Veterinary Technician - Shift Lead

REPORTS TO: Lead Registered Veterinary Technician/Nurse, Medical Director, and Practice Managers

Registered Veterinary Technician position includes all requirements and responsibilities listed in the Registered Veterinary Technician job description. In addition to, maintaining a professional environment, exuding confidence and leadership skills, facilitating the daily flow within GP/Preventative Care Services area, and acting as the liaison between staff and management within their inventory and regulatory compliance area. This position acts as an opening shift leader and reports to the lead RVT and the practice managers.

• Be liaison between staff and management, report concerns to the technician supervisor or a practice manager.

• Maintain a professional and safe environment in the practice and refrain from negative talk, gestures or implied attitudes that reflect poorly on the hospital.

• Strong work ethic, excellent communication skills, regular attendance, teamwork, initiative, dependability and promptness are essential.

• Accept responsibility, or maintain accountability, listen to staff and clients objectively, help set the tone for a positive image of the practice.

• Assist with new employee training. Assign projects to clinical assistant and participate in projects during down time if all other work is completed.

• Adjusts their daily schedule if a staff member calls off.

• Understands staff injury protocols Maintains patient, client and employee confidentiality Morning opening checklist and protocols are completed at the beginning of your shift, and you work closely with your clinical assistant and supervisor to complete as a team.

• Understands and participates in Inclement weather protocols

• Admit patients for in-patient or out-patient procedures perform technician exams according to hospital procedure, fill prescriptions written and authorized by a DVM, prepares histories, takes vital signs and prepares vaccines.

• Acts as scribe during examination and prepares outpatient report cards during examinations.

• Able to collect all lab samples (urine via free catch or cystocentesis, phlebotomy, feces, skin scrapings, etc), prepare samples to send out or perform in-house tests, and maintain the laboratory log and assigned equipment maintenance.

• ​​​​​​​Performs all patient treatments ordered by the DVM (medicating, TPR, close observation and charting, helps monitor intensive care patients, take and develop x-rays, use IV pumps, monitors, dental machines, knows principles and practices of intra-oral radiology to assist in procurement or set up of this suite and anesthesia machines.

• Induce anesthesia and intubate, monitor anesthesia, assess anesthetic risk and communicate clearly to DVM, prepare patient for elective surgery using hospital procedure, assist surgeon, calculate drug dosages related to surgery/treatment/anesthesia/critical care/emergency and keep thorough surgery logs/sheets/anesthesia sheets.

• Can maintain all surgical equipment, surgery packs, surgical inventory, cold trays and the surgery prep room and surgery suite.

• Clean, scale and polish teeth with dental machine and hand instruments, hospitalization procedures, injections and fluid therapy.

• Can provide compassionate, communicative care to patients and clients. Can conduct oneself in a confident and professional manner even when stressed and/or focused on individual tasks.

• Can legibly keep accurate medical records in accordance with hospital policy.

• Can prepare and maintain the exam rooms and treatment areas. Can perform veterinary technician physical assessments and records observations on the computer.

• Can effectively restrain pets even when large or difficult. Knows or can learn, all common preventative care screening, testing, vaccines/vaccination protocols, parasite prevention, and protocols and can explain the importance of these protocols to clients.

• Understands the importance of a clean and orderly facility, and does not hesitate to clean, or organize as part of normal job duty.

• Maintains positive, cooperative relationships with other employees.

• Can explain necessary follow-up and homecare instructions as assigned by dvm.

• Can properly care for all surgical materials and equipment; assists with keeping the operating room properly stocked and prepared for surgery.

• Can be set up for basic clinical laboratory procedures such as fecal flotation exams, heartworm checks, skin scrapings, urinalysis, ear cytology, etc.

• Can effectively assist with the positioning for and taking of basic radiographs under the direction of a DVM or RVT.

• Understands the use and care of IV pumps.

• Supervises clinical assistant staff and helps ensure that patients and medical boarders are well groomed and in a medically appropriate state prior to discharge.

• Is responsible for overseeing medical boarding animals, on some assigned weekends--provides some supervision of assistants and may participate in some duties including walking, feeding, and administering medications.

• Helps maintain equipment and facilities using chemicals and supplies; and standard operating procedures.

• Understands the importance of the safety of the use of chemicals in our facility.

• Helps maintain the cleanliness of the hospital each day.

• Performs other duties as assigned including assisting in the front office and performing administrative phone duties related to nursing care.

Monday - Wednesday: 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Every Other Thursday: 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Every Other Thursday – Off
Fridays: 8:30 am – 5:30 PM
One Saturday am clinic per month, one Sunday Per Month, and Selected Shared Holidays 8 AM – 12:00 PM/6pm-8pm for Direct Care and Facility Maintenance Only

Complete a 2 or 4-year program in Veterinary Technology and pass the state board exam as required in becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician Maintain a current certification status while working as a Registered or Certified Veterinary Technician by taking 20 hours of continuing education within 2 years.

Previous animal care background is necessary.

• Minimum of 18 years old. Genuinely enjoys working with animals and is able to work with them even when they are stressed, ill or in pain.

• Can stay calm and efficient during a medical crisis. Is well-spoken and approaches his/her job duties with maturity. Is experienced in the teamwork approach and works well with all levels of hospital team members.

• Demonstrates effort toward developing excellent client communication skills.

• Ability to maintain an alertness level to keep safe from possible danger, resilience after disappointment or constructive feedback, compassion, to follow the ethical guidelines of your profession and this hospital, powers of keen observation for patient care, excellent reading/comprehension/legible writing skills, ability to negotiate with difficult people and problem solve and the ability to make rational and effective decisions.

• Keep team mentality in mind at all times, be prepared and willing to offer assistance and ask for assistance when needed, keep a positive professional outlook, completely abstain from gossip/negative observation regarding clients/team members or other professionals or other behavior that can whittle away at the healthy foundation of a team.

• Attend staff meetings, participate in hospital functions like open house, community efforts and special events.

• Be prepared to present topics at the occasional staff meetings.

Work requires lifting, carrying, and restraining animals (will be assisted by other staff members in lifting animals over 50 lbs). Walks or stands for extended periods of time; frequently works in a bent position.

• Will be exposed to unpleasant odors, noises, animal feces, urine, blood, and vomit.

• May be exposed to bites, scratches, and contagious diseases.

• Will be expected to work without access to the personal cell phone with the exception of two 10min breaks per shift.

• Exposure to various risks including but not limited to; toxoplasmosis, gas anesthesia, chemotherapy drugs, radiation, drugs and chemicals under OSHA, rabies and euthanasia.