Veterinary Assistant

Position Purpose :

We are seeking partners for our full-service hospitals. These brand-new general practice hospitals will be located inside our Petco stores.

The purpose of this position inherently involves providing excellent medical care to our full-service hospital patients and phenomenal customer care to their owners.

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

All hospital staff are responsible for performing their duties in a way that creates an environment in which :

• The patient’s needs always come first;
• Every team member understands that they have the power to do what it takes to create an exceptional customer experience;
• Contentious issues are dealt with and resolved as they occur when possible, or as soon as is possible;

Exceptional teamwork and commitment to shared goals benefits the entire organization.

Essential Job Functions : The incumbent must be able to consistently perform all of the following duties and responsibilities with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Greet clients and patients arriving for appointments and escort into an exam room, obtain weight and vital signs (temperature, pulse, respirations, pain score, body condition score) and record all in the electronic medical record, begin documentation of the patient visit in the electronic medical record by documenting a thorough patient history.

Assist doctors with appointments (routine and emergency), surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia, under supervision from the doctor and the Lead Technician.

Perform patient restraint, obtain and process laboratory samples, handle and dispense medications at the direction of the doctor, and help maintain the electronic medical record.

Schedule appointments, communicate with and educate clients, relay test results to doctor and clients, maintain and update client / patient records.

Help prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures, assist doctor and / or technician in anesthetizing patients, and under supervision of the doctor and / or technician maintain patients safely under anesthesia while monitoring vital parameters, help monitor patients during recovery and prepare them for going home or transfer to an overnight care facility.

Under supervision of the doctor and / or 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.

Under direction of the Hospital Office Manager, assist in the training of new staff members and general dissemination of knowledge as required.

Keep hospital environment neat and clean; perform regular cleaning of environment based on necessity as well as based on a pre-determined maintenance schedule.

Supervisory Responsibility :

This position has no immediate supervisory duties.

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.

Education / Experience

Preferred to have at least 1-year previous experience working in a veterinary practice or sufficient 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.