Veterinary Assistant (Large Animal Clinic/Central Sterile) - Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Duties & Responsibilities

• Large Animal Surgical Facilities/Central Sterile Maintenance
  • Work as a team with veterinary technicians, students, interns, residents, and faculty.
  • Maintain the cleanliness of animal and work areas, instruments, and equipment based on set infection control protocols and hospital standards, as well as complete daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning assignments.
  • Clean, supply, and maintain surgical/clinical/sterilization areas and supplies.
  • Assist with documenting and troubleshooting issues with equipment.
  • Monitor equipment and instruments for surgery (2 steam autoclaves, H202 sterilizer, ethylene oxide ).
  • Assist with sterilization of equipment daily (steam autoclave, ethylene oxide, and H2O2 sterilizer).
  • Inventory expirations and maintain drugs and other supplies.
  • Assist with post-surgical cleanup duties.
• Provide basic patient care in a professional and courteous manner under the supervision of a veterinarian or veterinary technician.
  • Use problem solving skills to assist with patient care in non-emergent situations.
  • Recognize and report physical abnormalities such as, but not limited to; respiratory difficulty and distress, change in mentation, abnormal physical exam findings, dystocia and signs of shock.
  • Restrain patients using appropriate restraint techniques.
  • Assist with manual chutes and surgical tables to facilitate safe movement when loading, unloading and moving animals within the surgical areas.
  • Assist as needed with care during surgical procedures.
  • Assist in walk-by observations and treatments as directed on the patient’s care plan, such as a patient care flow sheet or patient record. Report abnormal findings when something is not within the set call parameters.
  • Provide support to veterinary technicians in the administration of oral fluids via stomach tubing, nasoesophageal feedings, and bottle feedings.
  • Assist with set up for patient treatments and procedures under the direct or written orders of the veterinarian.
• Clinical service and facilities support. • Record treatments, procedures, supplies and thorough notes on the patient's medical record. • Record and enter charges. • Perform electronic submission of samples to clinical pathology and the diagnostic laboratory. • Facilitate processing of laboratory samples such as venous and arterial blood gases, packed cell volume (PCV)/total solids (TS), blood glucose (BG), lactate, ketostick, etc.
• Other duties as assigned