Veterinary Nurse Job in Antwerp | AniCura Belgium

AniCura Belgium is seeking a Veterinary Nurse (Emergency and Intensive Care) for AniCura Spoedkliniek Plantijn in Antwerp (Berchem), Belgium. The vacancy suits a veterinary nursing professional with the stated Animal Care academic background who is committed to small companion-animal care, can keep a measured approach during busy clinical periods, and is prepared for a rotating shift pattern in an emergency and intensive-care setting.

Based at the Plantijn emergency and referral centre, this onsite position combines inpatient nursing with time-sensitive clinical support. AniCura Belgium is looking for someone able to assess competing priorities rapidly, communicate carefully with pet owners and colleagues, and contribute both independently and as part of the emergency team. Comfort with emotionally demanding situations and a responsible focus on patient safety are central to the stated profile.

Opportunity Details

Overview of the Vacancy

Location, Sector, and Role Context

The Veterinary Nurse (Emergency and Intensive Care) role sits within veterinary assistant services at AniCura Spoedkliniek Plantijn. Its purpose is to help care for companion animals admitted to the emergency clinic, including patients in hospitalization and intensive care. Day-to-day work includes observing inpatients, following their progress, monitoring critical patients, and assisting veterinarians during emergency consultations and surgery. The post also involves supporting anaesthesia, watching patients during procedures, undertaking blood collection and laboratory tasks, and helping with diagnostic imaging. Telephone triage is part of the emergency cover during nights, weekends, and public holidays, alongside the practical upkeep of clinical areas and equipment.

This opportunity is intended for a graduate in Agro- and Biotechnology with an Animal Care specialization who wants to develop in emergency and intensive veterinary medicine. A suitable background includes a genuine interest in nursing small companion animals and the capacity to remain calm when workload is high. The clinic requires rapid prioritisation across emergency cases, clear communication with both colleagues and pet owners, and an empathetic professional response when circumstances are difficult. The role also calls for accurate, responsible work that protects patient safety and care quality. Previous work in an emergency clinic, intensive care, or another dynamic clinical environment is advantageous, as is relevant experience with anaesthesia or critical-patient monitoring.

About the Employer: AniCura Belgium — AniCura Spoedkliniek Plantijn

Organization and Relevant Services

Verified Employer Overview

AniCura Belgium is part of AniCura, a veterinary-care network that the employer says developed from four veterinary clinics in Sweden into a European network of more than 450 clinics. The organisation states that its clinics see 3.6 million patients each year and employ 4,000 veterinarians. For this vacancy, the wider network provides the context for a veterinary nursing position focused on emergency and intensive care for companion animals. The role is located in Antwerp (Berchem), within the Flanders region and the Province of Antwerp, and is connected to the emergency and referral work undertaken at the Plantijn clinic.

AniCura states that it operates within Mars Veterinary Health, which is part of Mars, Inc. According to the employer, that relationship brings financial stability, innovation, knowledge sharing, and development. The organisation also describes a quality programme and says that European veterinary specialists work within its network. Training and knowledge-sharing opportunities are identified by AniCura as routes for personal and professional development. In relation to the Veterinary Nurse (Emergency and Intensive Care) post, these stated features align with the offer of training and development opportunities and with the role’s emphasis on developing emergency and intensive-care practice.

Professional Setting and Role Context

Work Environment, Operations, and Facilities

AniCura Spoedkliniek Plantijn is described as a 24/7 emergency and referral centre in Antwerp, with at least one veterinarian present at all times. The employer says that the Plantijn emergency clinic was created to improve emergency veterinary care. It is developing as an independently functioning emergency and intensive-care team. This setting is directly relevant to a nursing role that combines observation of hospitalized patients, support for critical cases, emergency telephone triage, and assistance during emergency consultations and procedures. Continuous clinical coverage also explains the rotating early, late, and night shift arrangement stated for the post.

The Plantijn clinic handles referrals across ultrasound, radiography, endoscopy, CT, surgery, cardiology, orthopedics, stomatology, ophthalmology, internal medicine, oncology, hospitalization, and intensive care. Its listed first-line and specialist services also include radiology, in-house blood testing, dermatology, neurosurgery, laparoscopy, arthroscopy, and cardiology. These services give practical context to the vacancy’s clinical tasks, particularly diagnostic-imaging assistance, laboratory work, emergency-surgery assistance, anaesthesia support, and monitoring. Within this referral and emergency environment, the Veterinary Nurse post is concerned with the nursing care, observation, and follow-up of hospitalized and critically ill companion animals.

---

Open Positions

1. Veterinary Nurse (Emergency and Intensive Care)

Official title: Dierverpleegkundige – AniCura Spoedkliniek Plantijn (Veterinary Nurse)

Location: Antwerp (Berchem), Belgium | Employment information: Permanent full-time, 38-hour rotating shifts

At Plantijn, the Veterinary Nurse (Emergency and Intensive Care) supports the clinical pathway from the arrival of an emergency case to inpatient observation and critical-care follow-up. The work is practical as well as communicative: it includes triage by telephone during out-of-hours periods, direct assistance to veterinarians, and professional contact with pet owners. Accuracy matters across blood collection, laboratory work, imaging support, anaesthesia assistance, and clinical monitoring. The post also carries responsibility for helping to keep the clinic, hospitalization areas, and equipment ready for emergency work while contributing to orderly operations and patient care.

Responsibilities

• Provide nursing care, observation, and follow-up for patients staying in the clinic.
• Monitor critical patients and assist their care in hospitalization and intensive-care areas.
• Carry out telephone triage for emergency cases during nights, weekends, and public holidays.
• Assist veterinarians during emergency consultations and emergency surgical procedures.
• Help with anaesthesia and monitor patients while procedures are being performed.
• Collect blood samples and undertake the stated laboratory work.
• Provide assistance with diagnostic imaging as part of nursing procedures.
• Maintain the clinic, hospitalization spaces, and medical equipment.
• Contribute to the smooth running of the emergency clinic and to optimal patient care.
• Work within the continuous rotating pattern of early, late, and night shifts.

Qualifications

• Hold a bachelor’s degree in Agro- and Biotechnology with a specialization in Animal Care.
• Show a strong commitment to nursing small companion animals and developing in emergency and intensive veterinary medicine.
• Remain calm and considered when clinical workload is high.
• Prioritise promptly and move efficiently between emergency cases.
• Communicate to an excellent standard with colleagues and pet owners.
• Handle emotionally difficult situations with empathy and professionalism.
• Work independently while contributing genuinely to the team.
• Bring a flexible, accurate, and responsible approach to rotating shifts, patient safety, and care quality.
• Preferred: Experience in an emergency clinic, intensive care, or another dynamic clinical environment, including anaesthesia, critical-patient monitoring, intensive care, or emergency medicine, is advantageous.

Skills and Competencies

• Hospitalized-patient nursing and observation are used to support ongoing inpatient care and follow-up.
• Critical-patient monitoring is applied in hospitalization and intensive-care settings.
• Emergency telephone triage is used during night, weekend, and public-holiday coverage.
• Assistance with emergency consultations and surgery supports veterinarians in emergency cases.
• Anaesthesia support and procedural patient monitoring contribute to clinical care.
• Blood collection and laboratory work form part of the nursing procedures described for the post.
• Diagnostic-imaging assistance and careful maintenance of clinic areas and equipment support clinical readiness.
• Prioritisation under pressure, empathetic owner communication, independent teamwork, and rotating-shift flexibility are used throughout emergency-clinic work.

Benefits and Employment Information

• AniCura Belgium states that training and development opportunities are available within AniCura.
• The offer includes professional development in emergency and intensive veterinary care.
• For this role, the offer is a permanent full-time appointment of 38 hours each week on a rota of early, late, and night shifts; remuneration is described as attractive and is supplemented by allowances for night, weekend, and public-holiday work, but no numeric amount is published.

Application Guidance

Prepare a Focused Application

CV, Evidence, Documents, and Interview Preparation

As general preparation guidance, candidates may review how their education and experience relate to companion-animal nursing, emergency work, and intensive care before applying. A CV can distinguish clinical placement, employment, or other relevant experience without presenting preferred experience as essential. It can also describe situations in which the candidate observed hospitalized patients, assisted with procedures, completed laboratory-related tasks, or worked with owners during difficult circumstances, where applicable. General preparation can focus on clear, accurate descriptions of duties and learning gained, particularly where anaesthesia support, critical-patient monitoring, or dynamic clinical work has formed part of previous experience.

For general interview preparation, it may be useful to select truthful examples that demonstrate calm prioritisation when several clinical needs arise at once. Candidates can consider how to explain their approach to communicating with colleagues and pet owners, including in emotionally difficult situations, while maintaining professional boundaries. It may also help to reflect on independent work within a team, careful attention to patient safety, and readiness for rotating early, late, and night shifts. Discussion of a willingness to learn can be linked to the emergency and intensive-care focus of this role, rather than treated as a substitute for the stated academic qualification.

• As a general preparation step, ensure the CV states the bachelor’s degree and Animal Care specialization accurately.
• As general guidance, select truthful examples of nursing care or observation involving small companion animals, where available.
• As general guidance, prepare a concise account of how competing emergency cases have been prioritised, if relevant experience exists.
• As general guidance, identify examples of clear communication with colleagues and pet owners in demanding circumstances.
• As general guidance, describe any relevant exposure to anaesthesia, laboratory work, imaging, intensive care, or emergency medicine without overstating its scope.
• As general guidance, consider how to explain readiness for rotating early, late, and night shifts.

---

How to Apply

Submit Your Application Through the Verified Route

Apply Through the Official Employer Portal

For this Veterinary Nurse (Emergency and Intensive Care) vacancy, use the official employer application portal opened by the button below these instructions. Prepare a CV that accurately describes relevant education and experience. The vacancy does not name a working language, request a motivation letter, or identify further documents; once the ten-second timer ends, the AniCura application link is shown.