Job Description: Certified Veterinary Technician

Position Summary

A certified veterinary technician directly handles inpatient and outpatient care, working hand-in-hand with veterinarians. The technician assists in exam rooms by taking patients’ history, vital signs and weight; preparing vaccines; collecting samples and running diagnostic tests; providing client education; and assisting with animal restraint. Technicians also may see their own appointments for procedures such as suture removal, nail trim, vaccine administration when a doctor exam is not required, long-term medication monitoring testing, surgery admission and discharge and boarding check-in exams. Technicians directly impact doctors’ productivity, client service and patient care. Technicians play a key role in communicating with clients in person and by phone for follow-up care and patient monitoring.

Reports to: Technician Supervisor, Medical Director and/or Practice Manager

Job Responsibilities

Technical Duties, 90%:

• Assist veterinarians in the practice of veterinary medicine and surgery
• Perform in-hospital lab testing and prepare specimens for outside labs
• Assist veterinarians in outpatient exams by taking histories, vital signs and weights as well as providing client education
• Provide nursing care for in-hospital patients
• Conduct pre-admission exams and discharge hospitalized patients
• Perform client callbacks
• Maintain proper care and medication administration of boarding animals and assist kennel staff
• Maintain legally defensible medical records in cooperation with veterinarians

Exams

• Prepare and maintain exam rooms (cleanliness and stocking of supplies and brochures)
• Assist veterinarians in exam rooms by taking patients’ history, vital signs and weight; preparing vaccines and medications; and assisting with medical records
• Educate clients on prevention and wellness topics
• Collect samples and run heartworm, tick-borne disease and intestinal parasite tests
• Fill prescriptions per veterinarians’ instructions
• Educate clients about medication instructions and administration
• Perform admission exams for patients being hospitalized, including weight, vital signs and pre-surgical exam
• Perform pre-anesthetic exams on surgery and dental patients if the veterinarian has not already assessed patients
• Discharge patients for dentistry, spay, neuter and declaw surgeries
• Conduct dental recheck exams

Lab

• Responsible for in-hospital lab testing such as intestinal parasite screens, pre-anesthetic testing, senior screens, complete blood count, urinalysis, heartworm, tick-borne diseases, Feline Leukemia, FIV, cytology, etc.
• Collect and prepare samples
• Report diagnostic testing results to veterinarians
• Maintain quality controls and record keeping on in-house lab equipment
• Complete proper sample preparation and paperwork for outside diagnostic lab tests

Treatment

• Perform treatments noted on treatment board and in medical records (hospitalized patients, surgeries, dentistry patients, boarding medications)
• Assist veterinarians with daily treatments
• Monitor intensive care patients
• Provide nursing care
• Take and process x-rays
• Accurately number and file x-rays; record x-rays in log and medical records
• Use and maintain IV pumps

Surgery

• Admit patients scheduled for surgery and dentistry
• Keep surgical materials stocked
• Prepare gown and surgical packs

·         Check oxygen lines and waste gas scavenger system; turn off scavenger system after surgical procedures are completed

• Prepare surgery suite for surgery
• Prepare instruments; know type of surgical instruments required for specific surgeries
• Assist veterinarians with patient restraint
• Assist veterinarians with induction/intubation or perform induction/intubation
• Surgical preparation of patient
• Monitor anesthesia closely with monitoring equipment such as pulse oximeter and electrocardiogram
• Help maintain anesthesia machine
• Assist veterinarian performing surgery
• Monitor patients waking up from anesthesia; assist with treatment if patient has reaction to anesthesia
• Clean surgery suite and surgical instruments after each procedure following hospital sterilization protocols
• Keep accurate anesthesia/surgical medical records
• Ensure hospital patients go home well groomed and in an appropriate medical state

Dentistry

• Clean, scale and polish teeth using dental equipment and hand instruments
• Perform fluoride treatments
• Record dental problems in medical records and report them to veterinarians for instructions
• Assist veterinarians performing oral extractions or other dental procedures
• Complete dental report cards
• Take before-and-after digital photos for client handouts
• Take and process dental x-rays

Medical Records

• Update medical records with progress notes
• Communicate with doctors and technicians through notations in medical records
• Record information for hospitalized patients including:
• Daily status each time a technician touches a patient, with initials, time, procedures and observations
• Boarding information
• Hospitalized procedures such as surgeries, radiographs and dentistry
• Pre-surgical exam findings, anesthesia risk
• Time anesthesia begins, ends and how many minutes
• Suture material, suture pattern; incision location and size; veterinarian’s surgical notes
• Lab test results
• Dental charts
• Injections, medications, fluid therapy, pain management

• Note homecare instructions given to and reviewed with client
• Create estimates/treatment plans
• Collect signatures on consent forms and estimates/treatment plans

Housekeeping Duties, 5%:

• Maintain cleanliness of surgery suite, treatment area and exams rooms for all surfaces, including lights, tables, cabinets, walls and floors
• Maintain equipment cleanliness and longevity by vacuuming pet hair from keyboards, wheels and equipment
• Vacuum computer keyboards in treatment area, lab/pharmacy and exam rooms
• Clean glass windows and doors in surgery suite, treatment area and exam rooms
• Sweep and mop floors in surgery suite, exam rooms and treatment area
• Keep food and drinks out of treatment area and surgery suite
• Discard syringes in proper containers
• Empty trash
• Clean water and food bowls for hospitalized pets
• Clean cages and bedding for hospitalized pets
• Organize radiology gowns, gloves and badges, making sure they are neatly hung or stored
• Scrub and polish sinks
• Wipe down walls and baseboards in the surgery suite, treatment area and exam rooms
• Clean cages
• Do laundry

Administrative Duties, 3%:

Inventory

• Log controlled drugs
• Assist with inventory physical count
• Know how to use the inventory module in our veterinary practice-management software
• Unpack deliveries, reconcile against packing slip and restock supplies
• Restock shelves and drawers in exam rooms and treatment area

Safety

·         Follow OSHA requirements

·         Follow practice’s health and safety protocols

• Maintain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

Administrative

• Be proficient in using our veterinary practice-management software
• File lab results
• Send out x-ray badges monthly; supervise monitoring badges; file reports
• Assist receptionists when they need extra help
• Attend staff and department meetings

Professional Growth Duties, 2%:

• Belong to professional societies
• Attend continuing education for technicians (conferences, online courses, videos, in-clinic seminars, etc.)
• Network with technicians from other practices
• Read veterinary and technician journals

Educational Requirements & Skills Needed

Educational Requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Associate’s degree in applied science, veterinary technology
• State license to work as a certified/licensed/registered veterinary technician

Skills Needed:

• Ability to assist veterinarians in the practice of veterinary medicine and surgery

Physical Obligations:

• Able to lift patients and carry equipment up to 25 pounds; ability to lift patients or carry equipment over 25 pounds with assistance
• Endure sitting, standing and walking on hard floor surfaces for extended periods
• Type information for patient records and prescription labels into the computer
• Able to work in noisy work conditions with sounds from animals and equipment
• Take safety precautions for exposure to toxins, drugs, anesthesia and radiation