Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN)

About the Role

Kennington practice is a busy first-opinion small animal clinic in the heart of South London, looking to strengthen its nursing team with a second full-time RVN. This is a 4-day week position with alternating Mondays and Fridays off, plus a 1:4 branch rota on Saturdays and 1:10 Saturdays at Stone Lion Hospital in Wimbledon, with one bank holiday per year covered there as well. There are no on-call requirements—your out-of-hours support is handled by Stone Lion 24-hour Hospital.

You’ll be working across a two-storey practice alongside a senior vet (keen on surgery), an associate vet, a senior RVN, and trainee nurses who contribute real energy to the team. As part of your induction, you’ll spend a day with the Stone Lion team to prepare for your first Sunday shift. The practice benefits from Stone Lion’s integral OOH support when Kennington closes or if patients need referral for advanced treatment.

Situated just 10 minutes from The Oval and 8 minutes from Kennington Underground (Northern line), the practice sits in one of London’s best-kept secret neighbourhoods—perfect if you want city accessibility with a quieter vibe.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, continually improving nursing care across the practice and branch location
• Assist veterinary surgeons in theatre and during consultations as required
• Maintain comprehensive and accurate records for all hospitalised patients
• Ensure excellent comfort and welfare standards for all animals in the practice’s care
• Manage equipment cleaning, packing, sterilisation, and correct storage protocols
• Maintain stock levels of drugs, diets, and consumables; liaise with suppliers as necessary
• Support reception duties including friendly and efficient client handling in person, by email, and telephone
• Contribute to induction and training of new staff members
• Provide clinical supervision and mentoring to student nurses
• Foster a respectful and collaborative team environment

Requirements

• Current RVN registration with the RCVS
• Strong multitasking and communication skills
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, two-storey practice environment
• Team player mentality with a collaborative approach
• Experience in small animal nursing (level not specified; all experience levels considered)

Benefits

• Competitive salary: £32,000–£35,000 depending on experience and progression potential
• 6.6 weeks annual leave including bank holidays
• Annual CPD budget plus up to 2 days’ paid CPD leave per year
• Paid 30-minute lunch breaks
• Opportunity to join private medical healthcare scheme at reduced rate with medical cashback incentives

About the Practice

Kennington is part of Goddard Veterinary Group, an established and expanding business that has grown significantly since its founding in 1952. The group now operates 44 neighbourhood practices across London, three 24-hour hospitals (including Stone Lion), their own nursing college, and an expanding contact centre. Goddard is known for prioritising staff wellbeing—over 20% of employees have been with the group for 10+ years, and the company maintains strong 5-star employee reviews on Indeed.

The group’s culture includes Mental Health First Aid training for senior managers, Wellness Plans for new starters, a Colleague Forum to gather staff input, and regular virtual Town Hall meetings. Goddard is actively investing in practice refurbishments and equipment upgrades while developing innovative support systems like their own contact centre to ease pressure on clinic receptions. Working with Goddard offers access to London’s attractions and a forward-thinking organisation with genuine commitment to both clinical excellence and team care.