Make a difference every day with PDSA
About Us
Join us to help keep even more people and pets together when times are tough. For over a century, PDSA have provided vital veterinary care for the pets of people in financial hardship.
We’re now on a journey to expand our reach to support even more people and their beloved pets. To achieve this ambitious goal, we need passionate and driven individuals who are ready to embrace change and help shape a future-focused PDSA. Together, we'll build a stronger organisation to ensure our services help those who need us most for the next hundred years.
If you're ready to make a real difference and be part of a team that's creating positive change, we want you to join us. Let's build a brighter future for pets and their owners, together.
About you
We’re looking for a Qualified Registered Veterinary Nurse to join our friendly team at PDSA Edinburgh. You’ll be up for a challenge and ready to adapt to the wide variety of cases we see at PDSA, no two days are ever quite the same. You’ll be confident communicating with a wide range of colleagues and clients, and you’ll enjoy sharing your skills, supporting others and leading by example in a busy, purpose-led environment.
You’ll play a key role across the hospital, getting involved in nurse consultations, inpatient care, dispensing medications and assisting in theatre, including Schedule 3 surgery. You’ll take pride in delivering high standards of nursing care while keeping pets calm and owners informed, and you’ll be comfortable working as part of a close-knit team to keep things running smoothly.
Your passion for animal welfare will drive you to champion the charity, promote client contributions and keep an eye on how we use our resources, suggesting improvements and efficiencies where you can. The work is fast-paced and rewarding, so we want you to have the work–life balance that suits your needs as well as helping us deliver an outstanding service.
Work pattern & rota
We recognise the importance of work–life balance and have a rota designed to support it:
-
Approximately 3 days per week
-
Flexible working arrangements available
-
Shifts typically range from 7 to 8 hours, plus a 1 hour lunch break
-
Typical start times: 8:00am, 8:30am or 9:00am
-
Typical finish times: 4:30pm, 5:30pm or 18:00pm
-
We aim to finish by 18:00pm each day, although on occasion patient needs may require the team to stay slightly later
We're happy to discuss working patterns and shift lengths to find an arrangement that works for both you and the team.
About the Role
This is a varied nursing position offering exposure to a wide range of clinical duties, "including, but not limited to:
-
General nursing responsibilities
-
Inpatient and ward care
-
Dispensary duties
-
Patient admissions and discharges
-
Assisting with surgical procedures
Clinical Development Opportunities
We are passionate about supporting our nurses to utilise their skills fully and encourage Schedule 3 nursing wherever appropriate. Working closely with our veterinary surgeons, you'll have the opportunity to develop your practical skills through delegated procedures and hands-on clinical experience.
Examples of procedures may include:
-
Suturing
-
Simple lump removals
-
Tail and toe amputations
-
Sedation monitoring
-
Diagnostic imaging, including radiography, under veterinary direction
This role offers extensive practical experience and the chance to work across a variety of areas within the hospital, making it an excellent opportunity for a nurse looking to broaden their skillset and progress their career.
About the hospital
PDSA Edinburgh is a highly collaborative, effective hospital, a great place for teamwork, case discussion and shared learning. Our teams have varied clinical interests, giving you access to a wide pool of knowledge and experience when discussing cases and treatment plans.
Our Pet Hospitals are modern and well-equipped and include separate dog and cat kennelling facilities, in-house radiography, ultrasound, endoscopy, piped gases and extensive orthopaedic equipment.
Rewards, support and benefits
We’re really passionate about being a great place to work, somewhere people feel proud of what they do, connected to a meaningful purpose, and able to make a genuine difference every day. Our teams are collaborative and supportive, and we encourage everyone to bring their ideas, individuality and passion for pets to work with them.
As well as a rewarding role and a positive, people-focused culture, we also offer a wide range of benefits, including:
Flexible working options to support your work–life balance and individual circumstances.
CPD allowance of three days and £500 per year for development. Payment of your full RCVS fees, so you’re never out of pocket.
Extensive internal CPD programmes plus discounts for BSAVA Congress and London Vet Show.
25 days’ holiday plus Bank Holidays, with option to buy or sell an extra five days.
Three paid special days off: Volunteering Day, Celebration Day and Wellbeing Day annually.
Generous pension options, with PDSA contributions starting at 5% and rising to 10%.
Life assurance providing four times your annual salary for added peace of mind.
AXA Health Employee Assistance Programme, with 24/7 wellbeing support.
Retail, holiday and lifestyle discounts available through our staff Fetch benefits platform.
Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave to support you and your family.
10% discount on PDSA Pet Insurance plus access to staff veterinary services.
To apply for this role, click Apply Now at the top of the page, create a candidate account and complete our simple application form.
PDSA is committed to embedding a culture of diversity and inclusion within our teams that reflect the communities we serve. We aim to create a working environment in which all individuals are able to make best use of their skills, free from discrimination or harassment, and in which all decisions are based on merit. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies and opportunities for flexible working arrangements to support team members from different backgrounds.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss via email or telephone reasonable adjustments that you may require throughout the recruitment process.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, adults at risk and all our colleagues and expect everyone who works for us to also share this commitment and to treat people with courtesy and respect.
To support this commitment, our recruitment & selection processes are robust and rigorous. All appointments will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate background checks.
The Company has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years. We have a vast number of employees, and provide support to clients from all over the country.
