Do you want to join a dynamic team practicing and teaching the highest standards of Veterinary Medicine? Do you want to advance your technical skills and work in an environment with leading veterinary specialist experts? Do you want to be part of shaping the next generation of veterinarians? If so, we’d love to have you join us! The Veterinary Teaching Hospital requires an Animal Health Technician to work in the Small Animal (SA) Internal Medicine service and to float to other areas of nursing care need in the Small Animal Hospital in the VTH.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position will have primary responsibilities with the SA Internal Medicine Service, and secondary responsibilities in the SA ICU, Community Practice, Primary Emergency, and other specialty services.

Small Animal Internal Medicine Service duties:

• Rounding with SA Medicine technicians upon arrival, attend service rounds at the end of the day, and communicate treatment plans and patient updates to ICU technicians for hospitalized patients
• Working with technicians and clinicians in the small animal hospital to anticipate, organize, and prioritize cases that need to be assisted with throughout the day
• Completing and assisting with treatment orders for patients, including but not limited to sedated procedures, chemotherapy treatments, and blood donor collections
• Ability to perform necessary nursing skills for the various levels of care required (including animal handling and restraint, and basic husbandry)
• Monitoring and reporting to the clinician any abnormalities with the patient in relation to the treatment and/or monitoring of their care and well-being
• Stocking and maintaining supplies in various locations
• Updating patient invoicing
• Assist in the maintenance of medical records
• Monitoring progression of hospitalized patients
• Maintaining biosecurity standards
• Work in a position of flux and change that may revolve around and through many services within the small animal hospital, thus requiring a good working knowledge and team-based approach with all services within the VTH
• Support small animal hospital clinicians, VTH SA interns, and primary service technicians with client and referring DVM communication (including discussing estimates, consent forms, and client education and patient care)
• May be required to participate in a rotational on-call schedule for urgent and emergency needs
• Other related duties as assigned

VTH Technician duties:

• Monitoring, assisting with and completing treatments and procedures for patients
• Perform necessary nursing skills for the various levels of care required (including triage of emergency presentations, animal handling, restraint, and basic husbandry) and assisting with diagnostic procedures including administering sedation and monitoring of sedated patients
• Monitoring and reporting to the clinician any findings or abnormalities with the patient in relation to the treatment and/or status of their care and well-being.
• Support clinicians and VTH interns/residents with client communication (including discussing estimates, consent forms, and client education/care)
• Support client services staff in ensuring an excellent client experience including answering client inquiries, taking payments, and client communication
• Stocking and maintaining supplies, including reconciliation of Cubex inventory cabinets, in various hospital locations
• Assist in the maintenance of complete and accurate patient medical records and billing and working with clinicians and client services staff to ensure that patient bills are completed and paid prior to patient discharge
• Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness and biosecurity standards and other related technician duties as assigned

General duties:

• Must be willing to participate as assigned in an on-call schedule as required for hospital operations and may include some evening/weekend/holiday work
•  Participate in the training of veterinary students, technician students and post-graduate program veterinarians with confidence and support
• Maintain collegial and professional interactions and communication with colleagues, students and clients at all times
• Maintain safe, respectful, professional and ethical conduct, handling and interactions with patients and during patient care as befitting a veterinary teaching hospital environment and in accordance with veterinary regulatory bodies

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must be a graduate of an Animal Health Technician program from a recognized facility
• RVT designation is required
• Three (3) years of work experience with small animals patients is preferred
• One (1) year of experience with advanced technical skills in SA internal medicine and ICU (including oncology, endoscopy, epidurals, nerve blocks, transfusion medicine, emergency medicine) is preferred
• Excellent technical proficiency with experience and confidence with nursing and handling small animal patients, placing catheters and administering IV fluids, performing sample collection, assisting with diagnostic procedures including administering sedation and monitoring sedated patients, performing patient assessments and administering required treatments
• Must possess strong work ethic and accountability with demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills with colleagues and clients, with experience working in a teaching environment an asset
• Demonstrated experience in inputting, maintaining and reviewing patient invoicing
• Strong computer skills with demonstrated ability in Windows and iOS Operating
• Previous experience with electronic medical records is required, with preference given to applicants with knowledge of RxWorks and Smart Flow