Job Description
About the Role
This is an entry-level veterinary technician position that primarily operates under direct supervision. The role involves supporting veterinarians, study directors, and clients by assisting with various animal health-related tasks in medicine, surgery, and drug therapy. As part of the Veterinary Services team, this position contributes to the care of on-site animals, providing treatment for sick and injured animals and carrying out preventive medicine programs under the guidance of the Attending Veterinarian.
Responsibilities
- Provide nursing care for all medical cases within the facility under the supervision of veterinarians and senior technicians.
- Conduct basic diagnostics and screening tests, including body weights, body condition scoring (BCS), tuberculosis (Tb) testing, malarial screening, hemoccult testing, urine dipstick analysis, fecal flotation, swab sample collection, blood collection, and other procedures as requested.
- Perform routine and basic animal procedures, such as handling and restraining rodents, managing nonhuman primates (NHP) in their home cages, administering sedation, delivering medications through IM, SQ, topical, and PO routes, monitoring vital signs (TPR) in sedated animals, preparing animals for surgery, applying bandages, providing basic wound care, and assessing clinical signs in animals undergoing treatment or sedation.
- Occasionally carry out procedures on unsedated animals and assist in their restraint under the supervision of veterinarians or senior technicians.
- Implement post-exposure protocols for NHP.
- Maintain cleanliness and prepare animal procedure areas, including sterilizing medical instruments, wrapping surgical packs for autoclaving, and cleaning surgical suites and procedure areas after use.
- Calculate medication dosages based on initial veterinary orders, SOPs, or protocols and may coordinate the ordering of controlled substances from the pharmacy for planned procedures.
- Perform quality control checks on paperwork, enter and retrieve data using computer systems, and assist in scheduling departmental tasks when required.
- Assist with inventory management and ordering of departmental supplies.
- Participate in routine department cleaning and preparation tasks, such as instrument maintenance, pack wrapping, and procedure room sanitation.
- Conduct routine maintenance on veterinary department equipment, including but not limited to X-ray processors, microscopes, and eye wash stations.
Qualifications
- Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT) or Veterinary Assisting certification preferred.
- 6-12 months of experience working with animals, preferably in a research or veterinary clinic setting.
- Basic to advanced computer skills.
- Strong reading, writing, and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to quickly understand and follow complex verbal or written instructions and communicate effectively with a diverse range of individuals professionally and respectfully.
- Competency in performing accurate dose calculations using algebraic equations.
- Basic animal handling and medication administration skills.
- Must wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) as per policies and procedures, which may include N-95 respirators, face masks, safety glasses, goggles, face shields, gloves, lab coats, scrubs, shoe covers, hair bouffants, and arm protectors.
- Proper handling and disposal of biological and chemical substances in accordance with applicable regulations and policies.
- Flexibility to work overtime, weekends, and evenings as required.
Job Tags
Weekend work, Afternoon shift,