Deputy Head Veterinary Nurse - Equine

Donnington Grove Veterinary Group are looking for a Deputy Head Equine Nurse to join their busy referral hospital in Newbury, Berkshire.

This position will support the Head Nurse in overseeing the daily clinical operations of the Equine Nursing Team, Equine Care Assistants and the Yard Assistants.

This role combines advanced clinical nursing responsibilities with leadership responsibilities, staff supervision, training, and operational management. The Deputy Head Nurse ensures the highest standards of patient care, biosecurity, client service, and team performance are consistently maintained.

Our main Hospital has RCVS Tier 3 hospital status and is based in Newbury, which is a thriving town in West Berkshire, with many restaurants and only a 45-minute train journey to London Paddington. Situated on the edge of the North Wessex Downs AONB, it also provides beautiful local countryside for long walks with our canine friends. Having been established for decades, and with two branch practices in Thatcham and Tadley, we have a huge client base which comes with lots of variety in our caseload.

We have facilities for imaging and surgery at any time of day or night. Our equipment includes Digital radiography, digital dental radiography, ultrasound with colour doppler, endoscopy, Enseal, arthroscopy, Operating microscope, microsurgical equipment, slit lamp and tonovet.

Donnington Grove has a high caseload dealing with routine and emergency cases on a daily basis. We are also a training hospital with a number of student Nurses working towards their Level 3 Diploma in Equine Nursing. The ideal candidate needs to be highly organised, with good leadership skills and also a passion for coaching and supporting our next generation of Nurses.

• Qualified Registered Veterinary Nurse with extensive experience of full RVN duties within a busy practice or referral hospital.
• Able to demonstrate leadership or supervisory experience.
• Strong knowledge of equine inpatient care, Neonatal care, critical care, and emergency protocols.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• Confident decision-making ability under pressure.

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
• Increasing holiday allowance based on length of service
• Your birthday as a paid day off

• Enhanced family-friendly policies, including maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental and surrogacy pay
• Private Medical Insurance
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Initiatives focused on employee wellbeing, including discounted gym membership
• Non-accidental injury support

• £550 CPD allowance with 24 hours paid CPD leave pro rata
• Certificate support
• Learning and development opportunities via the IVC Evidensia Academy
• Access to Vetlexicon - our online encyclopaedia provider
• All our Vets & Nurses can apply for research funding
• Infection Prevention and Control Programme
• Quality Improvement Programme

• VDS cover
• RCVS fees

• Pawsome Benefits - reward gateway giving discounts and cashback with 100’s of retailers
• Pension 5% Employee/3% Employer
• Discounted staff pet care

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Up to £35,000 pa DOE