Registered Veterinary Nurse

About the Role

You'll join Unicorn Vets as a Registered Veterinary Nurse on a full-time, flexible basis. This is a daytime-only role with no on-call requirement; our out-of-hours service is covered by Vets Now. You'll primarily work at our Bassett branch, with occasional shifts at our Fair Oak practice to support continuity across the group. We offer flexible rota patterns within 8 am to 7 pm Monday to Friday, plus Saturday mornings (8:30 am to 12:30 pm) on a shared rota. If you prefer longer days over shorter ones, we can adapt the schedule to suit you.

Unicorn Vets is soon joining the Orchard Vets family, a well-established practice group with over 35 years of reputation for excellence. The team is well equipped with dental radiography, laparoscopy, endoscopy, K-Laser, Vetscan Imagyst, and cryotherapy. You'll be supported by a Director of Practice and a dedicated team including Veterinary Surgeons, RVNs, Student Veterinary Nurses, Animal Care Assistants, and reception staff. We're currently supporting team members completing Emergency and Critical Care and Advanced Veterinary Nursing certificates, reflecting our commitment to ongoing learning.

This is an excellent opportunity if you're interested in developing nurse clinics and specialist services. You'll work with clinical freedom and case continuity, with full backing from the wider team.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct nurse clinics including six-month health checks, vaccinations, and nail clips
• Provide inpatient care and support nursing care for first opinion cases
• Manage anaesthesia and theatre work
• Support veterinary surgeons with an interesting and diverse caseload
• Contribute to clinical standards and ongoing development of patient care
• Collaborate with the clinical team to deliver high-quality nursing care and excellent client experiences

Requirements

• RCVS registration as a Veterinary Nurse
• Experience working in clinical practice with growing confidence in medical and surgical nursing
• Strong communication skills and ability to build positive relationships with clients and colleagues
• Good organisational skills and ability to manage workload effectively
• Proactive approach to learning, reflection, and continuous improvement
• Confident, motivated team player who enjoys delivering high standards of care

Benefits

• Salary up to £33,000 depending on experience
• 6.6 weeks annual leave plus birthday off, with increasing allowance based on length of service
• Enhanced family-friendly policies including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, and surrogacy pay
• Private Medical Insurance
• £550 CPD allowance plus 24 hours paid leave for professional development
• Certificate support for ongoing nursing qualifications
• RCVS and VDS fees covered
• Pension scheme
• Healthcare Cash Plan and Cycle to Work scheme
• Discounted veterinary care
• Voluntary benefits including Green Cars salary sacrifice scheme and access to retail discounts and cashback
• Clear career pathways into Senior Nurse, Referral, leadership roles, and clinical supervisor or mentor positions
• Ongoing learning supported by experienced colleagues and practice teams

About the Practice

Unicorn Vets has been delivering veterinary care in Southampton for over 20 years across three surgeries: Park, Fair Oak, and Ashurst. The team comprises friendly, highly experienced veterinary surgeons supported by dedicated nurses and receptionists committed to high-quality service. Our aim is to ensure clients and their pets receive excellent care and attention.

We are now joining Orchard Vets, an established practice group with a reputation for excellence spanning over 35 years. This expansion brings access to advanced in-house facilities and local specialist referral support through IVC, while maintaining the warm, community-focused approach our clients know and trust.