Deputy Head Nurse – Small Animal
IVC Evidensia – Woking, England, United Kingdom
We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Deputy Head Nurse to join our friendly team. The role is full‑time (40 hours per week) with flexible hours: either four long days or five shorter days, plus a 1:5 Saturday rota (8:00‑2:00) compensated as TOIL.
About the Practice
Kingswood Vets is a well‑established local practice. We moved to a new purpose‑built hospital premises in 2018. The facility includes 4 consult rooms, 2 theatres, dental and imaging rooms, separate dog and cat wards, and high‑end equipment such as multiparameter monitors, digital dental radiography, hot‑air warming devices, syringe drivers.
We run a mix of well‑insured clients who value gold‑standard care and also support the RSPCA and other charity work.
Key Duties
* Assist the Head Nurse in managing the nursing team, supporting when necessary with general nursing duties; ensuring efficient running of all surgical areas.
* Demonstrate excellent work protocol in all nursing duties including theatre practice, lab techniques, assisting veterinary surgeons with anaesthesia; maintain high hygiene standards and infection control.
* Dispense drugs safely and manage pharmaceuticals in compliance with legislation; calculate drug doses and prepare drugs as prescribed.
* Daily running of clinical procedures; ensure all surgical cases are dealt with timely and prevent unnecessary delays.
* Work closely with the Head Nurse, vets, and non‑surgical team; attend regular meetings to ensure all areas work effectively together.
* Ensure patient records are completed accurately and that all patient‑care instructions are followed by the nursing team.
* Ensure the nursing team is aware of their roles and objectives; provide support, training, CPD and supervision to meet required standards.
* Act as a Clinical Coach; support planning of student tutorials and training as needed.
* Discern staff motivation, team working, learning styles and methods of assessing employee performance.
* Assist the Head Nurse in regular performance reviews and update training documents or competency checklists.
* Promote the practice and group policies; effectively manage any performance issues.
Benefits
* 6.6 weeks annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays); increasing allowance based on length of service.
* Your birthday is a paid day off.
* Private medical insurance.
* Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 confidential helpline.
* Enhanced family‑friendly policies including maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and surrogacy pay.
* Initiatives focused on employee wellbeing.
Professional development:
* £550 CPD allowance and 24 hours paid CPD leave pro‑rata.
* Certificate support.
* Learning and development via the IVC Evidensia Academy.
* Access to Vetlexicon online encyclopaedia.
* Research funding for all vets and nurses.
* Infection Prevention and Control Programme.
* Quality Improvement Programme.
Professional memberships:
* VDS cover.
* RCVS fees.
Colleague benefits:
* Company pension scheme with company contribution.
* Cycle to Work scheme and Green Cars Scheme to support greener commute.
* Voluntary benefits – flexible choice of benefits package.
* Discounts/cashback with hundreds of retailers.
* Discounted treatment for own pets at an IVC Evidensia practice.
Salary
£0‑£0 a year – Up to £37,000 per annum (DOE).
Additional Information
Artificial Intelligence tools may be used in parts of the hiring process; final decisions are made by humans. For more information about data processing, please contact us.
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