Registered Veterinary Nurse – Small Animal

About the Role

This hands-on first opinion nursing position offers an excellent balance of varied, interesting work within a supportive, experienced team at Highcroft Vets. Working up to 30 hours per week with Saturday mornings only (clinic until 12:30pm) and no out-of-hours cover, you’ll have the flexibility to suit your lifestyle while enjoying a genuine work-life balance. The practice actively emphasises that people are at the heart of everything, and it shows in how they approach flexible working arrangements.

You’ll have the opportunity to use your full skill set across all areas of nursing: from nurse consultations and clinics to surgical and theatre nursing, dispensary and laboratory work, and inpatient care. The team believes in empowering nurses to work to their full potential, assisting vets in surgery, dentals, and all aspects of patient care.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct nurse consultations and lead wellness clinics
• Provide surgical and theatre nursing support
• Manage dispensary operations and in-house laboratory work
• Deliver inpatient care and assist with diagnostic procedures
• Support veterinary surgeons during surgical and dental procedures
• Contribute to the variety of medical and preventative care across two practice locations

Requirements

• Current RVN registration
• Passion for patient care and a collaborative approach to working
• Experience in small animal first opinion practice (preferred)

Benefits

• Time off: 6.6 weeks annual leave, increasing with service, plus your birthday as a paid day off
• Wellbeing: Enhanced family-friendly policies (maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental/surrogacy pay), Private Medical Insurance, Cycle to Work scheme
• Professional development: £550 CPD allowance with 5 days paid pro rata, access to IVC Evidensia Academy, Vetlexicon online resource, eligibility for research funding, Infection Prevention and Control and Quality Improvement programmes
• Professional support: VDS cover and RCVS fees covered
• Financial: 5% Employee/3% Employer pension contribution
• Extras: Pawsome Benefits reward gateway (100s of retail discounts and cashback), discounted staff pet care

About the Practice

Highcroft Vets is a well-established two-branch practice in the Hailsham area, delivering a balanced mix of medical, surgical, and preventative care. The main Hailsham practice (25 London Road) is comprehensively equipped with a large clinical area, dedicated theatre, radiology and dental suites, in-house laboratory, spacious kennels and cattery, and a fenced garden for patient exercise and enrichment. The smaller Polegate branch specialises in wellness clinics, vaccinations, and nursing-led screening programmes, with both vets and nurses rotating between sites to keep cases varied and foster collaboration.

The culture centres on teamwork, open communication, and mutual support. Everyone’s voice is valued—whether through monthly nurse meetings, quarterly practice meetings, or regular one-to-ones. The team celebrates wins through weekly newsletters, a staff shout-out board, and regular social events. Part of the IVC Evidensia group, Highcroft is committed to diversity, equality, inclusion, and belonging, and welcomes applications from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions.