Job Title: Veterinary Technician
Reports to: Hospital Director
FLSA Status: Non-exempt
Summary of Job Purpose and Function
Assist and carry out those tasks required to maintain client communications, patient care, and hospital inventory as determined by veterinarians.
Essential Responsibilities and Tasks
EXEMPLIFY AND EMBODY CARA’S CULTURE EVERY DAY. All employees are expected to exemplify Cara’s five pillars on a daily basis: Put Pets First. Trust the Parent. Authentically Human. Good Neighbors. Shake Things Up. Employees should also be willing and capable of multi-tasking, confidentially navigate various types of technology throughout the practice, and use mathematical skills accurately throughout their daily tasks. Employees must also mentally and physically stay organized to help ensure the clients and patients receive the best possible experience. Cara employees are also required to be mentally flexible, adaptable, and resilient to working in a stressful and demanding work environment. All Cara employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. They are also expected to be independent while working in their role, show integrity, be willing to collaborate with others, and to show always be a team player and show initiative.
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 postoperative requirements, including medications, scrubbing into 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, x-ray, 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 Schedule 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 records, 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
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 the Hospital Director at the end of the day unless instructed otherwise.
Hiring Qualifications
Special Working Conditions
- Employee should expect to spend nearly all of their workdays standing, sitting and typing at a computer.
- They should have a physical strength and the ability to safely lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds without assistance.
- Able to assist in lifting patients weighing more than 50 pounds.
- Must possess sufficient strength and assertiveness to effectively restrain patients and ensure the safety of clients and personnel.
- Ability to be confident around pets (ex: dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc.)
- The noise level in the work environment is moderately high.
- Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form and to solve problems involving several variables.
- Requires ambulatory skills sufficient to perform duties while at hospital.
- Ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb as well as manipulate (lift, carry, move) up to 50 pounds.
- Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm-hand-finger dexterity with the ability to reach and grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read information.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
- Staff is routinely exposed to pets that may bite or scratch, and on occasion, exposed to anesthesia, radiation, biological hazards and medication/ controlled substances
Experience, Education and/ or Training
- Completion of an accredited veterinary technology program and appropriate registration status.
- This position requires a high school diploma or further education.
- Possesses excellent computer skills
- Previous back and/or front office work experience preferred
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.