Veterinary Nurse (Referral)

Perhaps you’re an experienced GP nurse ready to develop more advanced clinical skills. Perhaps you already have experience in referral nursing and are looking for a hospital where you can continue to grow. Or maybe you’re an emergency nurse who loves complex cases but is looking to explore a different area of hospital nursing.

At AREC, our referral services are continuing to grow, and we’re looking for experienced Veterinary Nurses who would like to be part of that growth. With expanding services across Surgery and Internal Medicine, alongside Ophthalmology and Rehabilitation, this is an exciting opportunity to develop your nursing career within a truly multidisciplinary veterinary hospital. Because AREC is also home to a busy 24/7 Emergency and Critical Care service, your career doesn’t need to fit neatly into one box.

About us:

AREC (Animal Referral and Emergency Centre) was established in 2004 and is a privately owned and operated emergency veterinary hospital led by a singular, highly regarded emergency veterinarian, Dr. David Tabrett, who continues to work within the business. We are a family-oriented, non-corporate, ASAV accredited “Hospital of Excellence” practice with a collaborative team of more than 110 employees.

Our mission is to provide peace of mind for our clients – that is, both pet owners of the Hunter and the local vet clinics to offer relief for after-hours, emergencies, and referral services.

Read more about us and our team.

 

The Role:

We are looking for an experienced Veterinary Nurse to join our growing Referral Nursing Team, with opportunities currently available primarily across Surgery and Internal Medicine. Working alongside our referral clinicians and experienced nursing team, you’ll be involved in the care of complex medical and surgical patients while developing your skills in advanced diagnostics, procedures, anaesthesia, patient care and hospital nursing.

Depending on your experience and clinical interests, there may also be opportunities to become involved with our developing Ophthalmology and Rehabilitation services. One of the advantages of joining a multidisciplinary hospital like AREC is that your role can continue to evolve. For nurses who enjoy variety, there may also be opportunities to work across our Emergency and Critical Care service, allowing you to maintain or develop your emergency nursing skills while building experience within referral medicine. Equally, if your passion lies firmly within referrals, we want to support you to deepen your knowledge and capability within your chosen area.

Our referral services operate predominantly across weekdays, with 10 hour shifts, offering a different roster structure to our 24/7 Emergency and Critical Care service, which operates across nights, weekends and public holidays. Whether you’re looking to specialise, broaden your experience across disciplines, or find the area of veterinary nursing you love most, we’d like to build a role that allows you to keep developing.

 

Your Duties and Responsibilities:
Depending on the referral service you work within, your role may include:

• Providing high quality nursing care to medical, surgical and hospitalised patients
• Preparing and assisting with advanced diagnostic procedures
• Surgical preparation and assistance
• Anaesthetic monitoring and recovery of referral patients
• Intravenous catheter placement and blood collection
• Assisting with radiographs and advanced imaging
• Supporting clinicians with diagnostic investigations and procedures
• Ensuring diagnostic results and patient information are accurately recorded and communicated
• Monitoring patient progress and communicating with clinicians, clients and referring veterinary hospitals
• Supporting patients throughout their hospital journey, from admission through to discharge
• Working collaboratively with nurses, veterinarians and our CSR team across the hospital
• Handling patients in line with our low stress handling techniques
• Contributing to a positive, collaborative and continually developing referral nursing team

Your Skills and Experience:

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has a minimum of three years of veterinary nursing experience within a busy GP, emergency or referral environment
• Holds a Certificate IV or equivalent qualification in Veterinary Nursing
• Is confident in their core nursing skills and ready to continue developing clinically
• Has experience working both independently and as part of a team
• Has an interest in Surgery, Internal Medicine or referral nursing more broadly
• Enjoys working with complex patients and developing advanced nursing skills
• Can stay calm, prioritise and multitask within a busy hospital environment
• Has excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Shows initiative and is a genuine team player
• Has a positive outlook and willingness to learn
• Is comfortable working within an evolving service and embraces new opportunities
• Previous referral, surgical, anaesthesia or internal medicine experience would be highly regarded, but it isn't essential. An experienced GP or emergency nurse with strong foundational skills and a genuine desire to move into referral nursing is equally encouraged to apply.
• And if you happen to love both referral and emergency nursing, even better. We’d be happy to talk about what a role working across both areas could look like.

 

AREC can offer:  

• On-the-job training
• The opportunity to develop your career within a growing multidisciplinary referral hospital
• Exposure to Surgery, Internal Medicine and other developing referral services
• Opportunities to work across Referral and Emergency and Critical Care for nurses interested in both
• On the job training and clinical development
• In house pathology and advanced imaging
• Access to employer funded benefits including memberships and registrations to professional organisations for eligible employees
• Competitive remuneration
• Paid attendance for compulsory staff meetings
• An engaged and committed leadership team that encourages growth and recognises positive contributions and feedback from the team
• Dedicated Break Nurses on applicable shifts to encourage rest and improve staff wellbeing
• Employee Assistance Program and Wellness Committee
• A modern workplace with an ethical framework
• A supportive environment where your role can evolve alongside your clinical interests

 

Contact:

Sally Groen – hr@arecvet.com.au

 

How to Apply:

If you’re ready to take the next step in your nursing career and would like to explore what referral nursing at AREC could look like for you, we would love to hear from you. Whether your interest is Surgery, Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Rehabilitation, Emergency and Critical Care, or a combination of these areas, we encourage you to apply and have a conversation with us about where you’d like your career to go.

Please apply by clicking on the LINK.

AREC fosters diversity and inclusion within the organisation to create an environment where all individuals are valued and included.

Note: All short-listed applicants will be required to undergo a pre-employment check to verify their identity, qualifications and experience in the form of a reference check.

 

Learn more about us:

 View our videos and photos via the below links:

• AREC- Newcastle's 24/7 vet hospital- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3IKiRts3VI&t=10s
• Living in Newcastle; Working at AREC - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsdS9nr9AW8&t=2s 
• Animal Referral and Emergency Centre (kookaburravets.com)