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Specialty Surgery Technician (Veterinary)

Position Overview

The purpose of this position is to assist the RVT Tech 1’s in the surgery department to ensure that all clients and patients are cared for with efficiency, compassion, and care. The primary focus of the Tech 2 will be client communication, schedule efficiency, and assisting with patient surgery and recovery.

Major Duties

Surgery days

Review surgery schedule in Cornerstone the day before and discuss flow of patient load with Tech 1. Determine the order of patients and how dismissals and appointments will be scheduled.
Update surgery board with surgery coordinator; ensure surgery coordinator knows the order of patient surgery; alert surgery coordinator of any client communication that needs to happen before, during, or after surgery
Immediately upon arrival, round with ICU technician on any surgery patients in ICU with the goal of updating DVM when they arrive for the day;
Immediately upon arrival, determine any dismissals for the day; review dismissal instructions with DVM to ensure no changes are needed; ensure medications are made up and ready to go; ensure appropriate dismissal appointment is scheduled in Cornerstone and matches surgery dismissal board
Set up surgery suite for first surgery before induction; ensure all necessary instrumentation is present and set up, including arthroscopy, laparoscopy, ortho packs, laptop, and digital radiology computer; if rDVM films are necessary, ensure that they are loaded and ready to go for surgery
Assist Tech 1 with patient prep; must be able to place IV catheters, perform peripheral venipuncture; give SQ and IM injections of pain meds/ pre-meds
Must be able to perform drug dosage calculations (must be signed off by Tech 1)
Assist doctor with surgical procedures (Scrub nurse); ability to monitor Grade 1 and 2 patients safely during anesthesia(must be checked off by Tech 1)
While Tech 1 recovers patient in ICU, assist 2^nd Tech 1 with 2^nd patient prep OR
Enter all charges for surgery to Cornerstone from the surgical flow sheet and tracking form; write/ finish homecare instructions according to DVM instructions; make up prescription medications or call in to pharmacy (must be checked off by Tech 1)

Appointment days (first 4 tasks of the day are the same)

Review appointment schedule in Cornerstone the day before and discuss flow of patient load with Tech 1. Determine the order of patients and how dismissals and surgeries will be scheduled.
Update surgery board with surgery coordinator; ensure surgery coordinator knows the order of patient surgery; alert surgery coordinator of any client communication that needs to happen before, during, or after surgery
Immediately upon arrival, round with ICU technician on any surgery patients in ICU with the goal of updating DVM when they arrive for the day;
Immediately upon arrival, determine any dismissals for the day; review dismissal instructions with DVM to ensure no changes are needed; ensure medications are made up and ready to go; ensure appropriate dismissal appointment is scheduled in Cornerstone and matches surgery dismissal board
Before appointments begin, thoroughly clean and stock both surgery exam rooms; ensure that surgery CT area and hallway (anything a client will see) are clean and free from clutter
Begin Cornerstone reports for every patient being seen each day
Before seeing pet, load rDVM radiographs and/or ensure films from rDVM are available for review
Check in patients and clients for rechecks/ consults; take a brief history in the exam room and relay to DVM
Assist doctors with consultations; educate and answer client questions regarding surgery and aftercare of patients
Assist with radiographs, labs, etc during exam
Use travel sheet to enter all exam charges
Schedule next recheck appointment with client before they leave the hospital if possible- this can be done in the exam room
Walk client to front desk
Clean room and make ready for next appointment

Other Duties

Clean and sterilize all instruments, gloves, drapes and equipment used, so that it will be ready the next time they are needed.
Keep log of all surgeries done
Take surgery department inventory on a bi-weekly basis and provide list to inventory manager
Review sterilization dates on bone instruments and orthopedic implants and inventory/ re-sterilize as needed
Maintain all anesthetic machines, autoclave, and any other equipment used in surgery
Thoroughly clean surgery room and area weekly

Knowledge and Skills

The qualified applicant will possess the following knowledge and skills:

Required

Knowledge of basic veterinary practices, procedures and terminology with willingness to pursue further education leading to Registered Veterinary Technician status
Ability to appropriately handle animals up to 70 lbs., and perform routine veterinary medical procedures (i.e. collect samples, draw blood, administer vaccines, etc)
Education equivalent to two years of college or technical school
At least one year of recent experience in veterinary practice or medical environment with increasing responsibilities
Internal applicants must have a meets expectation or better in their current position and approval of current supervisor prior to applying for position
Excellent client communication skills
Organizational and time management skills

Preferred

Education equivalent to two years college (pre-veterinary curriculum) or Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
Three years of recent experience in veterinary practice with increasing responsibilities

Pay Range

$25—$30 USD

PetVet Care Centers, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading operators of veterinary hospitals for companion animals. The company operates over 450 hospitals across multiple states and employs over 11,000 people including over 800 veterinarians. Since its inception, PetVet has been structured around a model that is focused on developing a partnership between the hospitals and the company and providing the highest quality medicine and service.

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Why Consider Our Santa Cruz Hospital?

At Pacific & Santa Cruz Veterinary Specialists, our team members all share the same passion for making and keeping animals healthy.

Our hospital truly is an excellent place to work, with a highly skilled team focused on 'best in practice' veterinary care.

We are very supportive of individuals looking to grow their veterinary careers and look forward to hearing from you.

We invite you to explore your veterinary career options with Pacific & Santa Cruz Veterinary Specialists, where you'll be a respected member of a team that loves animals and values the contributions from every individual on the team.
- Pacific & Santa Cruz Veterinary Specialists Team

Career Opportunities

Current Job Openings

Specialty Surgery Technician (Veterinary)

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Why Consider Our Santa Cruz Hospital?

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