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The Role

Here at Vale Vets, we are looking for a Head Veterinary Nurse to join our team. The role will include
managing all aspects of the nursing team to ensure excellent teamwork and the highest level of clinical care. Your responsibilities will also include:

• Set standards in terms of professional conduct.
• Encourage team involvement in new projects to ensure the smooth running and continual improvement of the practice.
• Manage the Nursing Team.
• Manage stocking levels.
• Organise training to ensure a high level of nursing care.
• Monitor staff performance & coordinate appraisals.
• Organise/attend meetings.
• Update all current veterinary legislation.
• Clinical coaching.
• Equipment maintenance.
• Fulfil the obligations of the rota, sick cover/on call rota & bank holiday cover.

The rota will include working 32 - 40 hours per week across either 4 or 5 days, as well as a share of weekend days (currently 1:7 as part of the team rota, with TOIL the week after).

The salary for this role will be from £32,000-£38,000 (based on a 40-hour week) depending on experience.

About Us

We are Portishead’s only veterinary hospital with a team of Vets and qualified Nurses who are available 24/7 with round the clock on-site care. We have a certificate holder in ECC and we have Vets at various stages of certificates in medicine, exotics and surgery. We offer a high standard of patient care in a clean and professional working environment, and we are proud to have consistently achieved Tier 3 Hospital Status.

The hospital is well-equipped with various diagnostic and clinical tools, including laparoscopy, endoscopy, ultrasonography, digital radiography (including dental radiography), in-house laboratory, multi-parameter monitoring equipment, and much more!
We have been awarded Gold in the ICC cat friendly clinic awards and the hospital has separate cat and dog waiting rooms for clients, separate inpatient wards for cats / dogs / isolation, and dedicated consulting times during the week for cat-only appointments.

Vale Vets is committed not only to treating illness but also preventing it, and so we run a pro-active Nurse Clinic service, advising owners on preventative health care and nutrition, and offering services such as 2nd vaccinations, weight consultations and senior health checks. We have our own health care plan, which is regularly reviewed to promote the best options for preventative health care.
Running alongside the hospital is our branch practice in Pill, which offers veterinary consultations at various times throughout the week. OOH work, hospital inpatients, and surgical / medical procedures are all managed at the Portishead hospital. The hospital is also home to a fully equipped dog grooming salon ‘Barks and Bubbles’, with two Dog Groomers.

The hospital is staffed with 8 Vets, 7 Veterinary Nurses, 5 Student Nurses and 4 Veterinary Care Assistants. Working alongside the day team we have qualified Night Nurses who provide 24-hour care of our inpatients. We are also a registered Training Practice for student nurses, and a registered EMS centre for student vets from the Langford Veterinary School.
Our support team consists of a Practice Manager committed to customer care, a Reception Manager and 6 receptionists, an Insurance Administrator, Financial Administrator, Pet Loss Administrator and 2 Dog Groomers.

Applicant Requirements

We are looking for an experienced, confident Head Veterinary Nurse to join our friendly team to provide gold standard care for all our clients and patients.

Because our employee’s matter

We recognise that our people are fundamental to the success of our business. Investing in our people, premises and processes is at the heart of what we do. In addition to a competitive base salary, you will benefit from –

Work-life balance

• 6.6 weeks annual leave
• Increasing holiday allowance based on length of service
• Your birthday as a paid day off

Wellbeing

• Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Private Medical Insurance
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Initiatives focused on employee wellbeing, including discounted gym membership
• Non-accidental injury support

Development

• £550 CPD allowance with 3 days paid pro rata
• Learning and development opportunities via the IVC Evidensia Academy
• Access to Vetlexicon – our online encyclopaedia provider
• All our Vets & Nurses can apply for research funding
• Infection Prevention and Control Programme
• Quality Improvement Programme

Professional Memberships

• VDS cover
• RCVS fees

Additional

• Pawsome Benefits – reward gateway giving discounts and cashback with 100’s of retailers
• Pension – 5% Employee/3% Employer
• Discounted staff pet care

As a BAME and LGBTQ+ inclusive employer, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.

If this position is of interest to you then please get in touch.

Any questions before applying?

Speak to Nicola Grant from our recruitment team who would be happy to help you with any questions you have before applying for this role.