Lead Wards Registered Veterinary Nurse

About the Role

London Vet Specialists, part of Linnaeus, is seeking an experienced Registered Veterinary Nurse to join their multi-disciplinary referral hospital in Hammersmith as Lead Wards RVN. This is a permanent full-time position offering an exciting opportunity to lead inpatient care and wards development as the team continues to grow. You'll work primarily in a clinical capacity within the wards and ICU, reporting to the Head of Nursing Services.

Your work will combine hands-on clinical nursing with leadership responsibilities. You'll focus on wards nursing and inpatient care across all hospital disciplines, maintaining clinical quality standards for IV catheters, fluid therapy, feeding tubes, central lines, urinary catheters, wound drains, tracheostomy tubes, nutritional management, anaesthesia recovery, physiotherapy and critical care nursing. Your area of special interest and expertise will be recognised and prioritised within the wards department, though you may occasionally support other areas as needed. An induction period will involve rotating through hospital services to understand workflow and responsibilities.

You'll join a Nursing Leadership Team of six referral-experienced RVNs, including the Head of Nursing Services, Patient Flow Coordinator, Lead Oncology RVN, Lead Theatre RVN, Lead Twilight RVN, and Lead Learning and Development RVN. Together, you'll drive the overall direction, development and leadership of the nursing team, which comprises RVNs, SVNs, patient care assistants and theatre technicians.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality, sustainable patient care in the wards and ICU, and lead your team to do the same
• Prioritise inpatient care and implement nursing care plans to ensure patient comfort and safety during investigations, hospitalisation and surgery
• Manage infectious cases and educate team members about infectious diseases, zoonotic diseases and barrier nursing protocols
• Provide line management, recruitment, performance management and rota coordination for wards, ICU and multi-disciplinary team members
• Coordinate with the Lead Twilight RVN on 24-hour wards management, including SOP development, protocol implementation and policy updates
• Maintain accurate record keeping, particularly anaesthetic and hospitalisation records in SmartFlow
• Ensure equipment maintenance and servicing within the department
• Facilitate effective communication within surgery and anaesthesia teams and conduct team briefings and meetings
• Work with Lead Nurses, Team Leaders and Head of Nursing Services to develop skills matrices for wards, ICU and OOH nursing requirements
• Manage stock and coordinate with pharmacy and purchasing teams
• Participate in team reflections on incidents and near misses, including Halo reporting, to continuously improve patient care and safety
• Support the hospital's International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) cat-friendly standards and Dogs Trust/British Veterinary Behaviour Association dog-friendly standards
• Participate in hospital committees such as Sustainability, Culture and Wellbeing or Dog/Cat-Friendly initiatives
• Maintain competence in general nursing areas and participate in role swaps to preserve broad nursing capabilities

Requirements

• Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) qualification
• Minimum 2 years experience in a referral hospital
• Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care (advantageous)
• Leadership and team management experience
• Strong clinical knowledge of wards and ICU nursing standards
• Experience with record-keeping systems (SmartFlow experience valued)

Benefits

• Competitive salary of £37,500 to £41,500 depending on experience
• Permanent full-time contract
• Access to Linnaeus mental health support including Mental Health First Aiders and confidential Employee Assistance Programme
• Opportunity to work within a respected multi-disciplinary referral hospital with leading clinicians
• Role within an established nursing leadership team
• Professional development and recognition of your area of special interest

About the Practice

London Vet Specialists is part of Linnaeus, a forward-thinking partnership of primary care and referral veterinary practices across the UK and Ireland. Linnaeus brings together highly-respected clinicians united by a commitment to excellence and a shared purpose: A Better World for Pets. The group works across all fields of veterinary medicine, including small animal, farm and equine.

London Vet Specialists operates a multi-disciplinary referral hospital in Hammersmith with a focus on delivering outstanding patient care. The practice is accredited as both a cat-friendly clinic (supporting ISFM standards) and dog-friendly clinic (supporting Dogs Trust and BVBA standards). The nursing team is led by experienced leadership and supports a comprehensive range of specialisms and emergency and critical care services.