Veterinary Assistant

About the role

The Veterinary Assistant represents the mission and values to all clients. Our Veterinary Assistants set the tone for the technical and customer support in the hospital, and are responsible, like all team members, for fostering cohesion and motivation within the practice.

• Ensure the patient's needs always come first.
• Deal with and resolve contentious issues as they occur, or as soon as possible.
• Exceptional teamwork and commitment to shared goals benefit the entire organization.

Essential Job Functions

• Greet clients and patients arriving for appointments and escort them into an exam room, obtain weight and vital signs (temperature, pulse, respirations) and record the electronic medical record.
• Aid doctors with appointments (routine and emergency), surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia, under supervision from the veterinarian credentialed veterinary technician, HOM and HLOD.
• Perform patient restraint, obtain and process laboratory samples, handle and dispense medications at the direction of the veterinarian and help maintain the electronic medical record.
• Schedule appointments, provide client education, relay test results to doctor and clients, and maintain and update client/patient records.
• Help prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures and assist doctor and/or veterinary technician in anesthetizing patients.
• Maintain patients safely under anesthesia while monitoring vital parameters, help monitor patients during recovery and prepare them for hospital discharge or transfer to an overnight care facility.
• Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, perform in-hospital treatments for sick patients including giving injectable and oral medications as well as intravenous fluid therapy; keep patients clean, watered, and fed (when indicated and directed by doctor), safely walk canine patients when necessary for elimination.
• Keep hospital environment neat and clean; perform regular cleaning of environment based on necessity as well as based on a pre-determined maintenance schedule.

Nature of Supervision

• In all activities related to the care of individual patients, the incumbent will take direct supervision from the veterinarians as well as the Veterinary Technician.
• For purposes of overall supervision, the incumbent takes direction from the HOM/HLOD or from the supervising technician for the shift.

Planning and Problem Solving

• Contribute to the growth of productive practice while focusing on a high-quality standard of care.
• Create an optimal environment that ensures employee retention, patient well-being, and customer satisfaction.

Supervisory Responsibility

• This position has no immediate supervisory duties.

Education/Experience

• Preferred to have at least 1-year previous experience working in veterinary practice or sufficient relatable animal care experience to ensure excellent performance at the above-listed skills.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be compassionate and sympathetic, and be able to maintain a professional attitude and demeanor during emotional and stressful situations.
• Must have telephone and computer skills.
• Must be a team player willing to learn new techniques and treatments, offer creative ideas, and accept change.

Work Environment

• The majority of job duties are conducted in the Veterinary Hospital.
• Position requires bending, kneeling, lifting (up to 30 pounds, as necessary) and standing for long periods of time.
• A large amount of this partner’s time will be spent in direct contact with clients and their pets.

Contacts

• This position will regularly communicate with clients, veterinary specialists, and companies that provide products and/or services that the practice utilizes.

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.

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