Referral Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) – Twilight Position

Location: Wear Referrals, County Durham, TS21 2ES
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Twilight position – 2pm to 2am, rolling rota of 4 shifts on, 8 shifts off* Average 35 hours per week.

Join our specialist referral nursing team

Are you an experienced Registered Veterinary Nurse looking for a role that combines the excitement of referral procedures, emergency and critical care, and inpatient management?

At Wear Referrals, our Twilight RVNs play a unique and vital role, bridging the gap between our busy daytime referral services and our dedicated Out of Hours team. This role offers exceptional exposure to a diverse caseload, including advanced surgical procedures, complex medical investigations, emergency admissions and critical care nursing.

Whether you already have referral experience or are looking to take the next step from primary care, this is an exciting opportunity to expand your skills in a supportive and progressive referral environment.

About Us

Wear Referrals is one of the largest multidisciplinary referral hospitals in the region, supported by a team of over 60 Registered Veterinary Nurses, alongside Student Veterinary Nurses and Patient Care Assistants.

Our nurses are at the heart of everything we do. Working alongside Specialists, Advanced Practitioners and experienced clinicians, you'll be exposed to a wide variety of complex cases across Internal Medicine, Oncology, Soft Tissue Surgery, Orthopaedics, Neurology, Diagnostic Imaging, Anaesthesia and Emergency & Critical Care.

We are proud of our collaborative culture and commitment to professional development, ensuring every team member has the opportunity to grow their skills and build a rewarding long-term career.

Your Role & Responsibilities

As a Twilight RVN, you'll provide essential support across multiple departments within the hospital.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting late-running procedures across all disciplines, including surgical and medical cases.
• Assisting clinicians with anaesthesia, diagnostics, recovery and ongoing patient treatment.
• Providing nursing care and monitoring for complex referral patients throughout their hospital stay.
• Transitioning to support the Out of Hours and Night teams following completion of the day's procedures.  Assisting with emergency patient admissions and Out of Hours telephone triage when required.
• Working primarily within ICU to assist with emergency admissions, urgent procedures and critically ill patients.
• Supporting ward and ICU teams with patient monitoring, medication administration, laboratory testing, fluid therapy management and inpatient care.
• Undertaking general nursing duties including treatment administration, record keeping, patient assessments and clinical monitoring.
• Ensuring effective communication and handover between referral, ward, ICU and night teams.
• Maintaining the highest standards of patient care while demonstrating flexibility and teamwork across all departments.

Why Choose This Role?

This unique twilight position offers the opportunity to experience multiple aspects of referral nursing within a single shift.

You'll gain exposure to:

• Advanced Surgical Nursing
• Internal Medicine Procedures
• Emergency & Critical Care Nursing
• Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Patient Management
• Advanced Anaesthesia and Recovery Nursing
• Complex Referral Case Management
• Emergency Admissions and Out of Hours Support

No two shifts are the same, making this an ideal role for nurses who enjoy variety, challenge and continual learning.

What We're Looking For

We are seeking a dedicated RVN with:

• A minimum of one year's post-qualification experience.
• A passion for delivering exceptional patient care.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• The ability to remain calm and organised in a busy clinical environment.
• A proactive and flexible approach to supporting different departments.
• A genuine desire to develop their clinical knowledge and referral nursing skills.

Previous referral nursing experience is not essential. Full training, mentorship and ongoing support will be provided.

What We Offer

Alongside a competitive salary, we offer:

• Generous annual leave allowance plus an additional birthday leave day.
• RCVS and VDS fees paid.
• Funded external CPD allowance and dedicated CPD leave.
• Access to the extensive Linnaeus CPD platform.
• Opportunities for career progression, specialist nursing development and leadership training.
• Enhanced family-friendly policies.
• Company sick pay.
• Employer pension contributions.
• Employee wellbeing support and assistance programme.
• Healthcare and employee purchase schemes.
• Staff discounts for your own pets.
• Uniform provided and shoe allowance.
• Free onsite parking.
• Recruitment referral bonus scheme.

Be Part of Something Bigger

Wear Referrals is part of Linnaeus and Mars Veterinary Health, organisations committed to advancing veterinary medicine and creating A Better World for Pets.

Joining Wear Referrals means becoming part of a highly skilled nursing team where your contribution is valued, your development is supported and your career ambitions can thrive.

Ready to Apply?

If you're looking for a role that combines advanced referral nursing, emergency and critical care, ICU, medicine and oncology exposure, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today or contact Rebecca Coleman rebecca.coleman@linnaeusgroup.co.uk for an informal discussion about the role.

Wear Referrals – Exceptional Care. Exceptional Nursing. Exceptional Careers.

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