Leadership-focused nursing role | True work-life balance | Clinical progression without burnout
If you love nursing but want more say in how things are done
If you are an experienced RVN who enjoys supporting others, shaping standards, and still staying hands-on clinically, this could be the role that finally feels like the right step forward.
The Opportunity
We are working with a well-equipped, forward-thinking small animal practice in Portsmouth, that has built a genuinely supportive nursing culture. This is not a role created out of crisis or high turnover. It exists because the practice is growing and wants the right person alongside the Head Nurse to help guide that growth thoughtfully and sustainably.
As Deputy Head Nurse, you will play a key role in how the nursing team functions day to day. You will support clinical standards, help with governance and efficiency, and be a steady presence for the team on the floor. This is a role for someone who enjoys variety, leadership responsibility, and still wants to be deeply involved in patient care.
The practice values collaboration over hierarchy. Your voice will matter, whether that is contributing ideas, supporting junior nurses, or helping refine how the clinic runs. Continuous improvement here is not a buzzword. It is something the team actively works on together.
Why This Role Is Different
A genuinely varied clinical caseload
You will work across consulting, inpatient care, and surgery throughout the week. The practice also has a growing exotic caseload, which keeps the clinical work interesting and varied rather than repetitive.
Facilities that support good nursing
You will be working with:
- Two operating theatres
- A dedicated dental suite with handheld dental x-ray
- Digital x-ray and ultrasound
- Separate dog, cat, and small animal wards
- Walk-in kennels, isolation unit, and in-house lab
- Multiparameter monitors throughout the clinic
The setup is designed to allow nurses to do their jobs properly, without cutting corners.
Leadership without stepping away from nursing
This is not a desk-bound management role. You will assist the Head Nurse with efficiency, governance, and team support, while remaining a visible, hands-on clinical leader.
A rota that respects your life outside work
Full-time nurses work a four-day week with nine-hour shifts. Weekends are a fair 1-in-4 rota, with duty nights on rotation. Flexibility is genuinely encouraged and discussed openly.
Your Journey Here
In your first month, you will focus on settling into the team, understanding how the practice runs, and building strong working relationships with both nurses and vets.
By three months, you will be confidently supporting the Head Nurse, contributing to clinical standards and workflows, and feeling fully at home with the caseload and equipment.
By six months, you will be an established leader within the nursing team, helping shape improvements, supporting colleagues’ development, and making the role your own.
What’s On Offer
Compensation and Time
- Salary from £29,000 to £35,000
- Permanent, full-time role
- Four-day working week
- 1-in-4 weekends
Professional Development
- Generous CPD allowance
- Ongoing learning actively encouraged
- Opportunity to develop leadership and clinical interests
Wellbeing and Added Benefits
- Profit share bonus scheme
- Income protection
- Enhanced maternity pay
- Compassionate leave
- Long service recognition
- Help at Hand health and wellbeing support
- Discounts, retail rewards, and overseas charity work opportunities
The Candor Vets Difference
At Candor Vets, we do not push roles or rush decisions. We focus on listening properly and helping people find places where they can actually enjoy going to work again.
Ready to Explore?
If this sounds like the kind of role where you could grow, lead, and still love being a nurse, let’s have a confidential, no-pressure conversation.
Job Reference DHRVN001