About the Role
Wanstead Veterinary Hospital is seeking an experienced Senior Registered Veterinary Nurse to take on a leadership position within a well-equipped, forward-thinking practice. You'll bring clinical confidence and natural authority to the team, particularly in emergency and critical care nursing, anaesthesia, and mentoring. This is a full-time position working an average of 40 hours per week, with a 1:6 weekend rotation and up to 3 bank holidays per year.
The hospital is located on the outskirts of urban Essex with excellent transport links: a short walk to a Central Line tube station makes commuting straightforward. Please note there is no on-site parking, so public transport is recommended. You'll have access to fully equipped consulting rooms, a spacious prep and theatre area, dedicated intensive care space, comprehensive in-house laboratory facilities, and a dedicated colleague rest area for breaks.
Key Responsibilities
- Deliver outstanding nursing care and maintain the highest standards of patient welfare across all hospital areas
- Confidently manage emergency and critical care patients, including unstable anaesthetics, triage, blood pressure monitoring, blood transfusions, chest drains, and jugular catheter management
- Assist veterinary surgeons during consultations, surgery, and diagnostics, making full use of Schedule 3 nursing skills
- Lead and support the nursing team, acting as a role model and providing guidance to students and new starters as a Clinical Supervisor
- Coordinate and deliver in-house training and CPD, including emergency crash drills and clinical protocols
- Maintain and audit clinical equipment, controlled drugs, crash trolley readiness, in-house laboratory analysers, and clinical documentation to ensure compliance and best practice
- Support day-to-day hospital operations, including weekend and ad-hoc Charge Nurse duties, contributing to leadership meetings and helping maintain excellent client care across reception and clinical teams
- Demonstrate excellent organisation, communication, and teamwork, with a proactive approach to continuous improvement and quality assurance
Requirements
- Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) qualification
- Proven experience and confidence in emergency and critical care nursing
- Strong anaesthesia knowledge and experience
- Demonstrated leadership capability and mentoring experience
- Excellent communication, organisational, and teamwork skills
- Proactive approach to continuous improvement and quality assurance
Benefits
- Salary: £35,000 to £39,000 (FTE) depending on experience
- 6.6 weeks annual leave including bank holidays (pro-rata if applicable)
- CPD budget every year plus up to 2 days' paid CPD leave annually
- Paid 30-minute lunch breaks
- RCVS and BVNA fees covered
- Private medical insurance scheme available at reduced rate, including medical cashback plan for dental, physiotherapy, optician, and chiropractic fees
- 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme
- Shopping discounts and generous colleague discounts
- Petplan 20% colleague discount
- Relocation assistance where applicable
- Generous colleague introduction reward for introducing vets and RVNs
About the Practice
Wanstead Veterinary Hospital is part of Goddard Veterinary Group, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2022 and now operates 46 branches, three hospitals, and its own nurse training college. The group is owned by VetPartners and takes pride in valuing all colleagues through a forward-looking approach including a Colleague Forum, monthly Town Hall meetings with the board, and all senior managers trained in mental health first aid. Wellness plans are provided for all new starters.
