Our client is looking for an experienced hospital-based RVN with a genuine passion for the theatre environment to step into a 12-month maternity cover Senior Theatre Veterinary Nurse role within a busy, well-equipped hospital in East London.
This is a fantastic opportunity for a confident RVN who thrives in a surgical setting and takes real pride in maintaining exceptional anaesthesia and theatre standards. You may already be working at senior level, or perhaps you're an experienced RVN who feels ready to step up and lead. If you're organised, proactive and motivated by clinical excellence, this role offers the chance to take ownership while being fully supported by a strong leadership team.
This is a full-time position, working 40 hours per week across either four or five days. The rota includes a 1:6 weekend rotation with time off in lieu, two bank holidays per year, and inclusion in a last-resort on-call rota approximately 1:10 weeks.
As Senior Theatre RVN, you'll take responsibility for the smooth running of four theatres, ensuring they operate efficiently and to the highest clinical standards. Your duties will include GA sheet audits and pre-GA checklist audits, delivering GA and theatre training, maintaining theatre set-up folders, ensuring surgical kits are properly maintained, organising the theatre day, and troubleshooting anaesthesia cases. You'll oversee surgical stock, order medical air, provide ventilator and ethylene oxide training, deliver endoscope training and manage scope maintenance. You'll also keep theatre SOPs up to date, provide in-house CPD, attend and contribute to leadership meetings, and support the Charge Nurse when required.
The hospital supports both a busy first opinion caseload and a strong internal referral stream from surrounding branches across East, North and Central London. This provides exposure to a diverse range of surgical cases, including advanced orthopaedics, complex soft tissue procedures and minimally invasive surgery. With on-site CT, an in-house laboratory and an experienced medical and surgical team, you'll be working in an environment designed to deliver gold-standard patient care.
You'll join a large, collaborative team of approximately 25 vets, 27 RVNs, 14 student nurses, 7 VCAs and a dedicated front-of-house team. There is also an established management structure, including deputy head nurses, a head nurse, head vet and hospital manager, ensuring you have guidance and support as you settle into the role.
This opportunity would suit an experienced RVN who wants to strengthen their surgical expertise while gaining meaningful leadership experience within a structured hospital environment. It's ideal for someone who values teamwork, high clinical standards and a workplace that genuinely invests in its people.
Salary for this Senior RVN position ranges from £34,000 to £39,000 depending on experience.
Benefits include:
- 6.6 weeks annual leave including bank holidays
- Dedicated annual CPD budget plus up to 2 days' paid CPD leave
- Paid 30-minute lunch breaks
- Access to a private medical healthcare scheme at a reduced rate
- Medical cashback incentives