Hospital Veterinary Nurse – Maternity Cover West Yorkshire

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an Registered Veterinary Nurse to join the day team at a large, RCVS-accredited 24/7 Small Animal Hospital and Emergency Service Centre in West Yorkshire on a fixed-term maternity cover contract starting in November 2026.

This is a genuine hospital nursing position requiring an experienced RVN with strong clinical skills, ideally including previous hospital and/or anaesthesia experience. Working 40 hours per week, you'll join a highly experienced multidisciplinary team and gain exposure to complex inpatient, surgical, anaesthesia, ECC and referral-level cases.

Key Highlights

• Fixed-term maternity cover contract.
• Starting November 2026.
• Minimum 9-month contract.
• Full-time – 40 hours per week.
• Experienced RVNs only.
• Previous hospital and/or anaesthesia experience preferred.
• Not suitable for newly qualified or inexperienced RVNs.
• Salary dependent upon experience.
• RCVS-accredited 24-hour Small Animal Hospital and Emergency Service Centre.
• More than 60 colleagues across the wider hospital team.
• Dedicated day and night veterinary and nursing teams.
• Advanced inpatient and anaesthesia nursing.
• First opinion, emergency and referral-level caseload.
• CT scanning and advanced diagnostic imaging.
• Endoscopy and laparoscopic surgery.
• Advanced orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery.
• Schedule 3 nursing opportunities.
• Excellent in-house CPD and clinical support.
• Free onsite parking.

The Practice

This large, family-run small animal hospital was established in 2012 and has developed into an advanced 24-hour RCVS-accredited Hospital and Emergency Service Centre, providing first opinion care alongside out-of-hours and referral-level support to 19 surrounding veterinary practices.

The hospital is open 24 hours a day, seven days per week, with veterinary and nursing colleagues onsite around the clock. This provides genuine continuity for hospitalised and critically ill patients and creates an excellent clinical environment for an experienced RVN.

The wider team comprises more than 60 colleagues, with considerable postgraduate expertise across Emergency & Critical Care, Small Animal Surgery, Internal Medicine, Dentistry, Anaesthesia and Analgesia.

There is particularly strong nursing expertise within the hospital, with RVNs holding advanced qualifications and interests across ECC, anaesthesia and analgesia, inpatient nursing, Schedule 3 surgery, medical nursing, surgical nursing, feline nursing and behaviour.

As a nurse-led hospital, RVNs play a central clinical role rather than simply providing support around consultations. Experienced nurses are encouraged to take responsibility for patients and utilise their skills across inpatient, theatre, anaesthesia and emergency care.

Facilities and services include:

• CT scanning.
• Advanced ultrasound.
• Digital radiography.
• Purpose-built dental facilities and dental radiography.
• Rigid and flexible endoscopy.
• Laparoscopic/keyhole surgery.
• Advanced orthopaedic surgery.
• Fracture repair.
• Advanced soft tissue surgery.
• Internal medicine cases and referrals.
• Emergency & Critical Care.
• 24-hour inpatient care.
• Advanced anaesthesia and multiparameter monitoring.
• Extensive surgical and hospitalisation facilities.

The Location

Located in West Yorkshire, the hospital is ideally positioned for candidates travelling from across the Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield and wider surrounding areas.

There are excellent connections to the regional motorway network, making the hospital accessible from a broad area of West Yorkshire.

The hospital also benefits from free onsite parking with 24/7 access, particularly useful for colleagues working different hospital shift patterns.

The Role

This is a full-time maternity cover position working 40 hours per week, starting in November 2026 and offered initially on a minimum nine-month fixed-term contract.

This vacancy is specifically for an experienced hospital nurse and is intended to maintain the existing depth of clinical experience within the nursing team during the maternity cover period.

You'll work across the hospital's clinical areas and care for patients ranging from routine first opinion cases through to complex medical, surgical, emergency and referral-level patients.

Responsibilities can include:

• Advanced inpatient nursing and hospital care.
• Anaesthesia and advanced patient monitoring.
• Theatre and surgical nursing.
• Emergency & Critical Care.
• Management of complex medical patients.
• Feeding tube management.
• Complex wound and drain care.
• Postoperative monitoring and recovery.
• Schedule 3 procedures where appropriate.
• Supporting advanced surgical and diagnostic procedures.
• Working alongside certificate holders and experienced hospital clinicians.

You'll be joining an established day nursing team, with dedicated OOH colleagues providing continuity for hospitalised patients overnight.

The Candidate

The successful candidate must be an experienced RCVS-registered Veterinary Nurse with a strong level of practical clinical experience.

Previous experience within a veterinary hospital environment and/or a strong background in anaesthesia would be particularly advantageous.

Unlike the permanent hospital nursing opportunity, this maternity position is specifically intended for an experienced RVN who can integrate into the hospital team and contribute clinically from an early stage.

For this reason, newly qualified and inexperienced RVNs cannot be considered for this particular vacancy.

You'll be comfortable caring for hospitalised patients, working within theatre and anaesthesia and collaborating with Veterinary Surgeons and fellow RVNs on more complex cases.

A calm, organised approach and excellent communication skills will be important within this busy 24-hour hospital environment.

Benefits

• Salary dependent upon experience.
• Minimum 9-month fixed-term maternity contract.
• Full-time 40-hour working week.
• Advanced hospital nursing environment.
• Exposure to complex inpatient and ECC cases.
• Advanced anaesthesia experience.
• Schedule 3 opportunities.
• Regular in-house CPD.
• Opportunity to work alongside certificate holders and Advanced Practitioners.
• Highly experienced veterinary and nursing colleagues.
• Dedicated clinical discussion and support channels.
• Strong nursing leadership and mentorship.
• Mental Health First Aider within the management team.
• Modern advanced diagnostic and surgical facilities.
• Free onsite parking with 24/7 access.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced RVN looking for a fixed-term hospital position from November 2026. With a minimum nine-month contract, 40 hours per week and exposure to advanced anaesthesia, inpatient care, ECC, CT, endoscopy, laparoscopy and complex surgery, the role would particularly suit a confident hospital nurse looking to bring their existing skills to a highly experienced 24-hour clinical team.

Interested?

CLICK APPLY NOW to submit your application.

If you have any questions before applying, or you're exploring other permanent or locum veterinary opportunities, contact the Vet Seekers team for a confidential discussion.

Please quote Job Reference: 26-00533

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