At Veterinary Talent, we have noticed a growing interest in the 'Night Vet Position' among the various veterinary job opportunities in the UK, with an increasing number of inquiries. These involves working in a hospital, seeing emergencies that come from the hospitals client-base, but also from a number of neighbouring clinics that rely on the hospital to see their emergencies outside normal opening hours. Also, the position involves looking after the hospitalized patients.
We are not surprised about this increasing interest as it is a role that allows a lot of time off to pursue other interests. Of course, working nights can be hard and can disturb the sleeping pattern in the following days, but the salary is good, and has other benefits that makes it an attractive option that fits well with some people´s needs and objectives.
Night vets are offered different shift patterns, with the most common being one week of work followed by two weeks off. The extra time off can be used for various purposes, including:-preparing for an advance certificate and studying for an exam.
-to look after their family
-pursue other hobbies and interests
-traveling
-managing another business
In recent years, more people is opting for residing in an European country while working in the UK doing night shifts. This is something I have personally been doing for over six years now, and it really works for me. It gives me the time to look after my kids, pursue my hobbies, run Veterinary Talent, and have more time to generally take care of myself.
These night shifts typically span 13-14 hours, and most hospitals provide accommodation for the duration of the week. Night vets must possess a diverse skill set, including the ability to perform under pressure, make critical decisions, prioritize effectively, and be proficient in soft tissue surgeries (such as C-sections, pyometras, GDV, gastrotomy, enterotomy, splenectomy...) while also handling complex medical cases (dyspneic animals, DKA...).
During these shifts, the vet has at minimum the help of a night nurse , and depending on how busy the hospital is, they may have additional support staff.Â
If this is a role that you would be considering and you think it´d work for you and want to have an informal chat with someone experienced in the field, feel free to contact us for an informal chat.