Responsible to: Practice Manager

Hospital Objective:

Greet every client as if they were family and treat every pet as if they were our own.

Purpose of the Job:

The primary role of the Veterinary Technician is to greet every client as if they were family and treat every pet as if they were our own. The technician should enjoy working with diverse clients and patients in a caring, friendly and efficient manner. A technician’s focus is ever changing in accordance to the priority of the moment. This often requires significant multi-tasking and a creative thinking ability.

The Veterinary Technician must remain professional and courteous to clients and co-workers while handling multiple tasks at once with many interruptions. Technicians should differentiate between routine and emergency cases and be able to triage patients as necessary. Technicians provide training, supervision and leadership for of the members of the team. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to set a good example while promoting a positive work environment, providing direction and motivation to co-workers are important aspects of your position within the hospital.

Veterinary medicine is a very broad field that requires extensive knowledge about specific diseases, breeds, species, procedures, treatments, diagnostics, and veterinary medical standards of care. Please use this job description as a guideline for your responsibilities within the field of veterinary medicine at this hospital.

Education and Qualifications

  • Must be able to read, write legibly and communicate clearly in English both in person and on the telephone.
  • Must be able to read a street map and give directions to the practice.
  • Basic computer literacy including the ability to type on a computer, use a mouse and view information on a computer screen is required.
  • Experience with Microsoft Windows, Word, and Excel is helpful.
  • Employees must have the physical strength and ability to lift and carry a pet or other object weighing up to 40 pounds without assistance.
  • Must be able to work energetically for the entire assigned shift. The shift does not end until all duties are completed for the day or until a doctor or manager dismisses the staff.
  • Please refer to the North Carolina Veterinary Practice Act, section 90-187.6 “Veterinary technicians and veterinary employees”

Daily Responsibilities Include:

  • Provide patient care and leadership.
  • Maintain an organized, neat and professional appearance at all times.
  • Properly restrain patients for examinations, treatments, procedures and understand and accept the risks associated with working with animals and sometimes potentially aggressive or feral animals.
  • Take initiative to review appointment schedule for day, anticipate needs and wants of each appointment and the DVM seeing those appointments. Keep client informed of wait times, if DVM is behind or if emergency has occurred. Keep DVM informed of waiting clients and patients.
  • Perform kennel duties as needed, including but not limited to exercising pet, feeding, watering, maintaining cleanliness of pet and it’s housing, laundry, bathing pets, weekend/holiday/and late night walks as needed due to staffing schedule.
  • Greet clients and patients by name. Make them feel welcome in a courteous and professional manner.
  • Review patient history and verify weight. Review and prepare for patient visit.
  • Obtain TPR and patient history, start medical record in EVET. Prepare other paperwork, vaccines, and/or laboratory samples needed for the patient’s visit.
  • Verify all charges, recalls, and rechecks and have been entered accurately in EVET, alert receptionist when client is ready to check out, noting any recheck or additional appointments that are needed.
  • Manage treatment and exam room stock and cleanliness.
  • Understand vaccine protocols, parasite testing and deworming. Be knowledgeable of medical recommendations made by the DVMs and products (OTC and prescription). Be able to make medical and product recommendations based on hospital standards.
  • Fill and refill prescriptions as approved by DVM.
  • Have basic understanding of products and drugs carried by the hospital. (Differentiate antibiotics, NSAIDS, HWP, etc.)
  • Regularly monitor pets in the clinic to ensure that they’re comfortable, clean, fed and watered as needed and appropriate for the specific reason they are in the hospital. Report any abnormalities to technician or DVM.
  • Support reception by answering calls, greeting clients, making appointments and checking patients in and out as needed
  • Follow up all conversations with a note in EVET.
  • Provide detailed and accurate itemized estimates for procedures in a way that communicates clearly to the client and avoids later unexpected costs.
  • Assist the doctor and technicians as needed including but not limited to surgery, radiographs, treatments and examinations.
  • Must be able to work independently without compromising safety.
  • Must adhere to safety and OSHA regulations according to hospital procedure, and local and state guidelines. Must be familiar with MSDS sheets, their locations, emergency eye wash stations, fire protocols and emergency procedures.
  • Prepare post-operative discharge instructions that clearly communicate to the client proper care of the pet.
  • Remain productive during slow times by seeking additional duties to support practice growth goals and objectives.
  • Follow established security protocols including locking doors and setting alarm to ensure safety and security of patients, staff and the facility. Understand policies regarding after hours work including kennel duties and late night walks.
  • Follow the proper time reporting procedure by using your own password identification to clock in and out.
  • Continually learn and increase skills and knowledge. Seek our growth opportunities within the field of veterinary medicine and for the practice.
  • Maintain hospital cleanliness including trash collection, sweeping and mopping and overall neatness of hospital. Understand disinfecting protocols that involve infectious or contagious disease.
  • Alert inventory supervisor of supplies or medications needed to perform daily functions.
  • Clean and prepare surgery packs, gowns and towels. Be knowledgeable of instruments and basic surgical skills. Be able to use and maintain the autoclave, anesthesia machine, dental machine and oxygen tanks.
  • Receive inventory

Specific Duties of the Veterinary Technician

  • Note that under the North Carolina Veterinary Practice Act, section 90-187.6, a veterinary technician may assist veterinarians in diagnosis, laboratory analysis, anesthesia and surgical procedures. A veterinary technician may not perform any act producing an irreversible change in the animal. The veterinary technician must act under the direct supervision of a veterinarian to perform his or her duties.
  • Restraint of patients and ability to lift 40 pounds by yourself
  • Microchip an animal.
  • Differentiate between different vaccines, draw them up and prepare syringe and needle.
  • Venipuncture
  • Collecting diagnostic samples, including but not limited to fecal samples, skin and ear cytology’s, urine samples and cystocentesis.
  • Read and interpret results to DVM of specific in-house laboratory samples, i.e. blood smears, PCV/TP, urinalysis with sediments, fecal tests, skin/ear cytology, snap tests. Must be careful to remember registered veterinary technicians are not legally able to diagnose any pet. These samples include but are not limited to intestinal parasites, fecal directs and cytology, ear cytology, skin scrape and cytology, urine sediment and stick analysis, heartworm direct and ear mite check.
  • Obtain vitals: temperature, pulse, respiration, mucous membrane color, CRT, blood pressure.
  • Monitor pet during anesthesia and surgical procedures, understand in house monitoring equipment and know the normal vitals while under anesthesia. Be familiar with emergency drugs, CPR, and what to do in case of anesthetic emergency.
  • Maintain control drug log, x-ray and laboratory logs.
  • Assist with radiographs, accurately position pet, obtain picture, set machines and use appropriate safety and precautionary measure to limit radiation exposure to yourself, other pets and other staff members.
  • Clip and clean wounds/lacerations.
  • Apply and remove bandages, splints and casts.
  • Perform dental cleanings, polishing and charting of teeth.
  • Perform nail trims, anal gland expression and ear cleanings.
  • Use in house lab equipment and understand how to maintain it.
  • Calculate drug doses and administer medications (orally, or via injection).
  • Calculate and maintain IV fluids rates.
  • Complete nursing care of all hospitalized pets, including sick and surgical patients.
  • Pre-medicating, inducing, monitoring, and recovering all surgical patients. Maintain and adjust anesthesia levels as appropriate. Scrub and prep patient for surgery.
  • Placing endotracheal tubes.
  • Placing IV catheters and urinary catheters.
  • Assisting with penrose drain placement and wound repairs.
  • Skin suturing as directed by DVM.
  • Scrubbing into surgery as necessary to assist DVM while maintaining sterile field.
  • Match blood samples and prepare for blood transfusions. Monitor those patients.
  • Perform and utilize in house lab equipment: ECG, BP, Pulse O2, glucometer, refractometer, catalyst, lasercyte, laser and dental machine.
  • Other duties as assigned or learned with on the job training that a supervisor feels you are competent to perform.

Client Education and Interaction

  • Maintain a friendly, professional and courteous demeanor at all times.
  • Educate clients about common problems including but not limited to: fleas, heartworm tests and prevention, intestinal parasite testing, feline and canine diseases, common behavior problems, puppy and kitten care, vaccinations, wellness care, routine surgery, dental care, product and dietary recommendations as approved by hospital standards
  • Understand and be able to communicate the hospital’s payment, held check, care credit and other payment options.
  • Educate clients by explaining services and the standard of care the hospital provides. Convey the value of these recommendations to the client.
  • Be familiar with practice website, Facebook page, and other means of communication between hospital and client.
  • Convey information in an accurate and professional manner to the client on behalf of the doctor when the doctor is unavailable to speak with the client directly.
  • Recognize the limits of your knowledge. If you are not absolutely confident that you know the answer to a client’s questions, do not answer it. Ask for support.
  • Never diagnose over the phone or offer unsolicited advice to a client over the phone. Recommend the patient be seen as needed.
  • Call owners with updates on their pets as directed by the DVM, follow up with callbacks and laboratory recalls.
    Provide clients with appropriate literature for pet medical conditions, nutrition, etc. Take advantage to educate the client at every opportunity.

***Understand that these and all duties within the hospital are to be done under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. ***

This job description is subject to addition, subtraction, or revision by Vet Med Alliance at any time. Employees are expected to act in the best interest of the practice, even if so doing requires actions or responsibilities not specifically listed in this job description.