Veterinary Nurse – Part Time – Fixed Term

About the Role

You’ll be joining Vets Now’s Cheltenham emergency clinic as a Registered Veterinary Nurse on a nine-month fixed-term contract (July 2026 onwards). This part-time position offers a clearly defined working pattern across a rotating 6-week cycle, meaning you’ll have genuine predictability alongside exposure to the variety that emergency and critical care nursing demands.

The nursing team here forms the clinical backbone of the service—you’ll be involved in triage, surgical support, anaesthesia monitoring, and in-patient care. Vets Now operates 60+ out-of-hours clinics and two 24/7 pet emergency hospitals across the UK, so you’ll be part of a larger, supportive network while working in your local Cheltenham clinic.

Key Responsibilities

• First aid assessment and advice—both telephone triage and in-clinic care
• Critical care nursing: management and monitoring of major body systems, in-patient trend monitoring, physiotherapy, pain assessment, and wound/dressing care
• Diagnostic procedures—confident to perform basic diagnostics independently where required
• Support surgical and anaesthetic procedures within the ECC environment
• Contribute to maintaining high clinical standards across the clinic

Requirements

• RCVS registered for a minimum of six months
• Experience with emergency and critical care caseloads (advantageous but not essential for the right candidate)
• Committed to maintaining high clinic standards and animal welfare
• Genuine passion for emergency pet care and client communication

Benefits

• Salary: Up to £35,000 pro rata depending on experience
• Leave: 7 weeks annual leave (pro rata), plus your birthday as a paid day off
• Professional development: £1,125 CPD allowance plus 20 paid CPD hours annually; RCVS fees paid; support for Vets Now’s recognised ECC certificate
• Health & wellbeing: Private medical insurance, enhanced sick pay, enhanced maternity pay
• Financial: UK Standard Pension (5% employee/3% employer), death in service benefit of two times annual salary
• Extras: Up to 50% discounted staff pet care, Reward Gateway giving discounts and cashback with hundreds of retailers

Working Pattern

This role operates on a fixed 6-week rotating rota:

• Week 1: Monday & Tuesday, 19:00–08:30
• Week 2: Saturday 12:00–19:30, Sunday 08:30–19:30
• Week 3: Monday, Tuesday & Sunday, 19:00–08:30
• Week 4: Monday & Thursday, 19:00–08:30
• Week 5: Friday 19:00–08:30, Saturday 19:00–09:00, Sunday 19:00–08:30
• Week 6: Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, 19:00–08:30
• Plus a fair share of bank holiday shifts

About the Practice

Vets Now is the UK’s leading provider of emergency pet care, operating 60+ dedicated out-of-hours clinics and two 24/7 pet emergency hospitals serving over 1,700 veterinary practices. The organisation is committed to flexible working and genuinely develops its nursing team through recognised ECC training, structured CPD, and clear career pathways.

The Cheltenham clinic is part of this larger network, meaning you’ll have access to peer support, shared learning opportunities, and industry-leading emergency and critical care standards. Vets Now is a disability-confident employer and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences.