Relief Veterinary Assistant

Oregon Humane•Portland, OR

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The relief Veterinary Assistant position is a vital member of the animal surgical and medical care team.  Responsibilities include assisting with and performing patient exams, providing daily medical care to patients in the hospital facility, providing anesthesia, laboratory, pharmacy and radiology support, preparing patients for surgery, and helping to maintain the hospital facility at the highest level of cleanliness and order.  The VA also engages with the public and OHS shelter staff to provide consultation and information.  All OHS staff members contribute to the stewardship of the organization’s mission and expected to stay current on and understand issues related to animal welfare and OHS programs. This is a relief role and does not include a set schedule or guaranteed hours.

Requirements

High school graduate or GED equivalent.
2 years related work experience providing direct care to animals in a veterinary medicine center or in an animal shelter environment.
Hold or obtain Radiology Safety Certification within one year from the date of hire.  Able to maintain certification throughout the course of employment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Able to communicate with a diverse population in a consistently informative, respectful and professional manner.
Able to maintain a professional, calm demeanor and exercise sound judgment during times of high workload, rapid pace, emotionally charged situations, and during all interactions with the public, staff, and volunteers.
Knowledge and experience working with a wide variety of dog and cat breeds.
Available to work weekends, evenings, and holidays as needed.
Able to exercise sound judgment and maintain a professional demeanor during all interactions with the public, partner agencies, donors, staff and volunteers.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel.

Responsibilities

Work daily with animals of varying size and temperament, handling individual animals in a caring and respectful manner.
Provide compassionate care for patients.
Prep and set up surgical suites, administer pre-anesthesia drugs, and ensure that all surgical and medical areas are clean and organized.
Perform the circulator role for surgical and dental procedures.
Record and report physical signs of patients before, during, and after surgery.
Enter medical and treatment notes into medical records in a timely and accurate manner.
Ensure that animals with infectious diseases are handled safely and according to infectious medicine protocols.
Clean and sanitize cages and hospital facilities, including exam rooms, treatment rooms and surgical suites.
Monitor the medical consultation phone as assigned.
Perform pre-adoption medical consultations as needed.
Respond to call back requests from the public.
Perform euthanasia consultations with clients from the public and respond to call back requests.
Administer medications, topically, orally, and parenterally.
Readily adjust to change and contribute to the success of new programs, projects, and/or initiatives
Fill prescriptions.
Place IV catheters on a consistent basis.
Monitor and collect blood, urine, and fecal samples.
Prepare and run laboratory tests and in-house blood work.
Prepare and send lab and blood samples for external analysis.
Perform radiological services.
Prepare and transport patients for surgery, dentistry, radiology, and other prescribed procedures.
Take incoming patients to appropriate areas.
Prepare patients for dismissal according to established discharge protocols.
Receive and stock medical supply shipments.
Maintain inventory and storage areas in a neat and orderly manner.
Provide clean bedding, water and litter pans for patients.
Feed and water hospitalized patients as needed.
Assist with public education events such as presentations and in-shelter types of education.
Perform any other duty as requested by management.
Demonstrate leadership, and participate in recognition and mentorship of peers in a positive manner.
Act as PIC in supervisors absence; including coordination of staff lunches, breaks, assigned tasks, and monitoring to completion.
Ability to respond and help perform life saving techniques in an emergency.