Animal Friends’ Clinic Services program provides access to high-quality spay/neuter and primary veterinary care to pet owners experiencing financial and accessibility constraints. The Clinic Services Veterinary Assistant serves as an integral member of the Clinic Services team providing quality patient care through all facets of our clinic day. This position assists in the daily functioning of high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter, wellness, dentistry and vaccine clinics.
The Clinic Services Veterinary Assistant is responsible for providing high-quality and compassionate medical care for our on-site and mobile spay/neuter program, vaccine clinics, dentistry and wellness appointments. Your time will be split between both surgery and wellness, as needed.
The Clinic Services Veterinary Assistant must ensure a humane environment while providing client education about spay/neuter, vaccinations, and our standard of care protocols. It is essential that the incumbent have an outgoing, positive personality, excellent communication skills, a sincere interest in serving both people and animals, and comfort working in a fast-paced team environment.?
Essential Functions
Administrative
- Preparing records, consent forms, etc.
- Admitting patients for surgery and procedures
- Dispensing medications, pet foods, and supplies
- Filing records, updating client/patient files
- Maintaining computer records/backups
- Performing client phone calls
Technical duties of Veterinary Assistant
- Providing proper handling of pharmaceuticals including, drawing up medications, proper logging of controlled substances and dispensing and/or administration of patient medications
- Providing comfort, diagnostic, surgical and nursing care to all patients
- Participating in our high-volume vaccine clinics including restraint, providing prescribed treatments to client-owned animals and client education to produce the proper wellness plan for each patient
- Taking accurate and appropriate patient history
- Reviewing vaccination records and preparing vaccines according to our vaccine protocol
- Assisting veterinarians and technicians in medical procedures using proper restraint; including proper restraint for fractious patients
- Maintaining and using medical equipment
- Assisting with administering treatments following the instructions of a veterinarian
- Maintaining pharmacy records, and controlled drug, anesthesia, fecal, FIV/FeLV, lyme, and heartworm test results
- Assisting with taking radiographs, performing venipuncture, if doctor on duty is comfortable- please ask. We do have a 2 try rule on venipuncture.
- Taking vital signs of animals including temperature, pulse, and respiration
- Assisting with preparing and analyzing skin and ear cytologies
- Educating clients
- Discharging patients to owners following surgery/visit
- Assisting with completing ear cleanings, nail trims and anal gland expression
- Maintaining cleanliness of the mobile surgical unit and in-house surgical suite as well as exam rooms and laboratory/pharmacy
- Will be required to lift 50+ lbs
- Leverage volunteer talent by engaging their assistance within the department, thereby helping us to further our mission and vision and to achieve the organization’s expectation of 100% integration of volunteers into our programs
- Performs other duties as assigned
- Communication Proficiency – Ability to orally express information and ideas to others when speaking
- Customer / Client Focus- Actively seeks out ways to aide Animal Friends guests and/or volunteers to ensure the best possible customer service is provided
- Diversity and Inclusion – Ability to welcome, support and value individuals with similarities and differences that may vary from your own
- Stress Management - Ability to maintain baseline behavior / composure during stressful situations
- Teamwork Orientation – Ability to work with others to accomplish likeminded goals and tasks for the organization