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. 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.

Job Responsibilities:

  • Technical Duties
  • 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
  • Check-in and discharge hospitalized patients
  • Perform client callbacks
  • Maintain legally defensible medical records in cooperation with veterinarians
  • Standing and walking on flooring for up to 10 hours
  • Typing medical data for prescription labels and to read medical histories

Physical Requirements:

  • Bending, stooping, crouching, kneeling, sitting on the floor, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, restraining, grasping, reaching overhead, twisting throughout the day
  • Moving patients from cages to treatment tables to surgery to radiology and back intermittently
  • Restraining small animals up to 200 pounds intermittently
  • Lift small animals up to 50 pounds
  • Lift, with help, small animals over 50 pounds
  • Place pets on exam tables, treatment tables, surgical tables, radiology table or in cages or move them from these areas

Hearing requirements:

  • Listen to internal organs of patients through a stethoscope
  • Communicate with pet owners over the phone, in examination rooms and by e-mail
  • Communicate over the phone with consultants, referring veterinarians and lab staff

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

Environmental working conditions:

  • Noise from barking/crying dogs and cats
  • Danger of being bitten or scratched by animals
  • Exposure to: toxoplasmosis, gas anesthesia, chemotherapy drugs, radiation, drugs and chemicals under OSHA, Rabies, euthanasia drugs
  • Safety equipment provided for working exposures

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
  • Check in patients being hospitalized, including weight, vital signs and pre-surgical bloodwork.
  • Perform pre-anesthetic exams on surgery and dental patients if the veterinarian has not already assessed patients
  • Discharge surgery and hospitalization patients.

Lab

  • Responsible for in-hospital lab testing such as intestinal parasite screens, pre-anesthetic testing, routine blood 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)
  • Assist veterinarians with daily treatments
  • Monitor intensive care patients
  • Provide nursing care
  • Take and process x-rays
  • Record in 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 on 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 charts
  • Take before-and-after digital photos for clients
  • Take and process dental x-rays

Medical Records

  • Update medical records
  • 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
  • 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
  • Write out treatment sheets from doctors
  • Collect signatures on consent forms and estimates/treatment plans

Housekeeping Duties

  • Maintain cleanliness of surgery suite, treatment area and exam 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
  • Do laundry

Administrative Duties

  • 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)
  • Ability to confront difficult people and address difficult situations
  • Attitude of learning to continually keep up with changes in medicine
  • Thinking abilities and alertness must not be impaired by alcohol, street drugs or prescribed medications
  • Prescribed mood-altering drugs must be taken as directed
  • Positive attitude toward work, staff members, clients, patients, supervisors and self
  • Ability to communicate well
  • Readiness to work as a team member
  • Adaptability to stress

Mental Requirements

  • Alertness to keep safe from possible dangers

Administrative

  • Be proficient in using our veterinary practice-management software
  • File lab results
  • Assist customer service representatives when they need extra help
  • Attend staff and department meetings

Professional Growth Duties

  • 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

  • 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

Apply Now