.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver nursing consultations and manage first-opinion cases across the full spectrum of small animal medicine
• Provide anaesthetic support for surgical and dental procedures
• Manage in-patient care and monitoring
• Develop specialist skills in your chosen area of expertise (dental, theatre, medicine, or other interests)
• Contribute to a collaborative, supportive nursing team across both Hove practices
• Uphold RCVS-accredited standards of care and welfare

Requirements

• Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) qualification
• Experience in small animal first-opinion practice
• Professional commitment to high standards of patient care and animal welfare
• Ability to work collaboratively within a close-knit team

Benefits

• Work-life balance: 6.6 weeks annual leave plus an additional paid day off for your birthday; leave allowance increases with length of service
• Wellbeing support: Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and surrogacy pay; private medical insurance; cycle to work scheme; discounted gym membership; non-accidental injury support
• Professional development: £550 annual CPD allowance with 24 hours paid CPD leave; certificate support; learning via IVC Evidensia Academy; free access to Vetlexicon online encyclopaedia; research funding available; Infection Prevention & Control Programme and Quality Improvement Programme
• Professional memberships: VDS cover and RCVS fees paid
• Additional perks: Pawsome Benefits reward gateway with discounts and cashback; pension scheme (5% employee, 3% employer); discounted staff pet care

About the Practice

Acorn Veterinary Surgery is a thriving 2-site practice in Hove with modern, state-of-the-art facilities including an in-house laboratory, digital radiography, ultrasound, digital dental X-ray, and operating theatre. The practice holds RCVS accreditation and is part of IVC Evidensia. A passionate team of 4 veterinary surgeons and 7 nurses work across the Portland Road main site and the Hangleton branch practice, united by a culture of collaboration where every voice is valued and supported.