An exciting opportunity has opened at London Vet Specialists for enthusiastic Registered Veterinary Nurses to join our expanding team to care for our inpatients overnight in our new multidisciplinary hospital in Hammersmith in Spring 2024. Previous referral experience is not essential, though experience in an OOH/ night-time role would be advantageous.
Company profile
London Vet Specialists originated as a boutique small animal referral centre in Belsize Park and in Spring 2024, will start a new chapter with a major expansion and relocation to a new state-of-the-art site in Hammersmith, West London.
The hospital boasts an incredible location on the banks of the river Thames and nestled within the bustling and thriving Hammersmith & Fulham neighbourhood. We currently have specialists in multiple disciplines including soft-tissue surgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology, anaesthesia, cardiology, dermatology & diagnostic imaging and will be additionally incorporating neurology, oncology, orthopaedic surgery & emergency and critical care.
Linnaeus is a forward-thinking partnership of highly respected primary care and referral veterinary practices across the UK and Ireland, comprising some of the best clinicians in the profession. Linnaeus invest in quality practices who put patient care at the heart of everything they do. Together we provide a growing community of like-minded veterinary professionals who are passionate about what they do.
Role overview
The Night-Focused RVN will work collaboratively with the Head of Nursing Services (HoNS), Lead Nurses, Clinical Director, Clinicians and Interns across the hospital to ensure the efficient delivery of outstanding patient care overnight.
Your responsibilities will include the provision of high standards of patient and client care, wards nursing across all disciplines, patient triage, the handling, maintenance & care of equipment, assisting with urgent procedures, monitoring of sedation and anaesthesia, accurate record keeping & effective communication and teamwork. You will work enthusiastically with the nursing and night teams to help maintain a happy and efficient working environment.
Your work will be prioritised overnight to provide care for the inpatients of each service. Some daytime shifts will be required for training purposes, such as the initial induction period and keeping in touch (KIT) days within the surgery and anaesthesia departments.
As part of the night team, this role will initially focus on providing care to our inpatients, though responsibilities may extend in the future to an out-of-hours emergency service as our hospital grows. The initial night pattern will consist of a rolling period of 5 consecutive nights on a 9pm-9am shift followed by 10 days off, averaging to approximately 30-hours per week.
Key responsibilities
- Provision of a high and sustainable quality of patient care, primarily overnight in the wards and ICU.
- Demonstrate an excellent work ethic and capability in all nursing duties, including a high level of hygiene and the ability to recognise and undertake relevant actions with regards to infection control.
- Prioritise inpatient care and the implementation of nursing care plans.
- Ensure the comfort and safety of patients undergoing investigations and hospitalisation.
- As a cat-friendly clinic, you will support the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) cat-friendly standards across the hospital.
- As a dog-friendly clinic, you will support the Dogs Trust and British Veterinary Behaviour Association (BVBA) dog-friendly standards across the hospital.
- Ensure accurate record keeping is undertaken, especially regarding anaesthetic and hospitalisation records.
- Assist with stock management and co-ordinate with the pharmacy & purchasing assistant and day teams.
- Work closely with the Lead Nurses and HoNS to highlight any issues or concerns that may arise.
- Participate in team briefings and meetings to ensure effective and efficient communication.
- Under the direction of the clinicians, contact and liaise with clients to provide/ receive patient updates.
- Use VetSafe reporting to reflect on incidents or near misses where patient care can be improved.
- Seek opportunities to maintain competence in all areas of nursing to ensure a strong level of general nursing capabilities are achieved. Where suitable take part in keeping in touch (KIT) days to preserve this competence.
Benefits
- Annual & Birthday Leave
- VDS Fees Paid
- External CPD Funded
- Extensive Free Online Linnaeus CPD Program
- Career Progression Opportunities
- Staff Discount Schemes
- Life Assurance
- Enhanced Sickness Pay
- Enhanced Equal Family Leave
- E-car Salary Sacrifice Scheme
- Employer Contribution Pension Scheme
- Recruitment Referral Reward Scheme
- Employee Assistance Program
- Eyecare Voucher Scheme
- Generous Staff Social Calendar
- Free Annual Flu Jab
- Cycle-to-Work Scheme
We are proud to be Linnaeus, part of Mars
At Linnaeus, we are committed to supporting the physical and mental health of all our Associates. We have an amazing team of Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) across our practices and central support office in addition to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme which is available for everyone.
Linnaeus is a forward-thinking group of highly respected primary care and specialist referral practices in the UK and Ireland. Being family owned and part of Mars Veterinary Health, the largest veterinary company in the world, allows us to focus on advancing the veterinary profession to provide industry-leading pet care and unique career opportunities for our people.
Why Linnaeus?
- We pride ourselves in offering high-quality excellence of service and clinical care for our clients and their pets
- We lead on sustainability and collectively drive positive change for people, pets and the planet
- We prioritise your mental health and wellbeing – valuing equity, diversity and inclusion
- We support your personal and professional development with best-in-class career frameworks and training programmes. We will empower and support you to grow your career from day one.
We team up within our Mars family in partnership for a stronger future.
Linnaeus is an equal-opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. We treat each other fairly and equitably and we are committed to fostering a culture that is inclusive and diverse for all our Associates.
At Linnaeus, A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS starts with a better world for our people.