Registered Veterinary Nurse - Equine

About the Role

Donnington Grove Veterinary Group is looking for a Registered Veterinary Nurse to join its equine service in Newbury. This is a busy and varied role within a large equine hospital and ambulatory practice, supporting first opinion, referral and emergency work.

You will be nursing a diverse caseload that includes sports and leisure horses, racehorses and foals. The team is made up of colleagues at different experience levels, from pre-trainees through to fully qualified RVNs, alongside dedicated yard and theatre support teams, creating a setting that encourages collaboration, mentoring and development.

The rota is rolling and averages 39 hours per week. Shifts are 8.5 hours long, scheduled between 6 am and 8 pm and include an hour unpaid lunch. You will also take part in the night and weekend rota, with time off in lieu on the following days so the average working week remains 39 hours.

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out Schedule 3 procedures such as stomach tubing, IV and IM injections, and catheter placement
• Monitor and care for inpatients, including regular checks and observations
• Support colic assessments, colic case management and patient discharge
• Administer medications and manage fluid therapy, including setting up IV fluids
• Provide foal care, including administering drugs and oral fluids
• Milk mares when required
• Manage isolation cases and maintain infection control
• Assist in theatre as a circulating nurse and by scrubbing in for surgical procedures
• Carry out bandage changes and wound care
• Support diagnostic imaging in practice and occasionally on ambulatory visits
• Assist with laboratory work such as running samples and faecal testing

Requirements

• Registration as a Veterinary Nurse with the RCVS
• Experience in clinical practice
• Growing confidence in medical and surgical nursing
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build positive relationships with clients and colleagues
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage workload effectively
• A proactive approach to learning, reflection and continuous improvement
• Horse handling experience is essential
• Some knowledge of foals and racehorses is preferred
• An interest in becoming a clinical coach is desirable but not essential

Benefits

• Salary up to £30,743 DOE
• 6.6 weeks annual leave plus your birthday off
• Holiday allowance increases with length of service
• Enhanced family friendly policies, including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Private Medical Insurance
• Healthcare Cash Plan and Cycle to Work scheme
• £550 CPD allowance plus 24 hours paid leave
• Certificate support
• RCVS and VDS fees covered
• Pension scheme
• Discounted veterinary care
• Voluntary benefits including Green Cars salary sacrifice and access to retailer discounts and cashback

About the Practice

Donnington Grove Veterinary Group is a leading equine, farm and small animal veterinary practice based in Newbury. It has separate departments for horse, small animal and large animal work, and the practice area covers parts of Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

The equine service is part of inspiring vet care, described in the listing as the UK’s number one vet care provider. The practice facilities include a full surgical suite, advanced diagnostic imaging with MRI, CT and bone scan, plus an on-site laboratory.