Lort Smith Animal Hospital – Melbourne VIC

Veterinary Nurses

Full-time|Part Time (Four Days a week )

Make a difference in the lives of animals and the people who love them.

Are you a passionate Veterinary Nurse who thrives in a busy hospital environment, enjoys clinical variety and wants your work to make a genuine difference? At Lort Smith, veterinary nursing is about more than clinical care. It’s about supporting animals through some of their most vulnerable moments, helping their people navigate challenging times and working alongside a team that genuinely cares. We’re looking for experienced, compassionate and motivated Veterinary Nurses to join our team across full-time, part-time and casual opportunities. Whether your interests lie in emergency and critical care, complex theatre or general hospital nursing, you’ll have the opportunity to build your skills, broaden your experience and contribute to a purpose that matters.

About the role

Working alongside our experienced veterinary and nursing teams, you’ll provide high-quality clinical nursing care across a diverse range of hospital departments. You’ll need sound clinical judgement, confidence in your nursing skills and the ability to think on your feet in a fast‑paced environment. From triaging patients and monitoring anaesthesia to supporting emergency cases and delivering exceptional patient care, you’ll play an important role in the day‑to‑day running of our hospital and the experience we provide to our clients.

What makes this opportunity different?

- Clinical variety: Work across departments including complex theatre, Accident and Emergency (A&E;), and Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
- Room to grow:



Develop your clinical expertise through hands‑on experience, training and opportunities to progress into senior nursing or management.
- A team that supports you: Collaborate with skilled, experienced professionals who share a commitment to high standards of patient care.
- A meaningful purpose: Put your nursing skills to work in an organisation dedicated to keeping pets and their people together.

As our hospital operates 365 days a year, a range of shift options are available, including late shifts, overnight shifts and weekends.

About you

You’re a confident and capable Veterinary Nurse who takes pride in delivering excellent patient care. You’re comfortable working independently when needed, but understand the importance of teamwork, communication and supporting those around you. You can manage competing priorities, recognise when a patient needs urgent attention and remain calm and considered in emotionally demanding situations. Just as importantly, you bring compassion to every interaction, whether you’re caring for an unwell animal, supporting a concerned client or helping a colleague through a challenging case.

Your skills and experience

To be successful in this role, you’ll bring:

- Formal veterinary nursing qualifications, such as a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing or Bachelor of Veterinary Nursing (essential).




- At least three years’ hands‑on experience in an animal hospital, veterinary clinic or shelter environment.
- The ability to independently triage patients, prioritise clinical needs, manage multiple cases and elevate concerns appropriate.
- Strong practical skills in anaesthetic monitoring across routine and emergency procedures.
- The ability to perform CPR in line with current RECOVER guidelines.
- Competence in venepuncture, intravenous catheter placement and basic clinical pathology procedures.
- A thorough understanding of infection prevention and control, including cleaning and disinfection protocols.
- High-quality clinical documentation skills, with a strong focus on accuracy and following established protocols.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
- Emotional intelligence, resilience and self‑awareness, with the ability to work in a quick‑paced environment where cases can be complex and outcomes can be challenging.

Additional study, specialist training or experience in areas of particular clinical interest will be highly regarded.

Experience that will set you apart

We’d particularly welcome candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:

- Anaesthetic management of complex and critical patients, including FLUTD cats and patients undergoing enterectomy or enterotomy procedures.
- Use of capnography, Doppler and oscillometric blood pressure monitoring.
- Anaesthetic monitoring for general and orthopaedic procedures.
- Caring for exotic animals and wildlife.
- EzyVet and SmartFlow practice management and p

📌 Full Time (Melbourne)
🏢 Lort Smith Animal Hospital
📍 Melbourne