Registered Veterinary Nurse

About the Role

Cherrydown Vets in Basildon is seeking an experienced Registered Veterinary Nurse who thrives in a supportive, team-focused environment. This is a full-time permanent position working standard 8.5-hour shifts (Monday–Friday, plus Saturday rota with TOIL), giving you predictable hours and genuine work-life balance. You’ll be part of a nine-strong nursing team dedicated to delivering gold-standard small animal care in a spacious, modern practice with excellent facilities.

If you’re kind, empathetic, clinically driven, and passionate about utilising your full skill set, this role offers the chance to nurse patients to the highest standards while being genuinely empowered to work to Schedule 3 once trained and confident.

Key Responsibilities

• Patient monitoring: Recording TPRs, administering medications and fluid therapy, and ensuring inpatient welfare including feeding, grooming and exercise
• Surgical support: Theatre preparation, instrument sterilisation, assisting during procedures, and monitoring anaesthesia and recovery
• Schedule 3 procedures: Suturing and dental scaling/cleaning (with training)
• Diagnostics: Blood sampling, urinalysis, laboratory processing, X-rays and ultrasound support
• Client communication: Managing admissions and discharges, discussing treatment plans, and providing emotional support
• Nurse clinics: Leading weight and nutrition, parasite control, dental health, senior pet clinics, and preventative healthcare sessions
• Practice maintenance: Cleaning wards, theatres and consult rooms; ensuring equipment is cleaned and sterilised to highest standards
• Team support: Mentoring SVNs and supporting new team members

Requirements

• Current RCVS registration as a Veterinary Nurse
• Demonstrable passion for small animal nursing and high clinical standards
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work as part of a collaborative team
• Willingness to engage in ongoing professional development

Benefits

• Salary: £28,000–£30,000 depending on experience
• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays and birthday leave
• £500 CPD allowance with 2 dedicated CPD days per year
• RCVS and VDS registration fees paid
• Pension scheme
• Enhanced family-friendly policies including parental leave
• Access to referral-level training and professional development opportunities
• Staff discount on pet care products and services
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Career progression pathways within Linnaeus
• Employee wellbeing programme

About the Practice

Cherrydown Vets Basildon is a large, spacious small animal practice with a fun-loving, family-style team culture centred on kindness, empathy and genuine teamwork. The practice boasts five consult rooms, a dedicated dental suite with dental X-ray, two theatres, X-ray room, large cat ward, and kennels with recovery area—all designed to enable high-quality nursing care. With a planned refurbishment coming next year, the practice continues to invest in its facilities and team.

Part of the Linnaeus group (Mars Veterinary Health), the practice benefits from access to wider clinical networks, professional development programmes, and corporate support whilst maintaining its distinct local identity and welcoming culture.