Operating Room/Central Supply Veterinary Nurse (New Bolton Center))

About the role

Penn Vet's New Bolton Center provides an internationally renowned standard of care. Located on a campus of some 700 acres in Chester County, Pennsylvania, New Bolton Center has one of the largest caseloads of any academic large animal hospital in the nation.

Responsibilities

• Assist in preparation and circulation for all surgical procedures in large animal hospital
• Prepare assigned operating rooms as required for intended procedure
• Absorb patients to surgery and properly position for intended procedure
• Prepare patients for surgery by clipping, cleansing and aseptically prepping of surgical site
• Coordinate with other Operating Room Nurses to ensure efficient operation and adequate coverage in all rooms
• Demonstrate thorough knowledge of surgical instruments and surgical equipment operation including Medical Lasers, Cryotherapy, Endoscopy, Laparoscopy and Fluoroscopy
• Demonstrate excellent knowledge of sterile and aseptic technique
• Maintain usual surgical requests and surgery logs, update Department SOP’s
• Enter appropriate billing information into EMR
• Prepare and administer medications, including controlled drugs
• Assist Surgical team in donning of surgical attire and table set up
• Independently operate various surgery table and overhead hoist systems
• Assist Anesthesia staff in recovery of patients
• Prepare and maintain equipment for Pool Recovery System, assign tasks and guide personnel/students throughout Pool Recovery
• Independent operation of steam autoclaves, ETO sterilizer and other equipment
• Review surgery schedule on an ongoing basis to determine priority of surgical instrumentation needed
• Inspect, test, assemble, package and label instruments in preparation of sterilization to ensure that instruments are ready and available when needed
• Guide Harcum veterinary nursing students through daily activities of veterinary nurses; provide demonstration and instruction on all aspects of OR Nursing and Central Supply
• Submit comprehensive student evaluations to Harcum rotation supervisor in a timely manner
• Provide guidance to veterinary students during aseptic preparation and throughout surgical procedures
• Continually develop medical knowledge base in order to effectively teach students
• Provide demonstration and support for students in lab and classroom settings
• Runs biological monitoring and incubates, reads and records biological monitor results
• Decontaminates instrumentation and equipment following facility written policies and procedures
• Prepares disinfectants and other solutions and operates mechanical washers and ultrasonic cleaners for decontamination
• Washes and dries laundry following proper procedures. Maintains the organization of the laundry room
• Recognizes safety hazards and initiates appropriate corrective/preventive measures
• Maintains Department SOP’s
• Assists with ordering and receiving Central Supply stock

Qualifications

• Experienced Veterinary Assistants as well as experienced non-certified Veterinary Technicians will be considered
• Experience with sterile processing techniques is preferred
• Requires ability to function quickly and react to stressful situations involving patient care
• Requires experience in handling of large animals, especially in techniques of restraint
• Good interpersonal skills needed to communicate effectively with faculty, staff, students, and clients both written and orally
• Position requires rotating and on-call schedules as well as occasional overtime, with some weekends as assigned
• Position requires ability to be within a 30-minute travel time to the hospital when on-call
• For Veterinary Nurse A: Associate's Degree from an AVMA-accredited veterinary technician program and 0 to 1 year of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience required
• For Veterinary Nurse B: Associate's Degree from an AVMA-accredited veterinary technician program and 1 to 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience required

Pay

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level.

Benefits

Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.