Veterinary Patient Care Assistant

Do you love animals? Are you interested in a career in veterinary medicine? Or are you looking to take your veterinary career to the next level by working at one of the premier veterinary hospitals in the country? Then becoming a Patient Care Assistant at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center is the career path for you! 

Our Patient Care Assistants get the unparalleled opportunity to grow and expand their skillset working alongside top specialists and experienced Licensed Veterinary Technicians (LVTs) at the world’s largest non-profit animal hospital. Patient Care Assistants work with our patients from the initial exam and diagnosis, through treatments, advanced procedures, and discharge. Our Patient Care Assistants are vital to our patients’ success, and they are highly valued members of our care teams. 

There are two categories of Patient Care Assistants that we’re looking to add to our team: Patient Care Assistants to work with our specialty services, and Patient Care Assistants to work with our Special Care Unit (SCU) and Emergency & Critical Care (ECC) teams.

Specialty Service Patient Care Assistants 

In our specialty services, Patient Care Assistants work alongside out veterinary specialists during clinic hours, obtaining medical histories from pet parents, taking notes for medical records, assisting in patient exams, obtaining vital signs, and assisting LVTs with laboratory sampling and performing in-house laboratory tests. These Patient Care Assistants also participate in patient rounds and assist our veterinary technicians in preparing patients for advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures like endoscopy, surgery, oral surgery, advanced imaging CT/MRI, and more! 

Special Care Unit / Emergency & Critical Care Patient Care Assistants 

These Patient Care Assistants support our SCU and ECC teams veterinarians and veterinary technicians to provide excellent care for our hospitalized and emergency room patients. These Patience Patient Care Assistants participate in LVT patient rounds, obtain vital signs (temperature, heartrate, respiratory rate, blood pressures), monitor patient status, assist with specialized feedings, comfort care, and husbandry. They also assist with emergency procedures and participate in CPR and emergency crisis, delivering lifesaving care when our patients need it most. 

Who this position is right for:

• Experienced veterinary assistants looking to further their knowledge base and skillset 
• Pre-Veterinary and Veterinary Technician students who want to work and learn alongside veterinarians and technicians that are in the top of their fields while getting hands on patient experience

Responsibilities:

• Ability to take notes while in exam rooms with veterinarians and clients
• Ability to Master AMC Veterinary Assistant skills Levels I-IV
• Ability to cross reference medical record systems and follow treatment plans
• Specialized handling and restraint of painful, debilitated, and compensated patients of all species
• Perform treatments as pertains to a NYS non-licensed technician
• Assist in patient monitoring, supportive therapies, treatments, and procedures related to the department
• Monitor patients' vital signs using multiparameter monitoring equipment
• Recognize changes in patients' status & react appropriately
• Attend DVM and LVT rounds, fundamental to understanding patient’s disease processes

Schedules:

• 4 days/week - 8am-6pm

Qualifications:

• Veterinary assistant experience required and experience in a Veterinary Specialty Hospital or ER is preferred
  
• Must be proficient in-patient handling/restraint
  
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, demanding environment, handling multiple tasks with competing deadlines while paying close attention to details
  
• Demonstrated ability to provide quality patient care, technical services, and client communication
  
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team, in a fast past environment, demonstrating a high level of initiative
  
• Must be proficient in-patient handling and monitoring, supportive therapy, treatments, and procedures
  
• Must have animal handling experience, and be able to restrain all species
  
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds
  
• Must have ability to remain composed in stressful and emergency situations
  
• Must exhibit good organizational, multi-tasking, and communication skills
  
• Must be able to follow detailed protocols
  
• Seeks to enhance & develop skills & knowledge
  
• Must neatly and correctly fill out paperwork as necessary
  
• Must be flexible and accommodate shift work in a hospital that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year 

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Competitive salary
• Sign-on bonus of $1,000
• Generous paid time off
• Tuition assistance
• 75% discount on veterinary care
• 403b matching
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• You may be eligible for The Public Loan Service Forgiveness Program as we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit employer

Excellence in veterinary medicine since 1910. AMC Offers:  

A Commitment to Lifelong Learning: Founded in 1910, the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center is the world’s largest veterinary teaching hospital, offering compassionate, collaborative, and cutting-edge veterinary care. Our commitment to innovation has led to the creation of one of the most advanced veterinary facilities in the world. 

State-of-the-Art Facilities: AMC is currently undergoing a major expansion and renovation. Once complete, this project will transform the hospital’s entire 83,000-square-foot space into a state-of-the-art facility unlike any other.  

Highlights include: A brand-new full floor surgical center, 1.5 Tesla Philips MRI (the exclusive high field MRI for small animals in NYC), 64-slice spiral CT scanner, Electroencephalography (EEG), Elekta Versa HD Linear Accelerator, In-house Laboratory, Ultrasound, Echocardiogram, and Mobile Cone Beam CT 

A multidisciplinary team of 140 veterinarians across 20 specialties: With over 20 specialties and services under one roof, our departments frequently work together to deliver the highest quality of patient care in the veterinary field. Our dynamic array of specialists means that we are the go-to place for complex cases. 

A Hospital in the heart of NYC: AMC is located in Manhattan, surrounded by leading research and teaching institutions such as Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical School, and NYU. Collaborative research opportunities abound, and our strong focus on education ensures a rewarding career for those passionate about mentoring and advancing veterinary medicine.