Certified Veterinary Technician - Internal Medicine

SOVSC is in search of a Certified Veterinary Technician for our Internal Medicine Department. SOVSC offers a comprehensive benefits package, competitive wages, tuition assistance, and significant employee discounts. Weekend and overnight differentials, overtime & holiday pay available! Check us out: Join Our Team

Candidate must be a licensed technician, or eligible to be licensed, in the state of Oregon.

Responsibilities:

• CVTs provide effective and timely support for the staff veterinarians and work closely with the clients, patients and other staff members.
• CVTs provides the highest quality patient care according to the guidelines below.
• CVTs work closely with technician assistants, new employees, as well as other team members to provide training, teaching and mentorship.
• CVTs must follow all hospital policies and keep updated on any policy or nursing standard changes
• CVTs are expected to have good people skills which include being friendly, yet polished, warm and welcoming, and having outstanding and effective communication skills.
• CVTs are expected to maintain the highest standards of personal and professional conduct, being respectful toward others including management, doctors, coworkers and clients at all times.
• CVTs are expected to provide excellent customer service including greeting and assisting clients who seek medical services, gathering patient information, updating clients on patient condition, and accommodating client needs while being sympathetic, compassionate and professional.
• CVTs are expected to field client calls with care and concern, and if unable to take calls immediately, to return them in a timely manner.
• CVTs understands when to direct calls toward a veterinarian or financial liaison
• CVTs are expected to participate in the after-hours on-call rotation, with compensation as reflected in the on-call policy

 Essential functions (not all-inclusive) 

• CVTs understand that maintaining a clean working environment for the veterinary team is the responsibility of all and contributes to that effort.
• Takes steps to maintain patient comfort through a clean and comfortable environment.
• Treats all patients with compassion and kindness and ensures they are clean before discharge.
• Anticipates patient discomfort and stress and takes all necessary precautions to ensure the patient is as comfortable as possible.
• Immediately alerts staff DVM to a changes in patient’s condition.
• Restrain and team-lifts patients as required.
• Performs and assists in patient procedures in the areas of cardiology, surgery, ultrasound, endoscopy, radiology, internal medicine, critical care and emergency medicine.
• Administers high quality patient care through timely monitoring; correctly performs treatments as directed by staff DVM.
• Proficient with placing peripheral and central IVC, obtaining blood and urine samples, and performing injections (SQ, IM, IV).
• Ability to induce, intubate, maintain and recover a patient under general anesthesia.
• Have a general understanding of the medications most commonly used; including usage, dose and appropriate administration.
• Administration of medications as directed, up to and including chemotherapy drugs, which require additional training and PPE for administration.
• Correctly calculates drug dosages and administers drugs as directed by staff DVM.
• Regularly enters patient charges, lab results and client communications in the medical record
• Performs non-subjective laboratory work; and completes training to be proficient in the use of laboratory equipment including (but not limited to): IDEXX Catalyst, Procyte, Lab Station, Coag and iSTAT.
• Performs subjective laboratory work including (but not limited to) CBC differentials, cross matching, urinalysis and fecal exams.
• Takes radiographs as requested by attending DVM; complies with state and hospital regulations regarding radiology safety.
• Assists in equipment maintenance and regular quality control procedures as needed. Trouble shoots equipment failure and reports issues to the Operations Supervisor.
• Clean and sterilizes instruments in a timely fashion. Reports broken or dull instruments according to policy & procedure.
• Restocks supplies and medications as needed, up to and possibly including completion of seasonal inventory and/or ordering of needed items
• Assists in answering telephones if needed. Employs professional phone etiquette and takes accurate and complete messages for hospital staff. Advises callers and clients on the cost of examination, financial policies and driving directions.
• Assists DVM, as needed, in presenting estimates to owners.
• Able to check in client properly, collect funds and discharge patients.
• Shares holiday, vacation and sick coverage as well as on call schedule.
• Attends CE classes as requested by supervisor, and as needed to maintain CVT licensing.
• Attends staff, technician and one-on-one meetings with supervisor as requested.

Knowledge and skill requirements

• Working knowledge and skill required to nurse critically ill and/or emergency patients.
• Ability to problem solves using common sense and the ability to make decisions in order to follow through on DVM orders.
• Knowledge of basic computer functions.
• Ability to work in a fast- paced, stressful work environment. Must be able to maintain professionalism and composure at all times.
• Able to effectively communicate with co-workers, supervisors, clients and the public in a professional manner.
• Ability to speak read and write the English language.

Education and experience

• Candidate must be a licensed technician, or eligible to be licensed, in the state of Oregon.
• Basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills are required.
• Ability to speak, read, and write in the English language.
• Basic computer literacy is necessary with the ability to learn new veterinary based software applications.

Working conditions

• Working conditions are normal for a veterinary hospital.
• The noise level is moderate to high and includes business machines, medical equipment and patients barking and howling.
• Work involves frequent lifting of patients and inventory up to 40 ponds.
• Equipment operation may require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to include but not limited to: eye safety glasses. Lead lined gowns and gloves and latex and/or nitrile gloves.

• As needed for surgeries and procedures, be able to stand in place for indeterminate amount of time to provide retraction and manipulation of limbs and provide instrumentation organization on a sterile surgical field

*ALL APPLICANTS MUST BE 18 OR OLDER TO QUALIFY*

Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.