City: St. Louis
State: Missouri
Hospital Name: Florissant Animal Hospital
Job Type: Veterinary Technician
Description & Requirements
Florissant Animal Hospital in St. Louis, MO is looking for a Veterinary Technician to join our fantastic staff. You will thrive at our practice if you value healthy life/work balance, a family-like team culture, and dedication to providing top quality medical care. Our ideal candidate would have experience with Avimark software, Idexx lab machines, and Fear Free restraint, but is not required. A team-based mentality, passion for our values, positive outlook, and good follow-through are necessary.
Our hospital offers competitive benefits including: health and dental benefits, PTO, goal-based bonuses 4 times yearly, paid continuing education 401K with match, and discounted veterinary care.
Compensation is based on experience and has potential for increase within 90 days based on performance and skills.
Veterinary Technician Job Description:
A Veterinary Technician has many important responsibilities and plays many roles within the hospital. They apply their professional skills in anesthesia, surgery, dentistry, laboratory testing, patient nursing, and client education and service. Technicians must share a firm belief in the quality of care we provide and communicate this sense of assurance to clients. It is important to know and understand our services and recommendations and be able to clearly convey the value of the services to clients. Excellent client communication skills and commitment to outstanding client service are essential.
Veterinary Technicians are responsible for:
Patient Care:
· Executing safe but effective animal restraint utilizing Fear Free protocols.
· Performs patient’s treatments, using routes such as IV, SQ, PO, and IM.
· Placing IV catheters in animals, assuring that they are maintained, and having complete knowledge of the infusion pumps.
· Monitoring and caring for hospitalized or surgical patients. Keeping animals comfortable and clean.
· Performing duties associated with anesthesia including: preparing animals for surgery, induction, intubation, maintenance of gas anesthesia, monitoring animals during and after anesthetic procedure using monitoring equipment, extubating, and recovery.
· Taking accurate history and temperature, if needed, and entering it into the computer.
Client Service:
· Proper telephone skills, answering quickly, speaking professionally, entering conversations into the record, and take messages appropriately.
· Client education including: Parasites (internal/external, life cycle, treatment, clean up), vaccination (schedules, types, reasons to vaccinate), heartworm disease, puppy and kitten information, healthy weight, behavior, medications, and dental care.
· Updating client information in computer including email, cell number, correct address, and patient picture.
· Performing call backs in a timely manner and entering notes into the computer.
· Creating and explaining estimates to owners.
· Scheduling appointments
· Going over forms and paperwork before and after surgery. Knowledge of discharge instructions and possible complications.
· Preparing discharge instructions for hospitalized and surgical patients.
Technical Skills:
· Understanding the types of medications kept in hospital and where they are located. Also, understanding of commonly used abbreviations like BID, OU, and q24h.
· Knowledge of anesthetic machines and lines.
· Prepping anesthetic machines and exhaust before surgery.
· Knowledge and understanding of sterile technique, ability to scrub in and assist doctor in surgery if needed.
· Preparing animals for surgery including clipping and scrubbing appropriately.
· Knowledge of surgery packs and proper identification of instruments for each pack.
· Knowledge and troubleshooting of ultrasonic cleaner, instrument milk, and autoclave.
· Performing proper dental cleaning, charting, and radiographs.
· Performing proper and safe radiographic technique and positioning.
· Performing laboratory work including: Parasite screens, urinalysis, blood slides, skin and ear cytology’s, skin scrapings, ear mite id, and plating samples for incubation..
· Complete knowledge of reference lab and how to prepare samples.
· Knowledge of types & doses of anesthetic drugs.
General Duties:
· Performing maintenance and troubleshooting hospital equipment including: Anesthetic machines, laboratory equipment, dental machine, laser machine, and x-ray machines.
· Knowledge and utilization of the tag reorder system for inventory and supplies.
· Stocking exam rooms and treatment area as needed.
· Knowledge of computer program and uses.
· Keeping all areas of the hospital clean and tidy.
· Help veterinarians or other staff members accomplish other tasks to make hospital run smoothly.