Veterinary Technician (General) - Intermediate Care Ward

Learn to provide standard paramedical technical and patient support, nursing care and instruction in a professional and courteous manner.
    ◦ Work as a team with students, interns, residents and faculty to provide skilled nursing care for all patients including, but not limited to post-surgical, chronic conditions, and isolation, which may include methicillin resistant organisms and zoonotic diseases.
    ◦ Use problem solving skills to assist with patient care in both emergent and non-emergent situations.
    ◦ Recognize physical abnormalities such as, but not limited to; cardiac murmurs and arrhythmias, abnormal pulmonary auscultation, respiratory difficulty and distress, change in mentation, abnormal physical exam findings, and signs of shock.
    ◦ Institute advanced life support practices (CPR).
    ◦ Restrain patients using appropriate restraint techniques.
    ◦ Administer sedation and monitor patient vitals as directed by the veterinarian.
    ◦ Calculate, prepare, administer and record controlled substances under the direction of the veterinarian.
    ◦ Perform venipuncture and cystocentesis.
    ◦ Perform electronic submission of samples to clinical pathology and the diagnostic laboratory.
    ◦ Perform and analyze venous and arterial blood gases, packed cell volume (PCV)/total solids (TS), blood glucose (BG), lactate, ketostick, slide agglutination, etc.
    ◦ Use basic monitoring equipment such as; indirect blood pressure (doppler and oscillometric), electrocardiogram (ECG), pulse oximetry, and continuous temperature monitoring.
    ◦ Complete and review patient monitoring and treatments as directed on the patient’s care plan, such as Intermediate Care flow sheet or Emergency Room (ER) patient record. Contact veterinarian with abnormal findings when something is not within the set call parameters.
    ◦ Assist veterinarians with variety of procedures including abdominocentesis, thoracocentesis, pericardiocentesis, wound care, nasogastric/nasoesophageal tube placement, unblocking urinary obstructions and indwelling urinary catheter placement.
    ◦ Perform placement of peripheral intravenous catheters (IVCs) and the placement of both central venous jugular catheters and peripherally inserted central catheters.
    ◦ Maintain, trouble shoot the care and use of intravenous (IV) fluid and syringe pumps, indwelling urinary catheters, Jackson-Pratt grenade style drains, central line catheters, peripheral IVCs, feeding tubes, oxygen cage, nasal oxygen, nebulization, and stable temporary and permanent tracheostomy care.
    ◦ Assist in calculating drug dosages and fluid/CRI rates.
    ◦ Set up and administer IV fluids, continuous rate infusions (CRI’s) and other medications as directed by the veterinarian.
    ◦ Aseptically prepare blood products for administration, monitor appropriately during transfusion and record monitoring parameters.
    ◦ Set up and administer enteral feedings through nasogastric (NG), nasoesophageal (NE), esophagostomy (E)-tube, gastrostomy (G)-tube, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), or jejunostomy (J)-tubes, as directed by the veterinarian.
    ◦ Perform treatments and administer medications under the direct or written orders of the veterinarian.
    ◦ Record treatments, procedures, supplies, and thorough notes on patient’s medical record.
    ◦ Record and enter charges for supplies and procedures into the Electronic Medical Record (EMR).
    ◦ Maintain IMC/ ISO patient logs.

Learn to provide instruction in a professional and courteous manner
    ◦ Orientation, direction and instruction of students and clinicians.
    ◦ Instruction of service procedures.
    ◦ Instruction of problem-solving skills to assist with patient care in both emergent and non-emergent situations.

Learn to maintain workspace and equipment
    ◦ Maintain sanitary clinical conditions; perform regular cleaning and stocking, as well as complete daily and weekly assignments.
    ◦ Operate, clean, and maintain clinical equipment, including specialized equipment, such as incubators, anesthesia machines, endoscope, blood analysis machine, etc.
    ◦ Assist with documenting and troubleshooting issues with equipment.
    ◦ Maintain necessary clinical supplies.

Perform other duties as assigned