Veterinary Assistant/Receptionist - Mat Leave position

Welcome to Village Cat Clinic. Are you looking for a feline exclusive employment opportunity? Village Cat Clinic offers a quiet, feline focused environment that provides a low-stress experience to our patients. We are seeking a cat-passion veterinary assistant to cover a maternity leave. Position will be 12-18 months in length with potential for full-time following contract.

SUMMARY: The responsibilities of veterinary assistants vary considerably. Veterinarian assistants assist the attending veterinarian and veterinary technician, while maintaining the cleanliness of the clinic and care of patients in the hospital. Veterinary assistants must build positive, professional relationships with clients and staff members. Veterinary assistants must be compassionate and enjoy working closely with patients.

GENERAL TASKS:
Reports for all shifts scheduled.
Reports on time for each shift.
Maintains a professional appearance at all times.
Maintain a friendly demeanor while on the job.
Ensures that exam rooms, treatment and hospital areas are clean and tidy, maintaining a professional appearance at all times.

SPECIFIC TASKS:

EXAM ROOM TASKS:

· Clean and straighten exam rooms to prepare for incoming patients. Spray disinfectants on exam tables, wipe them clean, and dry them. Remove sources of offensive odors; empty trash if necessary. Check floors, walls, doors, and counters, and sweep and clean them as needed to remove hair, body fluids and dirt.

· Keep all exam rooms fully stocked with supplies including needles, syringes, vaccines, stethoscopes, otoscopes, alcohol, peroxide, etc.

· Monitor patients’ behaviors and note potentially aggressive behaviors. Use caution when handling aggressive or potentially aggressive pets. Request assistance when needed.

· Lay out and/or set up instruments that doctors will use during ophthalmic, otic, oral, and/or skin examinations, as determined by the patients’ presenting complaints, prior to the doctors’ arrivals in rooms. Using aseptic procedures draw up vaccines and/or injections that doctors will administer.

· Dispose of used needles and syringes and other sharp objects as set forth by the practice’s policy and OSHA standards.

· Assist the doctor with the exam and any treatment that must be administered.

· Assist with routine exam-room procedures, such as venipuncture’s, skin scrapings, fine-needle aspirates, corneal stains, and ear treatments.

· Effectively handle patients and ensure the safety of clients and personnel during exams.

· Remove sutures and staples and perform nail trims.

· Assist with filling prescriptions prescribed by the doctor and give clients instructions on administering medications.

· Assist with euthanasia procedures. Properly handle remains and prepare for burial or cremation following the proper protocol to ensure that patient remains are returned to clients in a timely fashion if cremation is selected.

· Maintain all equipment and make sure it is cleaned regularly and routine maintenance is performed in order to keep it in good working condition.

· Keep pharmacy fully stocked placing items that need replenished on the want list in a timely fashion or notify the hospital manager.

· Keep pharmacy clean and tidy and free from hazards.

· Keep the lab area and fecal sink clean and stocked well with all supplies.

HOSPITAL AND TREATMENT AREA TASKS:

Nursing-Care Tasks

· Prioritize tasks to maximize clients’ satisfaction and patient’s health.

· Track and use or store comfort items brought by clients for hospitalized patients.

· Keep cages clean and disinfected and place clean, soft bedding in cages as appropriate.

· Prepare meals and feed and water patients as directed by doctors. Note appetite in patient records.

· Maximize patients ‘comfort with a gentle and reassuring manner. Understand that actions that would constitute animal cruelty under state or local laws or the practice’s policies will be grounds for immediate reprimand and/or termination.

· Monitor patients for vomiting, blood, urine, and feces in the cage, water and food consumption. Record any unexpected incidents or changes in record and report to a doctor.

· Monitor patients’ behaviors and note potentially aggressive behaviors. Use caution when handling aggressive or potentially aggressive pets. Request assistance when needed.

· Monitor patients’ conditions and alert doctors with significant changes.

· Follow isolation procedures. Prevent contact between contagious animals and others. Using the designated products and dilutions for disinfectants, properly disinfect your shoes, hands, and clothing before leaving isolation areas.

· Use warning stickers and notations on cage cards and records as appropriate.

· Disinfect cages as soon as possible after patients are removed from them.

Patient-Treatment Tasks

Understand the mechanics and application of basic standards of asepsis.
Administer IV, IM, SQ, oral and topical medications and note in patient record.
Assist in the application of wound dressings and treatments.
Perform suture and staple removals and nail trims.
Understand how to stop bleeding by using styptic powder and other means.
Clip wounds using caution as to not create worse wounds or cause razor burn.
Identify a patients’ level of pain and possible causes of pain, and understand the medications and methods used to control pain.
Medicate and treat patients boarding.

General Tasks

Handle pets in a manner that allows necessary procedures to be performed, minimizing stress to patients and ensures the safety of patients and staff.
Perform in house diagnostic blood tests and prepare samples to be sent out to referral laboratories.
Prepare slides of body fluids. Air dry and stain as directed by individual doctors.
Make blood smears that ensure accurate white and red blood cell interpretation.
M aintain stains and other supplies in a manner that avoids contamination and ensures correct results.
Maintain test kits under proper environmental conditions.
Perform routine ELISA tests such as heartworm and feline viral tests. Set up and read urine specific gravities, hematocrits and total protein tests.
Perform blood glucose tests using AlphaTrak.
Assist with euthanasia procedures.
Keep supplies stocked sufficiently and place any supplies that are in shortage on the want list or notify hospital manager.
Routinely check supplies to ensure that supplies are not out of date.
Monitor patients’ recovery. Protect patients from aspiration and hypothermia. Deflate cuffs and remove endotracheal tubes as gag reflexes return.

CLEANING SURGICAL TASKS

Clean surgical suit and equipment after each use.
Wash, sterilize and store endotracheal tubes using techniques that prevent the spread of disease.
C lean surgical instruments by hand and/or ultrasonic cleaner.
Operate and maintain autoclave.
Pack and autoclave instruments. Ensure that packs contain the proper number and types of instruments and that they are labeled with dates and pack types. Apply pressure and temperature sterilization tape and verify effectiveness of autoclaving afterwards

RADIOLOGY TASKS
Set up patients in acquisition station in preparation for radiographs.
Assist with handling and positioning of patients for radiographic procedures.
Minimize radiation hazards. Use protective equipment and wear exposure badges whenever exposing radiographs.
Consistently mark radiographs using left and right markers.
Assist in holding and positing patient while doctor performs ultrasound exam.

CLIENT SERVICE
Maintain a professional appearance and calm demeanor with all clients and team members.
Answer client questions clearly and accurately.

QUALIFICATIONS:

KNOWLEDGE
Veterinary medical knowledge is not required, but is preferred
Telephone etiquette
English language

SKILLS
Client service and interpersonal skills
Patient handling techniques
Reading and interpreting patient records and cage cards
Basic computer skills, Avimark experience is preferred

ABILITIES

· Professional and courteous

· Flexibility

· Willingness to learn

· Attention to detail

· Adherence to procedures and protocols

· Works well in team environment

· Self-starter and able to work with minimal supervision

QUALIFICATIONS

· High school degree preferred

· Prior veterinary assistant experience is not required, but preferred

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

· Required to stand, walk, talk and hear

· Must use hands and reach with hands and arms

· Occasionally required to site, stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl

· Must be able to properly handle pets

· Must be able to control all pets regardless of size or temperament

· Must be able to regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds without assistance and over 50 pounds with assistance