Job Summary:
Responsible for daily care of all surgical patients, assisting doctors and veterinary technicians with pre-, peri- and post-operative care of patients, general cleaning, and training others to utilize our patient care protocols.
Skills/Experience:
- One or more years of experience in a veterinary clinic, veterinary hospital, and/or animal shelter or control facility.
- Must be confident around pets (i.e., dogs, cats), be able to handle them safely with patience and gentleness and use appropriate safety equipment. The use of proper safety equipment is mandatory.
- Medical background (veterinary technician, human healthcare, pharmaceutical, etc.) with medical terminology training is preferred.
- Must be able to greet customers and obtain and accurately record patient case histories.
- Must be able to communicate veterinary concepts to clients and be able to accurately relay information provided by a veterinarian.
- Must be able to counsel clients on post-operative care and the proper use and administration of medications.
Essential Functions/Responsibilities:
General Housekeeping:
• Help with daily cleaning of kennels, cages and public areas when necessary.
• Help stock prep room and operating room.
• Spot clean throughout the day.
• Wash and sterilize all surgical packs throughout the day.
• Wash and dry solid linens and manage laundry.
• Cleaning recovery area/surgery suite/treatment area.
• Restocking medications and clinic supplies.
• Other duties as assigned.
Patient Care:
• Triage all patients as they are checked in. Report health concerns to veterinarians.
• Assist with restraining patients during anesthesia induction and intubation.
• Prepare patients for surgery as instructed.
• Transport patients from dog room to prep table as instructed by pre-op technician.
• Keep other technicians informed of animal behavior, health, or concerns.
• Assist clients with necessary paperwork.
• Assist transport coordinator with handling and unloading transport animals.
• Weighing patients when needed.
• Ensure that kennels and pets are labeled properly.
- Responsible for prepping patients for surgery, observing all clinic procedures, to enforce sterility and safety of patients.
- General duties in the operating room during surgery, assisting with movement of patients, recovery of patients, and general flow.
- Able to monitor anesthesia, with a clear idea of abnormal conditions.
- Ensure prompt and accurate paperwork procedures are followed each day.
- Able to respond appropriately during an emergency, able to take directions from a veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, and maintain competency in CPR procedures.
- Ability to administer vaccines for our wellness clinics during surgery days or vaccination events.
- Must be able to learn basic veterinary medical concepts, including but not limited to vaccine protocols and anesthetic risks.
Client Education:
• Must be able to learn basic veterinary medical concepts including but not limited to vaccine protocols and anesthetic risks.
• Must also be able to communicate basic veterinary concepts to owners and be able to repeat information relayed by a veterinarian.
• Will be asked to take medical histories for surgical rechecks.
• Will be asked to communicate with the public on a daily basis in a professional manner.
- Must Pass Certified Veterinarian Assistant within the first year of employement.
Animal Handling:
• Will be asked to handle (on average) 50 dogs and cats per day.
• Must be able to learn characteristics of animal behavior (for example: be able to identify aggressive or fearful behavior).
• Must be able to use appropriate safety equipment for fractious or feral animals (will train) – the use of safety equipment is mandatory.
• Must possess excellent reflexes.
• Should be able to identify own limitations and be willing to ask for help.
• Must become proficient at animal restraint for various procedures.
Physical Requirements:
• Must be able to work standing or sitting for 8 or more hours.
• Must be able to bend and kneel repeatedly.
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds repeatedly throughout the day with help.
• Must be able to see fine detail in a variety of situations.
• Must have good hearing including ability to distinguish changes in pitch.
• Must have responsible degree of agility to move through tightly cramped areas in various situations.
• Must have good range of motion in joints especially wrist, knees, elbows.
• Must have good range of motion in your back for instance twisting.
• Must be able to work and reach on hands and knees.
• Must possess an acceptable degree of dexterity in hands and fingers.
• Must have good vision including peripheral vision, fine detail, distance, depth perception and ability to focus.
Emotional/Mental Requirements:
• Must be able to work under stressful conditions and work efficiently and effectively under those conditions.
• Must be able to respond quickly to a variety of medical situation (with training).
• Must be able to cope with death either due to surgical complications or euthanasia.
• Ability to rapidly and accurately process information.
• Ability to recognize a need for assistance and ask for help.
• Ability to cope with frustrating situations and remain calm.
Work Environment:
The offices and operations of a high volume spay/neuter clinic can be high stress and very busy at times. This position is scheduled for five days per week, usually Monday through Friday; however, the schedule can change and may sometimes require weekend or evening hours to complete the job. Can include working overtime depending on clinic needs. Candidate must be flexible with schedule changes and short notice overtime requests.
