Head Equine Veterinary Nurse

About the Role

This is a full-time Head Veterinary Nurse role within Donnington Grove Vets, a large equine hospital and ambulatory practice in Newbury. The practice provides first opinion, referral and emergency services, and the caseload includes sports and leisure horses, racehorses and foals.

You’ll take senior clinical and professional leadership for the nursing team, with responsibility for the nursing standards, clinical governance and quality improvement activity across the practice. The role sits within a collaborative environment that includes colleagues at different experience levels, plus dedicated yard and theatre support teams.

The working pattern is 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with shifts between 8 am and 8:30 pm and a one-hour lunch break. There is no weekend work, although participation in the OOH rota when required is essential, including summer bank holidays and Christmas/New Year.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide senior clinical and professional leadership for the nursing team
• Oversee all nursing aspects of the practice and support high-quality patient and client care
• Set and maintain nursing standards across the team
• Lead clinical governance and quality improvement activity
• Develop a capable, confident nursing team
• Work with the wider practice leadership team on culture, performance and ways of working
• Act as a go-to person for the nursing team and oversee the ECA and Yard Team
• Cover rotas, hold one-to-one meetings and lead practice standards
• Assist vets with queries and support students with admin duties
• Carry out daily drug ordering, equipment maintenance and RPS duties for scintigraphy and radiography
• Provide clinical work as required

Requirements

• Registered Veterinary Nurse registration with the RCVS
• Experience in clinical practice with advanced medical and surgical nursing skills
• Proven experience of leading, mentoring and developing nursing teams
• Strong understanding of clinical governance, quality improvement and professional standards
• Excellent communication, leadership and organisational skills
• Ability to handle challenging conversations when required

Benefits

• Salary up to £40,000 DOE
• 6.6 weeks annual leave
• Extra annual leave for your birthday
• Additional holiday accrual with length of service
• Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Private Medical Insurance
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• Cycle to Work scheme
• £550 CPD allowance plus 24 hours paid leave
• RCVS and VDS fees covered
• Pension scheme
• Discounted veterinary care
• Voluntary benefits, including Green Cars salary sacrifice scheme and retailer discounts and cashback
• Structured leadership pathways through the Nurse Academy
• Career development into wider practice leadership roles

About the Practice

Donnington Grove Veterinary Group is based in Newbury and is described as a leading equine, farm and small animal practice. The group has separate departments for horse, small animal and large animal work, and the practice area straddles the borders of Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

Donnington Grove Vets is presented as part of inspiring vet care, which is described as the UK’s number one vet care provider and trusted with the care of over 2 million animals.