Veterinary Nurse – Graduate / Junior Position

Westside Veterinary Clinic, Cork
Permanent
Salary €30,000–€32,000 DOE (FTE)
Start date: May 2026 (flexible)

Start Your Nursing Career the Right Way

Your first role as a Veterinary Nurse should feel exciting—not overwhelming. At Westside Veterinary Clinic, we’ve created an environment where new and junior nurses are truly supported from day one.

You’ll be part of a close-knit, welcoming team who understand what it’s like to be starting out. There’s no being “thrown in at the deep end” here, just the right balance of guidance, hands-on experience, and encouragement to help you build confidence at your own pace.

Build Real Skills in a Busy, Supportive Practice

This is a fantastic opportunity to develop strong, practical nursing skills in a busy small animal clinic where clinical nursing is at the heart of everything we do.

You’ll be involved in a varied caseload, gaining exposure across consults, inpatient care, anaesthesia, and surgical support—giving you the kind of well-rounded experience that sets you up for long-term success.

If you’re someone who enjoys variety, learning on the job, and making a real difference to patients and clients every day, you’ll feel right at home here.

A Team That Has Your Back

Westside is a well-established, community-focused practice with a strong reputation for both client care and clinical standards.

You’ll be joining a friendly team of 5 vets and 4 nurses who genuinely enjoy working together. There’s a strong culture of teamwork, respect, and support, with many of the team working flexible or part-time hours creating a positive, balanced working environment.

With plans to move into a brand new, expanded clinic this year, it’s also an exciting time to join and grow with the practice.

Who This Role Is Perfect For

This role is ideal for a graduate or junior nurse looking to build a strong foundation in practice.

You don’t need extensive experience—what matters most is your attitude. We’re looking for someone who is:

Eager to learn and develop
Proactive and positive
A team player who takes pride in patient care

You’ll need to be VCI registered, or due to register in 2026.

Support That Grows With You

We know how important those early years are, which is why you’ll have access to our Graduate Nurse Academy—designed to support your transition into practice with structured learning, mentoring, and guidance.

Alongside this, you’ll benefit from funded CPD, ongoing training, and opportunities to pursue further qualifications as your interests develop. Whether you’re still figuring out your path or already have areas of interest, we’ll support you every step of the way.

What You’ll Get in Return

We believe in looking after our people, not just professionally but personally too.

Alongside your salary, you’ll benefit from:

Work life balance

*22 days annual leave entitlement

*Birthday leave

Focus on employee wellbeing

*Paid Maternity, Paternity and Adoptive leave packages

*Cycle to work scheme

*EAP and wellbeing centre access

*Paid bereavement leave

*Company sick pay

Development

*€600 annual CPD allowance with 3 days paid (pro-rata)

*Bespoke Graduate Nurse Academy, Nurse Evolve and many more in-house academies

*Funding of any Certificates / Diplomas / PhD’s you may want to pursue

*Leadership Academy for all future leaders, including Head Nurses and Practice Managers

*Career progression opportunities

Professional memberships

*VCI membership paid

*VDS cover paid

Additional benefits

*Annual pay reviews

*Pawesome benefits – various discounts including retails and virtual gym

*Employee pension contributions

*Discounted staff pet veterinary fees

*Relocation packages

*Free flu jabs

*Opportunity to join company programmes (LGBTQIA+, Wellbeing Champions, Nurse Committee, Clinical Board and many more)

More Than Just Your First Job

This isn’t just a place to start - it’s a place to grow.

At Westside, you’ll be supported, encouraged, and genuinely valued as part of the team from day one. If you’re looking for a role where you can build confidence, develop real skills, and actually enjoy coming to work, this could be exactly what you’re looking for.

We’d love to hear from you.

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€30,000 - €32,000 a year

Up to €32,000 DOE (FTE)

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Veterinary Nurse – Graduate / Junior Position

Benefits

Job Description