Emergency Veterinary Technician (Day Shift)

Regional Veterinary Referral Center - Emergency/Critical Care Department

Environment: Do you want to look forward to work, instead of dreading it? Want the freedom to move independently within a team, without being micromanaged? Desire the ability to grow your skills with people who support your career? You should be working with us! We take pride in what we do as an Emergency & Critical Care team and we truly enjoy working together. We get to collaborate on protocols and suggest ideas for improving our medicine. Our mental health is as important as physical health here! Plus our Manager really throws down for Vet Tech Appreciation Week! 

Shifts Available: 7 am - 7:30 pm (Fixed days, higher compensation for weekends)

Purrfect Candidate: We prefer candidates with LVT / CVT / RVT credentials or students currently in Veterinary Technician school, with 1+ years of experience in urgent, emergency or critical care, but also appreciate credentialed technicians or students with solid skills from any veterinary technical discipline.

Responsibilities:

• Triage incoming patients for prioritizing order, take vitals and perform outpatient diagnostics and treatments.
• Partner with patient care team regarding treatment plans, client communication and nursing care concerns.
• Provide client education including, but not limited to: home care instructions, medications (indications, adverse reactions) and general wellness updates on hospitalized patients.
• Assist DVM with patient assessment, treatment and procedures.
• Record and deliver organized rounds, discuss cases and gather additional information as necessary.
• Provide monitoring and nursing care to hospitalized patients.
• Induce and monitor general anesthesia and sedation procedures.
• Perform diagnostics such as phlebotomy, cystocentesis, in house laboratory testing (CBC’s, blood chemistries,urinalysis, SNAP tests, blood typing, crossmatching) blood pressures and radiographs.
• Perform in-house laboratory testing and prepare samples for outside laboratory testing.
• Participate in the team with a positive attitude.
• Perform technical skills including, but not limited to, phlebotomy, IV catheter placement, diagnostic imaging, and blood pressure measurement.
• Perform CPR under the direction of the supervising veterinarian.
• Understanding of commonly used medications and basic medical math.
• Assist Veterinarians in sedated procedures and other duties.
• Aide in the training and mentoring of all assistants and junior technicians.
• Provide technical and nursing care to patients while using critical thinking skills.
• Provide compassion and excellent client care to the owners of our patients.
• Perform hospital sanitation and maintain treatment stock as needed.
• Participate in continuing education and actively work to increase skill set.
• Must have the following tech skills: Administer medications orally and through IV with and without IVC, Jugular venipuncture, Cystocentrisis, Intubation of both dogs and cats.
• Must be able to manage patients in a cage bank on your own, provide updates, conduct rounds, and complete discharges.
• Animal handling skills and at least a basic understanding of animal behavior and low stress handling techniques.
• Ability to remain calm and multi-task in a stressful environment.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing with a variety of individuals.
• Ability to learn, apply new skills and follow through with directions/tasks.
• Ability to stand for 8 hours
• Assist veterinarians with a variety of emergency procedures and critical care situations
• Clean wounds and applies casts or bandages
• Give injection and takes blood samples
• May have to be on call in the intensive care unit
• Knowledge of the preparation, monitoring, and recovery of pets receiving surgery, as well as basic pet nursing.
• Understand and limit the potential exposure to bites, scratches and potential injuries.
• Able to restrain patients according to standard procedures.
• Ability to work with or around sick animals, potentially hazardous materials, cleaning chemicals, gas anesthetics, zoonotic diseases, and unpleasant odors.
• Display confidence and reassurance when dealing with pets experiencing severe stress, illness or pain.
• Some tasks involve the periodic performance of moderately physically demanding work, usually involving lifting or carrying moderately heavy animals (up to 50 pounds).
• Answer phones and perform other duties as needed by the hospital.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by Manager or practice.
• Determine animal requirements by conducting examinations and interviews, reviewing care plans and records, completing laboratory tests and studies, and diagnostic imaging.
• Support patient examinations and operations by assembling required supplies and instruments, securing and bringing patients to examination rooms, and restraining patients; aids as directed by veterinarian.
• Provide excellent pet care by applying full knowledge of anatomy, physiology, disease processes, pharmacology, specialized equipment usage, and specialized drug administration, obtain and verifying medications.
• Ensure that patients have food and water, cleans patients ' rooms, cages, and equipment; observes patients for clinical signs of disease.
• Maintain medical records by documenting patients’ conditions, reactions, and changes; updates database in an accurate and timely manner.
• Communicate with the pet owner about the status of the patient, as directed by the veterinarian.
• Maintain inventory, places orders for needed supplies, verifies, and maintains receipts.
• Update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities and reading professional journals.
• Release pets to their owners as directed; ensures that every animal released is clean and properly groomed before their release.

Compensation: We feel that pay should coincide with credentials, experience, shift commitment and work ethic (up to $35 hr). We also offer a sign on bonus!

Benefits: Besides working with a pawsome team, we offer great benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401K, paid holidays, PTO, CE and Uniform Allowance and generously discounted pet care. Along with our Emergency & Critical Care Department, the Regional Veterinary Referral Center is a compassionate, progressive, client centered specialty and referral hospital in Springfield, VA that offers:

• Surgery (Orthopedic and Emergency)
• Internal Medicine (Ultrasound & Endoscopy)
• Medical Oncology (Chemotherapy & Hospice)
• Neurology (MRI & Surgical Suite on site)
• Cardiology (Echocardiograms)
• Dermatology & Allergy (Custom Vaccines)
• Rehabilitative Therapy (Including water treadmill)
• Radiocat (I-131 treatment)