Lead Desexing Clinic Nurse and Small Animal Hospital Nurse
(HEO 3) $62,292 - $70,860 base per annum plus 17% superannuation contribution.
Full time, Continuing contract
A new full time, continuing position has been created, to work within the student desexing clinic, and during non-teaching periods work in within our small animal hospital around 60% of the time.
We are seeking a Certificate IV qualified Veterinary Nurse with a minimum of 3 years' clinical experience post-qualification. This unique role combines teaching and clinical hospital responsibilities. The ideal candidate will demonstrate expertise in anaesthesia and surgery, possess strong verbal and written communication skills, and have a high degree of computer literacy, along with a compassionate attitude. Exceptional organizational and leadership abilities are essential for managing the teaching and clinical aspects of the role.
Lead Desexing Clinic Nurse
The School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences runs a comprehensive dog and cat live animal desexing clinic for our 5th year veterinary science students, which has been in place for the last 12 years, desexing over 1000 animals. The program is run by a dedicated team of seven veterinarians and three nurses, including specialist surgeons and specialist anaesthetists. It aims to provide gold standard patient care in a purpose-built teaching surgical skills suite to produce the best training for our veterinary science students.
The successful applicant will run all the day to day nursing and organisational aspects of the program and will be the students “go to” nurse for all aspects.
Some responsibilities of this role include: organisation of animals from local welfare and rescue agencies, admission and discharge of animals into / from the desexing clinic program, assisting students with anaesthesia machine setup and drug calculations, supervising IV catheter placement, anaesthetic induction and intubation, anaesthesia monitoring setup and basic monitoring of anaesthesia. The nurse is responsible for supervising: surgical patient preparation, moving patients into theatre, student aseptic scrubbing, sterile gowning and gloving, microchipping, ear tattoos and patient recovery.
Nurses will be responsible for surgical theatre setup / clean up, instrument cleaning and sterilisation, maintaining and ordering consumable stock, inputting anaesthesia and surgical reports into the hospital’s practice management software (cornerstone) and billing of clients. Good knowledge of spreadsheet program (excel) is needed to help with all organisational tasks and maintaining weekly animal ethics data.
The role is very student focused, with lots of student interaction. You will assist students with animal handling, basic physical examination, blood collection and daily patient care. You will ensure students follow best practices and safety protocols, while also ensuring the smooth running of the desexing clinic.
This position operates on set shifts with established hours to ensure adequate support is maintained for the teaching and hospital outcomes. While we strive to be flexible, there is limited opportunity for this in this hybrid role.
Small Animal Hospital Nurse
The Roseworthy Small Animal Veterinary Hospital (RVH-SA) is the school’s companion animal clinical teaching facility, which operates on a commercial basis, offering a range of first opinion (GP) and specialist (referral) veterinary services. Current referral services include: specialist surgery, specialist anaesthesia, specialist oncology, 24/7 emergency and critical care, internal medicine, ophthalmology, diagnostic ultrasound and inhouse CT.
The RVH-SA provides a clinical training environment for final year Veterinary and Veterinary Technology students, working under the close supervision of our highly qualified hospital staff. In the hospital setting, you will be working closely with our veterinary team to provide high level nursing care across various areas of the practice. This aspect of the position involves a mix of daytime responsibilities in all areas of our hospital. Additionally, you will assist in the teaching our DVM 3 and Vet Tech students, ensuring best practices and safety protocols are followed, whilst allowing smooth running of the hospital.
About You
You should be an enthusiastic, team-oriented nurse with a passion for delivering the highest standards of service and care and have proven experience as a qualified veterinary nurse in a clinical setting. You should be comfortable working in high pressure situations and have great interpersonal skills. You must be motivated to mentor the next generation of vets and vet techs by imparting knowledge, skills and modelling the highest standards of professional behaviour.
Ideally you will have a high level of nursing experience in the dealing with challenging behavioural patients, anaesthesia, patient recover and surgical desexing of cats and dogs.
About the School and University
The School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences provides world-class, outcome-based education and training of animal and veterinary scientists in a research environment. Based at the Roseworthy Campus, 50km north of the Adelaide CBD, minutes from Gawler.
To find out more about our teaching clinics visit our website at School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences | University of Adelaide
Additional benefits
- On campus free parking
- Staff discounts for veterinary service and products
- Private medical insurance discounts (BUPA)
- Cafeteria on site
- Library access, digital on line resources
- Counselling support services (employment assistant program)
- Discounts for University continuing education courses
- On site gym, sporting facilities and swimming pool.
To be successful you will need:
- Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing or a Bachelor in Veterinary Technology with a minimum of 3 years post qualification experience.
- Demonstrated capacity to work in a collaborative and dynamic hospital, while maintaining best practices and mentorship for students in a teaching hospital.
- Attention to detail in animal care, record keeping and documentation.
- Demonstrated veterinary nursing experience with sound technical skills and knowledge in any of the following areas (Surgery and Anaesthesia, ECC, Internal Medicine, Oncology or General Practice).
- Demonstrates a professional attitude when working with clients, students, and other staff members.
The path to Adelaide University
We are on an exciting path to Adelaide University as we prepare to open our doors in January 2026. Adelaide University will combine the strengths of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, and we are dedicated to creating an accessible and future-focused educational powerhouse that fosters economic and social wellbeing through ground-breaking research and innovative teaching. You can learn more about Adelaide University HERE and more information will be provided throughout the recruitment process.
Enjoy an outstanding career environment
We offer a uniquely rewarding workplace. The size, breadth and quality of our education and research programs - including significant industry, government and community collaboration - offers you vast scope and opportunity for a long, fulfilling career.
It also enables us to attract high-calibre people in all facets of our operations, ensuring you will be surrounded by talented colleagues, many world-leading. Our work's cutting-edge nature - not just in your own area, but across virtually the full spectrum of human endeavour - provides a constant source of inspiration.
Our culture is one that welcomes all and embraces diversity consistent with our Staff Values and Behaviour Framework and our Values of integrity, respect, collegiality, excellence and discovery. We firmly believe that our people are our most valuable asset, so we work to grow and diversify the skills, knowledge and capability of all our staff.
We embrace flexibility as a key principle to allow our people to manage the changing demands of work, personal and family life.
In addition, we offer a wide range of attractive staff benefits. These include: salary packaging; flexible work arrangements; high-quality professional development programs and activities; and an on-campus health clinic, gym and other fitness facilities.
Learn more at: adelaide.edu.au/jobs
Your faculty's broader role
The Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology is a multidisciplinary hub of cutting-edge teaching and research. Many of its academic staff are world leaders in their fields and graduates are highly regarded by employers. The Faculty actively partners with innovative industries to solve problems of global significance.
Learn more at: set.adelaide.edu.au
If you have the talent, we'll give you the opportunity. Together, let's make history.
If you’d like to join our team, please click on the 'Apply Now' button to be taken through to our online application form. Please submit a cover letter, addressing the selection criteria listed (or your suitability to the role) and include a current CV.
Applications close 11:55pm 10 March 2025
The University reserves the right to close this advertisement before the closing date if a suitable candidate is identified.
For further information
For a confidential discussion regarding this position, contact:
Dr Olaf Schaaf, Senior Lecturer, Small Animal Surgery
P: +61 (8) 83131999
E: olaf.schaaf@adelaide.edu.au
You'll find a full position description and/or selection criteria below: (If no links appear, try viewing on another device)
We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. Female applicants, people with a disability and/or and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who meet the requirements of this position are strongly encouraged to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application.
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