Veterinary Nurse; Anaesthesia;

Veterinary Nurse (Anaesthesia)

Posted 22 January 2026 | Salary Grade 5, £28,031 - £31,236 per annum + 6% allowance for weekend working | End date 19 February 2026 |

Location:

Glasgow | Job Type: Technical And Specialist | Reference: 189073

Job Description

Passionate about referral anaesthesia in a fast‑paced hospital environment? We’re seeking a dedicated and compassionate veterinary nurse with a strong interest in referral anaesthesia to join our Small Animal Hospital team.

This role is primarily anaesthesia‑focused, working within a busy referral theatre/treatment area complex alongside specialist clinicians on a wide range of advanced cases. Responsibilities include peri‑anaesthetic care, patient monitoring, analgesia, and recovery nursing. To maintain a broad clinical skillset, the role includes some rotation through key hospital areas and weekend work as part of the nursing rota
. Referral or anaesthesia experience is desirable but not essential —
training, mentorship, and ongoing development are provided. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated nurse looking to develop or further a career in referral anaesthesia.

Why join us?

• 35‑hour flexible working week
• 41 days of leave (including public holidays)
• Competitive pension scheme
• 20% staff discount on veterinary services and products
• CPD allowance and subsidised further education
• A supportive and inclusive working environment
• 24/7 confidential employee support service and wellbeing app
• Exclusive staff discounts from high‑street retailers

• Participation in the Bank Holiday rota is required (with additional pay)
• Weekend working – 1 in 4, with 2 days off during the week.

Interested? We’d love to hear from you! Whether you’re exploring a new direction or ready to take the next step in your nursing career, get in touch for an informal chat:

Email: sah-nu
Phone:
Sharon Smith – 0141 330 5391

Job Purpose

To carry out nursing duties to the highest standard in accordance with hospital systems of work to ensure all animal needs are met and excellent standards are maintained within the Small Animal Hospital. Provide a focus between clients, veterinary surgeons, nursing staff, and students. Contribute to the examination, treatment, and care of both in‑ and out‑patients to facilitate the smooth running of the Hospital.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsible for providing and overseeing the complete nursing care of patients within a busy hospital environment. Prioritising patient care and managing an unpredictable and busy workload. Problem‑solving to ensure the best patient care outcomes.
• Perform advanced nursing skills including monitoring and maintenance of general anaesthesia, radiography, Schedule 3 procedures, dispensing controlled drugs (CD) and maintaining the CD register and operating a range of laboratory, monitoring and diagnostic equipment.
• Perform nursing clinical examinations for in‑patients and for patients arriving for emergency appointments. Provide first aid interventions pending clinician assessment. Recognise deterioration and improvement in patient status and adjust care plan accordingly, communicating changes to the clinician in charge. Disseminate information gathered at daily rounds to team members.
• Communicate with external and internal parties including referring vets, clients, clinical pathology laboratory and the postmortem room. Respond to advice calls and either deal with the call where appropriate or collect the appropriate information and pass it to the relevant clinician. Triage out‑of‑hours emergency calls and make appropriate decisions regarding emergency cases, liaising with the duty vet as required.
• Ensure stock levels of drugs and consumables are maintained, ensuring the best value source is used for drug supplies and adding new items to the computer pricing system. Maintain pharmacy records and Controlled Drug registers.
• Dispense prescribed medications and understand VMD regulations and administration issues for commonly prescribed veterinary medicines including controlled and cytotoxic drugs.
• Ensure hospital equipment and instrumentation are handled correctly, cleaned, and maintained to ensure good working order. Maintain a high…