Registered Veterinary Nurse – Night Role (Out-of-Hours ECC)

Vets4Pets Colchester Referral Hospital

Salary: £33,000 – £35,000 per annum (28hrs/week, annualised)
 
Work Pattern: 5 nights on / 10 nights off – true work-life balance with long breaks

Accommodation available during working shifts: If you are not based local to Colchester

We're thrilled to launch our brand-new, advanced clinician-led 24/7 Emergency and Critical Care Service from April 2026 at our purpose-built Colchester Referral Hospital. To deliver exceptional overnight patient care, we're expanding our existing highly skilled night clinical team by seeking confident, experienced Registered Veterinary Nurses ready to step into a rewarding, autonomous night focussed role.

Join a progressive, multi-disciplinary referral team where you'll own complex overnight cases, work alongside seasoned RVN’s, advanced and residency trained ECC vets to make a real difference working with emergency, critical, medical, and surgical cases.

Why experienced RVNs choose our night team

• Outstanding rota for life outside work — 5 nights on (mix of 7pm–7am / 8pm–8am shifts) followed by 10 full nights off → only ~1,460 hours per year (~28 hours/week averaged) – perfect for family, travel, study, or side interests
• Autonomy & advanced responsibility — Lead overnight ECC monitoring, complex case management, advanced anaesthesia/recovery, emergency response, and handover to the day team
• Referral-level caseload & facilities — Work in a state-of-the-art hospital with cutting-edge diagnostics, ICU and continuous high quality inpatient care
• Career-defining development — Build leadership, ECC expertise, and referral confidence in a supportive, learning-focused environment with funded CPD
• Extra earning potential — Optional paid extra twilight shifts for holiday cover
• Relocation-friendly — Optional on-site accommodation available during your 5 working nights if you're not local

What you'll be doing

• Take full ownership of overnight critical, medical & surgical inpatients
• Perform advanced nursing procedures, medication rounds, and post-op monitoring with confidence
• Respond swiftly and professionally to emergencies and incoming referrals
• Maintain precise records, pricing, escalation notes & seamless handovers
• Keep clinical areas spotless, stocked, and handover-ready
• Contribute ideas to protocols, improvements, and overnight team training

We're looking for

• RCVS-registered RVN with strong ECC/medical/surgical experience
• Confident independent decision-maker who knows when to escalate
• Calm, proactive, and resourceful under pressure
• Excellent communicator & true team player
• Passionate about evidence-based care, animal welfare, and personal growth

Our team & hospital at a glance

• 30 Veterinary Surgeons | 19 RVNs | 5 SVN | 10 VCAs | dedicated support teams
• 20+ years of consistent investment in facilities, protocols & people
• Close collaboration with first-opinion practices for seamless patient, client and referring vet journeys

Rewards & benefits

• £33,000–£35,000 annualised salary (competitive for the rota & referral level)
• Pension scheme
• Life assurance (4 × salary)
• Funded CPD + RCVS & BVA memberships
• Generous employee discounts (Pets at Home, Groom Room, Vets4Pets)
• Structured performance reviews & long-term progression in referral/nursing pathways

If you're a skilled, proactive RVN who thrives on night autonomy, referral complexity, and genuine work-life balance, this is your opportunity to join a talented, supportive team in one of the region's leading referral hospitals.

Ready to take the next step in your referral career? Apply now or arrange a confidential chat – we'd love to hear from you.  [email protected] Online application link available

All applications and discussions are treated in strict confidence. We look forward to welcoming experienced night stars to our growing ECC service! 🐾

Location: CO3 8PB

We take our inspiration from pets in embracing people from all walks of life, and we value, respect and celebrate difference. We encourage our people to be their best selves so that we can create a better world for Pets, our Planet, and People. Our ambition is to reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, and we are intentional in addressing and removing barriers to create opportunities for the exceptional talent and potential in our communities. Even if your skills and experience don’t perfectly align, if you think you can make a unique contribution through your values and behaviours, we want to hear from you!