Registered Veterinary Nurse (Ophthalmology Focus)

at  London Vet Specialists LVS

If you are a current Linnaeus Associate, you will need to apply internally. In order to do this, please contact our Talent Acquisition team (details can be found via The Link) and someone will be in touch to discuss and progress your application.
JOB TITLE: Registered Veterinary Nurse (Ophthalmology Focus)
REPORTING TO: Head of Nursing Services
START DATE: Winter 2024
HOURS: Full-Time (40-Hours/Week)

ABOUT US

London Vet Specialists originated as a boutique small animal referral centre in Belsize Park, North London and in May 2024, relocated to a new state-of-the-art site in Hammersmith, West London. The hospital boasts an incredible location on the banks of the river Thames, nestled within the bustling and thriving Hammersmith & Fulham neighbourhood. We now have a complete compliment of specialist-led services, including orthopaedic and soft-tissue surgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology, anaesthesia & analgesia, cardiology, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, neurology & emergency and critical care.
Linnaeus is a forward-thinking partnership of highly respected primary care and referral veterinary practices across the UK and Ireland, comprising some of the best clinicians in the profession. Linnaeus invest in quality practices who put patient care at the heart of everything they do. Together we provide a growing community of like-minded veterinary professionals who are passionate about what they do.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Ophthalmology-Focused RVN will be responsible for working collaboratively with the Head of Nursing Services (HoNS), Lead Nurses and Clinicians across the hospital to ensure the efficient delivery of outstanding patient care, primarily within the ophthalmology service. Your responsibilities will include wards nursing and care, surgical preparation & theatre assistance, monitoring of sedation & anaesthesia, ophthalmic equipment maintenance & care, consultation assistance, medication preparation, stock management, client communication and nurse consultations. You will also assist with keeping accurate hospitalisation records in the SmartFlow system to ensure inpatients are appropriately managed during their hospitalisation and the screening of ophthalmology referrals.
As a focused role, we recognise and appreciate your area of special interest and so your work will be prioritised within the ophthalmology service; though you may be required to help in another area within the capabilities of an RVN when necessary. The ophthalmology service currently operates two days a week, and so this role will involve induction periods within wards, anaesthesia and theatre to understand the workflow of each area ahead of growing to a full-time service in early 2025. The LVS ophthalmology service is led by diplomate ophthalmologist Dr Vim Kumaratunga, supported by our team of multi-disciplinary interns, RVNs and patient care assistants.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide a high and sustainable quality of patient care, primarily within the ophthalmology service.
• Prioritise ophthalmology inpatient care and the implementation of nursing care plans.
• Ensure the comfort and safety of patients undergoing investigations, hospitalisation and surgery.
• Assist with ophthalmology consultations and undertake nurse consultations as appropriate.
• Ensure accurate record keeping is undertaken, especially regarding anaesthetic and hospitalisation records in SmartFlow.
• Assist with stock management within your department and co-ordinate with the pharmacy & purchasing assistant.
• Work closely with the Patient Flow Coordinator and Lead Nurses to plan for the daily case load and highlight any issues or concerns that may arise.
• Participate in team briefings and meetings to ensure effective and efficient communication.
• Under the direction of the clinicians, contact and liaise with clients to provide/ receive patient updates.
• Take part in team reflections of incidents and near misses, to continually improve our patient care and safety, including Halo reporting.
• As a cat-friendly clinic, you will support the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) cat-friendly standards across the hospital.
• As a dog-friendly clinic, you will support the Dogs Trust and British Veterinary Behaviour Association (BVBA) dog-friendly standards across the hospital.
• Seek opportunities to maintain competence in all areas of nursing to ensure a strong level of general nursing capabilities are achieved. Where suitable take part in role swaps to preserve this competence.
• Take part in a range of team committees such as our Sustainability, Culture & Wellbeing or Dog/Cat-Friendly committees, to both explore areas of personal interest and help to shape our impact, culture and standards as a hospital.