• Full-time/Part-time permanent options | Not for Profit

About the role

Animal Welfare League Queensland (AWLQ) is currently looking for a permanent Full-time or Part-time Senior Veterinary Nurse to join our Ipswich Animal Rehoming Centre!If you are an experienced private practice or shelter nurse wanting to focus on helping animals, and love supporting your team to achieve their objectives, this is your opportunity!

You will be joining a dedicated team focused on caring for animals to achieve positive outcomes through treatment, foster and adoption. This is a busy location with a large number of animals needing AWLQ’s help, but there is no weekend work!

The whole Rehoming Centre works as a team. You will work with and lead the veterinary team through the daily scheduled and unscheduled tasks with positivity and problem solving, facilitating the efficient flow of animals through the clinic so they can go on to find their forever homes. Your “clients” are the amazing foster carers who take our animals into their homes to provide treatment and a loving home environment while they recover from illness or wait for surgery. You will have the opportunity to support our Community Cat Action Team (CAT) with their desexing days aimed to support owners and reduce excess cats and kittens in the community.

You will liaise with multiple staff, departments and foster carers on a daily basis so strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to multi-task are a must. You will have excellent time management and will complete your tasks with a strong attention to detail. You will be a team player and able to be flexible to the changing needs each work day presents.

Key Responsibilities

• Consult Support: Assist veterinarians with incoming animal health assessments
• Foster Care Assistance: Assist veterinarians with foster carer consultations & provision of treatments
• Medication Management: Prepare medications, communicate treatment plans to foster carers and shelter staff
• Appointment Coordination: Assist in managing the clinic appointment calendar and surgery schedules
• Health Documentation: Document all relevant health, treatment and behaviour information
• Pathology Procedures: Perform and record pathology procedures
• Surgery Preparation: Prepare for surgery and monitor anesthesia
• Training and mentorship: Providing support and training to staff and volunteers
• Equipment Maintenance: Scheduling and management of veterinary equipment
• Compliance: Compliance with AWLQ policy and procedure, in addition to compliance with state and federal legislation
• Clinic Hygiene Maintenance: Maintain clinic hygiene in accordance with policies & procedures & WHS requirements
• Stock control and ordering supplies

What are the minimum requirements for this position?

• Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing or recognised equivalent
• Ideally 5+ years' vet nursing experience
• Experience as a senior nurse or in a leadership position
• Excellent animal handling skills, experience with anxious animals in the clinic environment
• Experience in a busy, fast-paced work environment
• Good computer literacy, including Microsoft Office Suite
• Previous experience in a shelter/rescue environment will be highly regarded

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Excellent Customer Service Skills
• Strong Interpersonal and Communication Skills
• Ability to manage your own time effectively and respectful of the time of others
• Completes tasks thoroughly with strong attention to detail within deadlines
• Versatility, flexibility and positivity

Who are we?

Founded in 1959, AWLQ has become a trusted leader in animal welfare. We provide a safe haven and second chance for close to 10,000 stray and homeless animals every year. To each one of these animals we welcome through our doors, a promise is made – to never euthanise a healthy, sociable, or treatable animal in our care. We work tirelessly every day to maintain this promise.

In addition to our shelter work, we are committed to keeping pets and people together by providing lifesaving support and resources to people in need with companion animals. We are known for our grassroots and innovative community-based animal welfare work including our community vet clinics, Getting to Zero, Golden Hearts Seniors’ Support Program and the National De-sexing Network.

Why should you join us?

At AWLQ we offer competitive pay and benefits, including access to an independent Employee Assistance Program, retail discounts, vet discounts. Most importantly, every day you’ll play an instrumental role in our lifesaving work.

Our mission is to unleash the potential in every team, and we know that teams perform best when they have passion. We are committed to building a culture where everyone has the opportunity to do meaningful work and is recognised for their efforts.

Equity

Diversity and inclusion are the principles guiding how we build our teams, cultivate our leaders and build a culture of belonging where differences are valued.