Head Veterinary Nurse; Maternity Cover - Small Animal

We are a progressive, friendly, and well‑established veterinary hospital committed to delivering exceptional patient care and outstanding client service. Our team is supportive, collaborative, and passionate about what we do. We are looking for an experienced Head Veterinary Nurse to join us on a maternity cover contract and help maintain our high standards during this period.

This is a hands‑on leadership role where you’ll guide and support the nursing team, oversee daily clinical operations, and ensure the smooth running of the practice. You’ll work closely with the wider leadership team to uphold clinical excellence and a positive working environment.

• Lead, mentor and support the nursing team
• Manage rotas, workflow and day‑to‑day clinical operations
• Maintain and develop high standards of patient care
• Support training, CPD and performance development
• Ensure compliance with RCVS standards and practice protocols
• Participate in clinical duties including anaesthesia, inpatient care and nurse clinics

You’ll be confident, organised, and passionate about veterinary nursing, with a natural ability to motivate and support others.

• Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN)
• Experience in a senior or leadership nursing role
• Strong communication and organisational skills
• Commitment to high clinical standards and patient welfare

Our small‑animal Veterinary Hospital is situated in the town of Portishead, and we have been at the heart of the community for over 25 years. Portishead is in North Somerset on the Severn Estuary, less than 10 miles west of Bristol. 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.

We are 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 award, 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 proactive 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 are our branch practices in Clevedon and Pill. Clevedon is open weekdays running Vet and Nurse consultations as well as surgical procedures. Pill is supporting the local community with Vet consultations in the afternoons on weekdays. All OOH work and hospital inpatients are managed at the Portishead hospital. The hospital is also home to a fully equipped dog grooming salon, run by our qualified Dog Groomer.

This role covers 40 hours per week over 5 days. There is a weekend rota and we offer time off in lieu for weekends worked. Bank holidays are also worked on a rota basis, typically one per year per nurse.

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:

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

• Private Medical Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 confidential helpline
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies, including…