Veterinary Assistant

Seattle Humane

Job Description

Description
POSITION SUMMARY: Veterinary Assistants are responsible for daily care of animals needing veterinary care, assisting veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians with pre-, peri-, and post-operative care of surgical patients, care of hospitalized patients, community clinic patients, general cleaning, and following patient care protocols. The VA should be excited about animal welfare, shelter medicine, increasing access to veterinary care and high-quality, high volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) practices.

KEY OR ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Medicine:

Works independently caring for hospitalized patients and animals throughout the shelter as assigned by a veterinarian.
Fill prescriptions
Administer medications, vaccinations, and other treatments
IV catheter placement and maintenance
Obtain diagnostics including digital radiography and positioning, phlebotomy, in-house lab analyzer processing
Infectious disease treatment, with a focus on Ringworm, Upper Respiratory Infection, Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease, Panleukopenia, and Parvovirus
Animal husbandry duties including cleaning, feeding, watering, medicating and monitoring all animals in the veterinary clinic to maintain high standards of veterinary care
Assist with euthanasia, perform euthanasia if certified
Perform public appointments, which includes history gathering, animal restraint, administration of treatments, and dispensing medications to owners
Surgery:

Support HQHVSN clinic which performs surgery on 20-50 patients daily per DVM
Monitor vital signs of anesthetized patients
Assist DVM with dental procedures including dental radiography and scaling/polishing teeth
Perform venipuncture and bladder expression on anesthetized patients
Assist with movement of patients, recovery of patients, and general flow in the veterinary clinic
Restrain patients for induction and intubation, and preps patients for surgery
Responsible for clinic and surgery set up/breakdown including cleaning, stocking, pack wrapping, instrument sterilization, laundry, organization.
Other:

Support Vet Reception as needed
Work closely with volunteers in the department and related programs and provide support and training as needed
Work closely with all departments and effectively communicates the medical needs of shelter animals
Respond appropriately during an emergency, take directions from a veterinarian or LVT and maintain competency during CPR procedures
Communicate in a professional and effective manner with the public, Seattle Humane staff, and all volunteers
Represent Seattle Humane in a professional and courteous manner
Follows all written and verbally communicated departmental standard operating procedures
Reports any health, behavior, safety, or security concerns to supervisor in a timely manner
All other duties as assigned

COMMUNICATION/INTERPERSONAL CONTACT:

Regular verbal communication with department and other operational staff, as well as written communication via written standard operating procedures, memos, emails, charts and signs.
Regular verbal communication with adopters, volunteers and clients through direct contact, over the telephone, or written communication.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATION REQUIRED:

Ability to obtain Veterinary Med Clerk license (can be obtained on the job)

Qualifications
KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION or TRAINING:

Familiar with characteristics of animal behavior and utilization low stress animal handling as related to a clinic/shelter environment
Must be able to use appropriate safety equipment for fractious or feral animals
Will be asked to handle large volumes of animals per day. Must be proficient at safe animal handling and restraint for various clinic procedures
Must be able to read, write, listen and communicate effectively
Must be able to perform basic mathematical operations
Should be able to identify personal limitations and be willing to ask for help
Ability to work independently or as part of a team
Should be able to identify personal limitations and be willing to ask for help

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

The ideal candidate for this role must possess certain physical and cognitive abilities. They must be able to work for extended periods, standing or sitting for 10 or more hours, and lift and carry up to 30 pounds repeatedly, with or without accommodation. Additionally, they must be able to bend, kneel, and work on hands and knees repeatedly, as well as use ladders and step stools. Fine motor skills are also essential, requiring an acceptable degree of dexterity in hands and fingers. Furthermore, the candidate must be able to work efficiently in stressful conditions including frequent interruptions, respond quickly to various medical situations, and rapidly process information with accuracy. Finally, they must be capable of working independently and collaboratively as part of a team.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Primarily indoor working conditions in an office/clinic setting for nine to twelve hours per day. Some work may be done in kennels or outdoors. Exposures to potential hazards include waste anesthetic gases, radiation, cleaning chemicals and disinfectants, formalin, needles, scalpel blades and other sharp hazards, animal bites and scratches, zoonotic diseases, animal hair, dander and wastes, pharmaceutical and biological agents, euthanasia solution, eye hazards, steam (from autoclave), wet floors, potential electrical hazards, constant noise (vacuum, fan, barking) and interruptions, back strain, exposure to cold or other hazards with walk-in freezer.

WORK HOURS:

Full-time, non-exempt, hourly position. Scheduled for 40 hours per week, generally scheduled over four ten-hour shifts. The Shelter and Veterinary Clinic are open 7 days per week including holidays; schedule may vary depending on coverage, holidays or emergencies.

SEATTLE HUMANE CORE VALUES:

Candidate should be committed to Seattle Humane’s Core Values:

Compassion

Accessibility

Innovation

Responsibility

Teamwork

The Benefits:

At Seattle Humane, we believe in investing in our people, you'll receive competitive benefits and perks, including full health & wellness coverage, generous paid time off starting at three weeks, 10 paid holidays, an employer matching retirement plan, personal pet allowance, employee sabbaticals, tuition reimbursement for Vet Tech school, a budget toward continuing education, bonuses, discounts, and you get to work around cute animals!

Check out our LIST of benefits and perks HERE

Sound like something you want to be a part of? Then apply today!

Who we are:

Seattle Humane is more than a shelter, we are a community resource center. We're meeting the increasing need for pet owner support services, so that families don't have to choose between an overdue bill and a beloved family member. We're training the next generation of veterinarians in our state-of-the-art medical center. We're building a community of animal advocates through our volunteer and youth education programs. The impact of Seattle Humane is life-changing, for the animals in our care and the people who love them. Our top priority is to connect animals in need of rescue with the people who will love them. Through our outreach, advocacy, and services, we strive to ensure that animal companionship is accessible to all.

Take a look at our Vision for the Future, which will guide our work and priorities in the years to come.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

As an equal opportunity employer, Seattle Humane is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability status or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.