Head Nurse – ECC

About us

Lort Smith is a Melbourne icon, serving its people and animals for 87 years. We are Australia’s biggest not-for-profit animal hospital treating over 20,000 animals a year across two locations. Our services also include providing:

• Pet Therapy programs within aged care, hospitals and justice settings
• Youth Justice program
• Emergency Welfare Assistance
• Animal shelter

Based at North Melbourne, our redeveloped hospital is a contemporary facility specifically designed to optimise animal health using fear free principles, and updated facilities to support the wellbeing and operations of our hard-working staff.

What does working at Lort Smith mean

We are an independent NFP. We are rewarded through our impact in the community – and our team holds the same values.
Being a community driven organisation means connection – we are here because of our belief in the human-animal bond which goes beyond companionship and the impact we have and leave on the world.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity in our North Melbourne Hospital for an experienced professional in Emergency & Critical Care, leading a dedicated nursing team and ensuring our clients and their pets experience exceptional care and compassion.

Within our ECC department we have Intensive Care and Accident & Emergency, both of which are staffed with their own vets and nurses, ensuring a high level of care. Our ECC is equipped with CT, digital radiology, ultrasound, endoscope, in-house laboratory, patient monitors and a brand-new, purpose-built separate ICU ward.

About You

You’ll lead a dedicated team and be inspired by the challenging cases you see. You’ll be motivated by continual learning, drawing on the expertise of the others around you. Together, with a committed team of nurses and vets you will feel like you’re truly making a difference.

Your Responsibilities

• Role model desired behaviour, communicate clear expectations and be comfortable and confident to hold staff to professional expectations.
• Provide leadership and expertise to manage consistent high standards in ECC department.
• Supervise, mentor and develop the skills of the veterinary nurses within your department on a daily basis and work together with the Training Coordinator to ensure nursing practices in ECC follow agreed Lort Smith procedures and protocols.
• Working daily with other heads vets and nurses to determine the best use of nursing staff for effective operational requirements across all departments.
• Undertake annual performance reviews on a team of 10-12 nurses – to help support and develop their skills through training and knowledge sharing.
• Ensure effective teamwork in the clinical area, and cultivate clear and consistent communication between hospital departments.
• Use effective and professional communication with all levels of staff across all departments at Lort Smith.
• Demonstrate excellent time management skills to lead and resolve on the floor issues promptly with the assistance of the leadership team.

Requirements

• Formal qualifications in Veterinary Nursing – Bachelor of Nursing or Certificate IV Vet Nursing.
• Additional study such as NCert (ECC/anaesthesia), VTS (ECC/surgery/anaesthesia & analgesia) will be highly regarded.
• A minimum of 2 years of leadership and management experience.
• Proven experience nursing in a ward-based or department-based Veterinary Hospital or equivalent emergency setting.
• Minimum of 5 years in an animal shelter, veterinary practice or hospital environment and actively working in that setting as recently as the last 3 months.
• Specific experience, knowledge and understanding of capnography, doppler and oscillometric blood pressure monitoring.
• Triage skills – able to manage multiple emergency cases concurrently, from domestic small animals to exotics and wildlife.
• Experience delivering clear treatment plans for triaged patients to the Veterinary team.
• Ability to monitor waiting patients, while also triaging incoming patients.
• High emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
• Demonstrated experience in leading a large and diverse team with a strong focus on developing nursing care.
• Able to work a variety of shifts, across weekdays and weekends and one evening shift per fortnight.
• Excellent professional and clinical standards.
• Strong communication skills in order to deliver clear and concise written and verbal updates on patient care.
• Proven ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team with varying skill sets and areas of interests.

Benefits

• Work in a new, modern redeveloped hospital.
• A diverse, inclusive and supportive team environment.
• Study leave allowances for ongoing professional development & regular learning forums.
• Access to purchase leave scheme.
• Interesting and diverse caseloads.
• Rewarding work that provides community-based veterinary and animal welfare services.
• Discounted veterinary treatment, products and pet insurance.
• Pet friendly policies – bring your dog to work.
• Wellbeing support, EAP and in-house chaplaincy.

To learn more about Lort Smith and the work we do, please visit: www.lortsmith.com or look us up on Instagram.

Contact us via [email protected] using the subject line: Head Nurse – ECC enquiry via EthicalJobs if you’d like us to send you a position description.

If you are excited about the prospect of joining our team and making a difference, please apply directly via this ad.

Lort Smith is a great place to work. We are an equal opportunity employer and actively support workplace diversity, equity and inclusion.

Preferred applicants will be asked to consent in writing for Lort Smith Animal Hospital to conduct a police check and each application will be individually considered on its merits. Please contact [email protected] if you would like further information.