Key Responsibilities:
• Provision of nursing veterinary care during routine and non-routine veterinary rounds and surgery.
• Provision of nursing support to the pet population without direct support from the Veterinary Surgeon through nurse clinics and health screening.
• Work closely with the Named Veterinary Surgeons (NVS) and Operations Activity Manager (OAM) to ensure the effective co-ordination, delivery and continuous improvement of the animal healthcare programme.
• Development of training material and training of site personnel in veterinary care. This includes but is not limited to training of unit teams in pet health assessments, treatment administration and tasks related to breeding.
• Manage and be accountable for the veterinary suites, laboratory area and consult rooms. Ensuring that they are appropriately equipped, stocked and fit for purpose, operating at maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
• Work cross functionally with Veterinary Services, Unit Operations, Behaviour and Training and Research teams to ensure trials are delivered safely and effectively.
• Drive continuous improvement, share best practice, actively participate in team meetings and initiatives.
Context/ Scope:
The Waltham animal population comprises approximately 200 dogs and 200 cats. The job holder reports to the Veterinary Operations lead and will work within a team of four veterinary nurses and four full time veterinary surgeons. The job holder is expected to communicate effectively within this team environment, as well as within the wider Veterinary Operations and other Waltham teams:
• A Standard working week 37.5 h/week Monday to Friday. The working day is 7.5hrs, and the role holder must be able to be flexible with regard to start and finish times within the hours of 8AM to 6PM.
• Participation in the evening and weekend on-call rota (approx. 1 in 4) is required.
• The job holder is expected to keep the functional technical knowledge necessary to be successful in the role up to date and must complete their annual RCVS CPD requirement, which will be supported by the business.
Qualifications and Experience:
• Registered Veterinary Nurse (RCVS) - Bachelor (Bsc) or Foundation (FdSc) degree in veterinary nursing (Essential).
• Completion of continuous professional development (CPD) courses in anesthesia or animal behaviour and welfare (Desirable).
• GCSE’s in English, Maths and Science at grade C/4 or above.
• Experience of 5 years in small-animal veterinary practice. Ability to demonstrate triage skills and experience working on-call.
• Experience in anaesthesia and sedation techniques.
• Companion animal welfare, behaviour and low stress handling experience.
• Proven effectiveness in cross functional teams and collaborative environments. Being able to demonstrate teamwork Is essential.
• Strong attention to detail and data quality, must be able to follow SOP's and maintain accurate records.