Lead Registered Veterinary Nurse

About the Role

This is a Lead RVN position at Village Vet Winchmore Hill, part of the Linnaeus group. You'll spend approximately 90-95% of your time delivering clinical nursing care and supporting your team of 6 RVNs and 2 PCAs. Working full-time on a 42-hour week with shifts between 8am-4.30pm, 9.30am-6pm, or 12pm-8.30pm, you'll share the Saturday rota and cover one bank holiday per year. Your role bridges hands-on nursing excellence with light leadership responsibilities, supporting the Clinical Director, Practice Manager, and Clinical Nursing Manager to deliver high-quality patient care.

You'll be accountable for line management of allocated nursing team members, recruitment and induction support, and contributing to the financial health of the practice through effective resource management. This is a chance to lead by example, champion a culture of continuous improvement, and develop your team in a collaborative, growth-focused environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake all general nursing duties, maintaining accurate clinical records including anaesthetic sheets, hospitalisation forms, and clinical notes
• Lead and deliver high-quality patient care, utilising nursing skills and delegating appropriately across the clinical team
• Ensure clinical standards are maintained, including infection control protocols and equipment maintenance
• Provide direct line management to allocated nursing team members, including performance conversations, mid-year and end-of-year reviews
• Support recruitment and induction of new nursing staff alongside the Clinical Nursing Manager
• Actively participate in quality improvement initiatives, incident reporting, and clinical audits
• Contribute to CPD and encourage team development, sharing learnings with colleagues
• Build strong client relationships, obtain informed consent, and support the practice's Net Promoter Score
• Communicate clearly with the wider team, cascade updates from leadership, and support associate wellbeing
• Support stock management and ensure correct charging for services and consumables

Requirements

• Current RVN registration with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
• Proven experience as a veterinary nurse with demonstrated leadership potential or previous team-leading experience
• Strong clinical knowledge and nursing skills appropriate to your qualification
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across teams
• Commitment to continued professional development and clinical standards
• Understanding of health and safety, GDPR, and regulatory compliance

Benefits

• Attractive salary up to £40,000 depending on experience
• Full-time permanent position with flexible shift patterns
• Shared Saturday rota and one bank holiday per year
• Access to CPD and in-house training opportunities
• Membership of the Linnaeus group, part of Mars Veterinary Health, with access to wider professional development
• Support for wellbeing and career development through regular performance reviews and 1-to-1 conversations
• Exposure to quality improvement initiatives including RCVS Practice Standards Scheme and ISFM cat friendly clinic accreditation

About the Practice

Village Vet Winchmore Hill is part of Linnaeus, a forward-thinking partnership of primary care and referral veterinary practices across the UK and Ireland. Linnaeus is committed to excellence in patient care and operates under the Mars Veterinary Health group. The practice provides high-quality small animal veterinary services and is actively involved in quality improvement and clinical standards development. The team at Winchmore Hill includes clinical leadership (Clinical Director, Practice Manager), nursing leadership (Clinical Nursing Manager), and a dedicated team of RVNs and support staff.

Linnaeus carefully selects practices that meet their high standards and provides a supportive community of like-minded veterinary professionals passionate about delivering excellent care and advancing the profession.