Animals

Certified Veterinary Technician/Veterinary Assistant

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:  Certified Veterinary Technician/Veterinary Assistant

Reports To:  Practice Manager and Practice Owner

 

SUMMARY

 

Assist and carry out those tasks required to maintain client communications, patient care, and hospital inventory as determined by veterinarians.

 

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES, which include collections and processing of blood, urine, tissue, or fluid samples, in house differentials, and performing diagnostic procedures, such as fine needle aspiration, biopsy, bone marrow aspiration, cytology, etc, taking multiple X-RAY images and understanding the patient positioning and alignment for radiological studies, placing IV catheters,

 

ANESTHESIA SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES, which include preparation and administration of preanesthetic drugs and gases, intubation, patient monitoring, including direct and indirect blood pressure measurements, etc, patient recovery, and sanitation of anesthetic equipment

 

SURGICAL SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES, which include reviewing detailed pre- and post-operative requirements, including medications, scrubbing in to surgical procedures, practicing all aspects of sterile technique, cleaning and sterilization of used surgical instruments, administration of local anesthesia and regional nerve blocks, epidural anesthesia, constant rate infusions of various narcotic drugs

 

DENTISTRY SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES, which include performing prophylactic dental cleanings on canine and feline patients, tooth counting and charting, patient intubation, anesthetic monitoring and recovery, non-surgical extraction of teeth, assisting veterinarian with surgical extractions and other oral surgery

 

OUTPATIENT CARE RESPONSIBILITIES, which include case presentation at rounds, rooming and admitting patients/ clients, TPR, medication administration, filling prescriptions, and client education, including estimates, side effects, drugs, conditions, etc.

 

INPATIENT CARE RESPONSIBILITIES, which include walking dogs, ensuring comfortable bedding for dogs and cats, cleaning runs, bowls, bedding, etc, feeding, watering, medicating inpatients, providing litter boxes, notation of changes in medical or mental status, and bathing patients when needed.

 

DAILY WARD DUTIES, which include which include walking dogs, ensuring comfortable bedding for dogs and cats, providing fresh litter boxes, cleaning runs, bowls, bedding, etc., feeding, watering, medicating inpatients, notation of changes in medical or mental status, and bathing patients when needed, stocking and cleaning all rooms, wards, sinks, and tubs.

 

PATIENT HANDLING DUTIES, which include assisting veterinarians and other technicians in handling patients for procedures, exams, xray, sample collection, etc, using safety equipment such as muzzles when needed keep patients warm and dry, monitor patients for needing to go out for elimination.

 

PATIENT LIASON DUTIES, which include recording all client conversations, patient procedures, patient observations, etc. in medical records, calling clients to update on patient condition, communicating drop off and pick up times, creating and executing reminder phone calls, assisting the veterinarian with client phone calls and questions, and maintaining/ creating client information packets, discussing pre-anesthetic lab work with clients, communicating post-operative care instructions to clients

 

INVENTORY AND SUPPLY DUTIES, which include maintaining a clean and orderly practice, checking inventory supplies, maintaining supply lists, stocking of rooms, treatment rooms, wards, etc., and maintaining the controlled drug log per DEA requirements.

 

PATIENT BILLING DUTIES, which include creation of estimates and invoices for all services rendered, bringing patients to clients after payment, and charge verification with outside labs and services.

 

OTHER POSSIBLE DUTIES, which include completing available continuing education, and other duties assigned to you.

 

After completing training in front office duties, all Technicians will also be trained in and expected to assist in the following:

 

Welcoming Clients:  Knowing client and patient names and the reason for their visit, assisting with coffee, restroom, etc, smile and be empathetic and comforting

 

Phones: Place priority on answering the phone before the 4th ring, ensure that appropriate coverage exists to phones are never left unanswered, check and process voicemail, triage phone calls for techs and DVMs and degree of urgency. Process all client phone requests and document all phone conversations with clients in the medical record.

 

Appointment scheduling: Scheduling new and existing patients on the phone and in person, collecting data, placing reminder calls 1 day before, making recheck appointments at the time of check-out, and tracking and rescheduling cancelled appointments.

 

Medical Records: Recording all conversations with clients in the medical records, recording messages and patient updates, obtaining medical records from referring practices, alerting referring practices of patients euthanized at our practice, fax records when requested

 

Housekeeping: Maintain a clean and tidy reception desk and lobby, free from animal hair and bodily waste, ensure coffee station is clean and stocked, assist technicians in cleaning the exam rooms.

 

Fax/email/mail: Mail medications, information, etc to clients, other practices, etc., answer or triage emails in general contact box, alert DVMs to incoming faxes via email, process incoming mail, ensure outgoing mail is retrieved by post office

 

Social Media: Create Facebook and twitter posts on behalf of the practice, assist clients in filing out Social Media Waiver, take photos of each pet for the record

 

Financial Management: Collect payment at the time of service, assist clients with filing out CareCredit applications, settle merchant credit machine at the end of each day, maintain accurate financial records regarding the cash drawer, compile daily checks and credit card reports and give to Practice Owner at the end of the day unless instructed otherwise.

 

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/ or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • Communicate effectively with clients.
  • Work within a team framework and interact as the situation dictates.
  • Communicate and understand verbal and written directions.
  • EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
  • Completion of an accredited veterinary technology program and appropriate registration status.
  • LANGUAGE SKILLS:
  • Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.  Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.  Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees.
  • MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:
  • Ability to calculate figures and amounts, such as discount percentages, inventory markup, area, circumference, volume, drug dosages in mL or mg, conversion of pounds to kilograms, kilograms to pounds, and kilograms to meters squared.  Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra.
  • REASONING ABILITY:
  • Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.  Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
  • CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:
  • Registration status is preferred and is the responsibility of the employee to maintain appropriate renewal requirements.
  • WORK ENVIRONMENT:
  • The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals and risk of radiation.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to the possibility of an animal bite or scratch from an animal.
  • The noise level in the environment is moderate.
  • PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
  •  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.
  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, restrain, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk or hear.  The employee is frequently required to sit.  The employee is regularly required to lift up to 50 pounds.  The vision requirements include: close vision, distant vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

DISCLAIMER: This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive listing of duties expected of this position. This job description, the duties and expectations may change at any time.