Veterinary Technician Float Position

Job Description

Job Description : n nDescription : This position is managed by Hard Luck Animal Welfare Advocates, a nonprofit managing the medical services provided at the Stockton Animal Shelter.

The person in this position is responsible for assisting in the daily medication of animals, cleaning of kennels, packing of surgical instruments and more.

This position is ideal for current or recently graduated vet tech students, or any vet tech looking to transition into shelter medicine.

We offer full-time and part-time positions. Full-time employees working 30 hours or more qualify for medical, dental, and vision benefits sponsored by Hard Luck Animal Welfare Advocates.

Requirements : Float Daily Tasks and Timeline 8 : 00am-8 : 30am Medicating dogs in the Shelter 1. Print off daily treatment for shelter animals a.

Reports b. Treatment to do list- daily c. print only AM treatments 2. Check and verify medication list to see if any medications in the treatment trailer need to be dosed out and taken down to the med kart.

3. For example : Clavamox Drops, azithromycin, etc. 4. Administer medication to shelter animals as directed. 5. Make sure to follow the 5 R’s before administering any medication to a patient.

a. Right Patient b. Right medication c. Right dose d. Right time e. Right route 6. Before signing off on medication given, employee must first verify that medications were ingested / given.

7. If patient does not take his / her medications with the regular canned food- employee is encouraged to try other options such as spreader chicken.

If the patient was accepting of the chicken, please write that down in the notes section to communicate with others what has been tried and worked.

8. If we have tried all other food options and they are still not accepting the medication, please tell the technicians in the treatment trailer right away.

From there, they will work to either coordinate with the Behavior Team to give the medications or pass that information to DVM on staff for review.

Treatments should not be skipped or dismissed without direction from the treatment trailer. 9. While walking through the kennels, employees are also scanning patients for any issues that should be brought to the DVM’s attention.

10. For example, any signs of kennel cough or diarrhea needs to be reported to the treatment trailer for review. One is encouraged to make a list of patients to be handed off at the end of medicating a.

If the patient is in critical condition, one should bring that patient up right away or if one needs help transporting ask for help right away.

b. Patients in critical condition can be described as lateral recumbent, heavy breathing, non-responsive and / or open mouth breathing in felines, etc.

When in doubt, please inform the treatment trailer as soon as possible. 11. Special feedings : Some patients will be prescribed a special diet and / or a special feeding amount and schedule.

These instructions need to be followed as prescribed. There will be signs up that state Med Staff to feed - this is a signing communicating with shelter staff NOT to feed the animal.

It is the Float position responsible for the patient eating for the day. 12. Treatment sheets ending : If a patient's treatment sheet is ending on your assigned day, it is the employee’s responsibility to follow up with med staff to make sure there is a review date in the computer for that day- this also includes special feedings.

Before the end of day that current treatment sheet needs to be pulled by medical or medications extended per DVM orders.

Medical patients left for the next is unacceptable, and the employee will be held accountable for their lack of action. 13.

All employees with questions regarding patients are encouraged to ask, our goal is for the animals to live in better conditions than when they arrived.

8 : 30am-9 : 30am Medicate, feed and Clean CI 1. All kennels are to be cleaned thoroughly in the AM with dilute rescue. Newspapers, litterboxes, bowls, and bedding should be changed daily.

The patient(s) should be moved to one side of the kennel while cleaning the other. 2. Both dry food and a ¼ canned of wet food should be offered to each patient.

3. Employees are expected to wear gloves between each patient unless the patients are housed in the same kennel. This is important to minimize the spread of contagious diseases from one kennel to the next.

4. Make sure to follow the 5 R’s before administering any medication to a patient. a. Right Patient b. Right medication c.

Right dose d. Right time e. Right route 5. Before signing off on medication given, employee must first verify that medications were ingested / given.

6. If a patient does not take his / her medications with basic techniques or the employee is afraid of the patient, please tell the technicians in the treatment trailer right away.

From there, they will show you other methods of medicating a cat, i.e., a towel or passing that information to DVM staff for review.

Treatments should not be skipped or dismissed without direction from the treatment trailer. 7. While cleaning the kennels, employees are also scanning patients for any issues that should be brought to the DVM’s attention.

a. If the patient is in critical condition, one should bring that patient up right away or if one needs help transporting ask for help right away.

b. Patients in critical condition can be described as lateral recumbent, heavy breathing, non-responsive and / or open mouth breathing in felines, etc.

When in doubt, please inform the treatment trailer as soon as possible 8. Special feedings : Some patients will be prescribed a special diet and / or a special feeding amount and schedule.

These instructions need to be followed as prescribed. There will be signs up that state Med Staff to feed - this is a signing communicating with shelter staff NOT to feed the animal.

It is the Float position responsible for the patient eating for the day. 9. Treatment sheets ending : If a patient's treatment sheet is ending on your assigned day, it is the employee’s responsibility to follow up with med staff to make sure there is a review date in the computer for that day- this also includes special feedings.

Before the end of day that current treatment sheet needs to be pulled by medical or medications extended per DVM orders.

Medical patients left for the next is unacceptable, and the employee will be held accountable for their lack of action. 10.

All employees with questions regarding patients are encouraged to ask, our goal is for the animals to live in better conditions than when they arrived.

9 : 30am-12 : 00pm Ringworm 1. All kennels are to be cleaned thoroughly in the AM with dilute rescue. Newspaper, litterbox, bowls daily, bedding should be changed twice weekly, unless soiled.

The patient(s) should be moved to the other side of the kennel while cleaning the other side. 2. All employees are expected to wear their Personal Protective Equipment- which includes a disposable gown, gloves, botties, and bouffant cap.

All PPE is in front of the ringworm area. These items are to be placed in the trash in the designated area immediately after use, then it must be emptied and relined.

3. Employees are expected to wear a new pair of gloves in between each patient unless the patients are housed in the same kennel.

This is important to minimize the spread of contagious diseases from one kennel to the next. 4. If AM treatments are warranted, follow the 5 R’s before administering any medication to a patient.

a. Right Patient b. Right medication c. Right dose d. Right time e. Right route 5. Before signing off on medication given, employee must first verify that medications were ingested / given.

6. If a patient does not take his / her medications with basic techniques or the employee is afraid of the patient, please tell the technicians in the treatment trailer right away.

From there, they will show you other methods of medicating a cat, i.e., a towel or passing that information to DVM staff for review.

Treatments should not be skipped or dismissed without direction from the treatment trailer. 7. While cleaning the kennels, employees are also scanning patients for any issues that should be brought to the DVM’s attention.

a. If the patient is in critical condition, one should bring that patient up right away or if one needs help transporting ask for help right away.

b. Patients in critical condition can be described as lateral recumbent, heavy breathing, non-responsive and / or open mouth breathing in felines, etc.

When in doubt, please inform the treatment trailer as soon as possible 8. Treatment sheets ending : If a patient's treatment sheet is ending on your assigned day, it is the employee’s responsibility to follow up with med staff to make sure there is a review date in the computer for that day- this also includes special feedings.

Before the end of day that current treatment sheet needs to be pulled by medical or medications extended per DVM orders.

Medical patients left for the next is unacceptable, and the employee will be held accountable for their lack of action. 9.

Patients due for a ketohex bath and / or DTMs will be indicated on the treatment sheet. These tasks can be completed in the AM or PM, but when signing off, the employee's initials need to indicate if they were in the AM or PM.

No task should be initiated at a different time than when completed. 10. Once the said tasks are completed, they need to be imputed into chameleon for proper documentation.

The medical entry should be labeled treatment visit and the tasks bath and / or DTM entered in the left bottom corner of the page.

12 : 00pm-12 : 30pm Lunch 12 : 30pm-3 : 00pm Surgical Instruments 1. In the surgical trailer, there will be a basket near the operating room door.

In this basket you will find all the dirty instruments and anesthesia equipment. These items are to be taken to the sink to be cleaned and dried for the following day.

2. Bloody instruments are to be placed in the sink and soaked with instrument cleaner. Once they have soaked for about 5 mins, they need to be cleaned with a brush, rinsed with water, and placed in the ultrasonic cleaner.

Once they have been in the ultrasonic cleaner for 10 mins, they are to be dipped in the milk solution and placed on a clean towel to air dry.

3. The bloody laundry needs to be soaked in dilute hydrogen peroxide. Once they have been soaking for about 15-20 minutes, they will need to rinse, ring out and place in the washer on the cold-water setting once all the laundry has been collected for the surgery trailer.

4. Then anesthetic tubing is to be placed in one of the large buckets soaking in dilute chlorhexidine. Let soak for 10-15mins- rise and swing outside to help remove the excess water from the inner tubing.

Once the inner tubing looks dry, the tube will need to be hung to dry for the next day. 5. Endotracheal tubes will need to be soaked in diluted chlorhexidine solution for 5-10 minutes.

Then scrubbed with a pipe cleaner to make sure all the debris in the tubes are cleared. The cuffs of the tubes also need to be checked to make sure that there are no leaks in pressure, if one is found that tube is to be thrown out right away.

Once they are cleaned and rinsed off, they will need to be placed in a bucket with a clean down to dry. 6. Once the surgical instruments are dried completely, they are wrapped in packs with available drapes.

The instructions on which items / instruments are to be wrapped in each pack can be located on the inside doors of the cabinet that houses the wrappings.

All packs are to be labeled with the name, date, and employee initials before placing them in the autoclave to be sterilized.

7. On occasion, individual instruments are opened during surgery that will need to be cleaned and re-pounced to be autoclaved.

Each pouch should be labeled with the name of the instrument, date, and employee’s initials. 3 : 00p-3 : 30p PM medication of Dogs 1.

Print off daily treatment for shelter animals a. Reports b. Treatment to do list- daily c. Print only PM treatments 2. Check and verify medication list to see if any medications in the treatment trailer need to be dosed out and taken down to the med kart.

3. For example : Clavamox Drops, azithromycin, etc. 4. Administer medication to shelter animals as directed. 5. Make sure to follow the 5 R’s before administering any medication to a patient.

a. Right Patient b. Right medication c. Right dose d. Right time e. Right route 6. Before signing off on medication given, employee must first verify that medications were ingested / given.

7. If a patient does not take his / her medications with basic techniques or the employee is afraid of the patient, please tell the technicians in the treatment trailer right away.

From there, they will show you other methods of medicating a cat, i.e., a towel or passing that information to DVM staff for review.

Treatments should not be skipped or dismissed without direction from the treatment trailer. 8. While walking through the kennels, employees are also scanning patients for any issues that should be brought to the DVM’s attention.

9. Special feedings : Some patients will be prescribed a special diet and / or a special feeding amount and schedule. These instructions need to be followed as prescribed.

There will be signs up that state Med Staff to feed - this is a signing communicating with shelter staff NOT to feed the animal.

It is the Float position responsible for the patient eating for the day. 10. Make sure that treatment sheets are either pulled if treatment is discontinued per medical or a follow-up treatment sheet put back up for further treatment per medical.

3 : 30p-4 : 00p PM CI, medicate and feed 1. Print off daily treatment for shelter animals a. Reports b. Treatment to do list- daily c.

print only PM treatments 2. Check and verify medication list to see if any medications in the treatment trailer need to be dosed out and taken down to the med kart.

3. For example : Clavamox Drops, azithromycin, etc. 4. In the PM, CI is to be spot cleaned, which means the litterboxes and bedding that are soiled must be removed and replaced.

Dry food is to be topped off and another ¼ can of canned food offered to each patient. 5. Administer medication to shelter animals as directed.

6. Make sure to follow the 5 R’s before administering any medication to a patient. a. Right Patient b. Right medication c.

Right dose d. Right time e. Right route 7. Before signing off on medication given, employee must first verify that medications were ingested / given.

8. If patient does not take his / her medications with the regular canned food- employee is encouraged to try other options such as spreader chicken.

If the patient was accepting of the chicken, please write that down in the notes section to communicate with others what has been tried and worked.

9. If a patient does not take his / her medications with basic techniques or the employee is afraid of the patient, please tell the technicians in the treatme