Veterinary Careers

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Position Summary

The LVT directly handles inpatient and outpatient care, working hand-in-hand with the veterinarians. The LVT assists in the exam rooms by taking patient history, vital signs, confirming weight, reviewing vaccine needs and preparing vaccines, collecting samples and running diagnostic tests, providing client education, and assisting with animal restraint. LVTs may also see their own appointments for procedures such as pedicures, suture removals, certain vaccine administrations, bloodwork or other lab sample monitoring appointments, surgery admission/discharge, and patient care. Complete daily check lists and assigned responsibilities. LVTs play a key role in communicating with clients, other staff, and veterinarians in person and by phone for ongoing care, follow-up care and patient monitoring. This position requires professional attire (including name tag), groomed appearance, professional interaction with clients, and excellent communication skills.

Performance Attributes are vital to the success of the individual and practice, all staff members should have or develop: Communication, Efficiency, Accuracy, Reliability, Cooperation, Compliance, Clinic Awareness and Energy.

Reports to: Clinic Manager and/or Hospital Administrator

Job Responsibilities

Technical Duties:

• Assist veterinarians in the practice of veterinary medicine and surgery
• Perform in-hospital lab testing and prepare specimens for outside labs
• Assist veterinarians in outpatient exams by taking histories, vital signs and weights as well as providing client education
• Provide nursing care for in-hospital patients
• Conduct surgical & appointment check-ins and discharge hospitalized patients
• Perform client callbacks
• Maintain legally defensible medical records in cooperation with veterinarians

Exams

• Prepare and maintain exam rooms (cleanliness and stocking of supplies and brochures)
• Assist veterinarians in exam rooms by taking patients’ history, vital signs and weight; preparing vaccines and medications; and assisting with medical records
• Educate clients on prevention and wellness topics
• Collect samples and run tests for internal and external parasites
• Accurately fill prescriptions per veterinarians’ instructions: complete with initialing labels. In clinic, script outs & Vets First Choice care cabinet.
• Educate clients about medication instructions and administration
• Discharge surgical patients
• Perform tech appt, ensuring that patient is current on everything and has all medications and preventatives that they are due for and invoice all services performed.

Lab

• Responsible for in-hospital lab testing such as intestinal parasite screens, pre-anesthetic testing, senior screens, complete blood count, urinalysis, heartworm, tick-borne diseases, Feline Leukemia, FIV, cytology, etc. 
• Collect and prepare samples 
• Report diagnostic testing results to veterinarians
• Maintain quality controls and record keeping on in-house lab equipment
• Complete proper sample preparation and paperwork for outside diagnostic lab tests
• Enter accurate and timely charges for all labs, including drop-off samples, to ensure that clients can pay for them  before leaving the clinic

Treatment

• Perform treatments noted on treatment board and in medical records (hospitalized patients, surgeries, dentistry patients & medications)
• Assist veterinarians with daily treatments
• Monitor intensive care patients
• Provide nursing care 
• Take, process & log digital x-rays
• Use and maintain IV pumps

Surgery

• Admit patients scheduled for surgery and dentistry
• Keep surgical materials stocked
• Prepare gown and surgical packs
• Check oxygen concentrator, soda lime, isoflurane levels and f-air canisters
• Prepare surgery suite for surgery
• Prepare instruments; know type of surgical instruments required for specific surgeries
• Assist veterinarians with patient restraint
• Assist veterinarians with induction/intubation or perform induction/intubation
• Surgical preparation of patient
• Monitor anesthesia closely with monitoring equipment such as pulse oximeter and electrocardiogram
• Help maintain anesthesia machine
• Assist veterinarian performing surgery
• Monitor patients waking up from anesthesia; assist with treatment if patient has reaction to anesthesia
• Clean surgery suite and surgical instruments after each procedure following hospital sterilization protocols
• Keep accurate anesthesia monitoring/surgical medical records
• Ensure hospital patients go home well groomed and in an appropriate medical state
• Prepare discharge instructions

Dentistry

• Clean, scale and polish teeth using dental equipment and hand instruments
• Record dental problems in medical records and report them to veterinarians for instructions
• Assist veterinarians performing oral extractions or other dental procedures
• Complete dental report cards and properly record in medical chart
• Take and process digital dental x-rays 
• Prepare dental discharge, complete with take home instructions, before and after pictures and dental chart when indicated
• Clean dental suite and instruments following each procedure

Medical Records

• Update medical records with progress notes every time a conversation is had with a client
• Communicate with doctors and technicians through notations in medical records
• Record information for hospitalized patients including: 
  • Daily status each time a technician touches a patient, with initials, time, procedures and observations
  • Hospitalized procedures such as surgeries, radiographs and dentistry
  • Time anesthesia begins, ends and how many minutes
  • Lab test results
  • Dental charts 
  • Injections, medications, fluid therapy, pain management
• Note homecare instructions given to and reviewed with client
• Create treatment plans and attach to appropriate area of the client’s medical record.
• Ensure that consent forms are completed, signed and dated

Housekeeping Duties:

• Maintain cleanliness & longevity of whole clinic and all equipment by referring to the cleaning charts for each designated area and/or maintenance logs. 
• Keep food out of dental & surgery suites/areas
• Discard sharps in proper containers
• Empty trash
• Clean water and food bowls for hospitalized pets
• Clean cages and bedding for hospitalized pets
• Organize radiology gowns, gloves, making sure they are neatly stored
• Scrub and polish sinks
• Clean cages
• Do laundry
• Participate in shared cleaning schedule of bathrooms and breakroom
• Manage daily check lists

Administrative Duties:

Inventory

• Log controlled drugs in coordination with veterinarian
• Log radiographs in coordination with veterinarian
• Assist with inventory physical count 
• Unpack deliveries, reconcile against packing slip, initial and date all packing slips & restock supplies 
• Restock shelves and drawers in exam rooms and treatment area
• Order supplies such as brochures, IDEXX free tubes, forms, bags, other items that are needed on a routine basis, but not included in inventory
• Write down inventory items in appropriate order books when supplies are running low

Safety

• Follow OSHA requirements
• Follow practice’s health and safety protocols

Administrative

• Be proficient in using our veterinary practice-management software 
• Attach medical records from previous veterinary clinics 
• Enter medical reminders on all new pets that we receive records for.
• Digitally file lab results & inform appropriate veterinarian
• Assist Client Care Specialist when they need extra help
• Attend staff and department meetings
• Take phone calls as needed
• Schedule appointments appropriately with CCS assistance

Professional Growth Duties:

• Belong to professional societies
• Attend continuing education for technicians (conferences, online courses, videos, in-clinic seminars, ignite, etc.)
• Network with technicians from other practices
• Read veterinary and technician journal

Educational Requirements & Skills Needed

Educational Requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Associate’s degree in applied science, veterinary technology
• State license to work as a certified/licensed/registered veterinary technician

Skills Needed:

• Ability to assist veterinarians in the practice of veterinary medicine and surgery
• Self-starter, self-motivated
• Support team members by being encouraging and accepting feedback through communication and staff development.

Physical Obligations:

• Able to lift patients and carry equipment up to 25 pounds; ability to lift patients or carry equipment over 25 pounds with assistance
• Endure sitting, standing and walking on hard floor surfaces for extended periods
• Type information for patient records and prescription labels into the computer
• Able to work in noisy work conditions with sounds from animals and equipment
• Take safety precautions for exposure to toxins, drugs, anesthesia and radiation

If this souds like a great fit for you, please submit your application and we’ll notify you when a position with our team becomes available.