Vet Tech III Lerner Clinic

Tufts University•Grafton, MA

82d

About The Position

The Luke and Lily Lerner Clinic provides students at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine with pre-clinical and clinical surgical training while serving pets and people in need. It provides high-level primary care surgery to shelter and community animals and trains veterinary students in anesthesia and surgery for healthy feline and canine patients. Its programs include Introduction to Anesthesia and Small Animal Surgical Techniques (ISAAST), a required class for third-year students; the fourth-year Primary Care Procedures (PCP) clinical elective, focused on spay/neuter and other primary care surgery, anesthesia, and dentistry; periodic Community Cat Clinics; and dental training labs and other clinical skills laboratories. Under minimal supervision and in close collaboration with Lerner faculty, the Veterinary Technician III provides advanced anesthesia and perioperative nursing care in a high-volume teaching environment. The role applies independent clinical judgment to complex patients, helps coordinate surgical workflows under established directions and protocols, maintains equipment readiness, and teaches veterinary students. The technician models excellent client service and contributes to protocol development and continuous improvement. The role delivers technical and anesthesia support across Lerner programs, including anesthetic and analgesic planning, advanced patient care, operating-room coordination, equipment and instrument readiness, and controlled-substance record keeping. It also provides hands-on instruction and coaching in anesthesia, surgical preparation and sterility, dentistry, and technical and nursing care. Additional duties include mentoring junior staff and students, maintaining inventory and clinical areas, and facilitating equipment maintenance. The salary range is $27.85 minimum, $33.15 midpoint, and $38.50 maximum. Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; new hires can generally expect pay between the minimum and midpoint.

Requirements

At least 3 years of experience as a certified veterinary technician in a University Hospital or similar environment, functioning at a level consistent with a Vet Tech II.
Experience with Microsoft Office and electronic medical record systems.
Demonstrated ability to work independently on complex tasks with minimal supervision.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills for working effectively on a diverse clinical team.
Excellent understanding of medical terminology and veterinary pharmacology, including identifying adverse drug reactions and addressing patient anesthetic complications.
Demonstrated ability to provide exceptional service to internal and external customers and to instruct students.
Ability to independently initiate steps to perform CPR in the absence of an attending veterinarian.
Certified Veterinary Technician.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's Degree or Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology.
Passion for primary care education and community service.
Veterinary Technician Specialist Certification.
Advanced Life Support RECOVER basic certification.
Fear Free Certified level 1 certification.
Valid driver's license.

Responsibilities

Provide advanced, high-quality technical and anesthesia support for all Lerner programs, with an emphasis on patient safety and smooth daily operations.
Monitor, manage, and implement anesthetic and analgesic plans; collaborate with faculty to adjust protocols based on patient status.
Perform advanced technical tasks independently, including IV catheterization, induction and airway management, comprehensive anesthetic monitoring, perioperative analgesia, and fluid therapy setup and monitoring.
Coordinate daily operating-room flow, room turnover, instrument care, and readiness of anesthetic, surgical, and dental equipment.
Monitor controlled-substance handling and record keeping, and collaborate with the Clinic Administrator to maintain and appropriately audit controlled-substance logs.
Triage patients for sedation or anesthesia, identify risks, and escalate appropriately; induce and monitor anesthesia or coach students in doing so.
Help organize and deliver ISAAST instruction and provide hands-on technical support for advanced anesthesia concerns involving ISAAST patients.
Independently initiate steps to perform CPR in the absence of an attending veterinarian.
Provide hands-on instruction in anesthesia, surgical preparation and sterility, and dentistry for ISAAST and Primary Care Procedures rotations.
Reinforce didactic material during ISAAST and PCP, and assist faculty with preparing and delivering introductory materials.
Teach veterinary and technician students technical and nursing care, including examinations, venipuncture, IV catheter placement, intubation, anesthesia monitoring, husbandry, and behavior evaluation.
Contribute to and participate in formal continuing education when requested.
Coach and mentor junior staff, provide on-the-job training to new technicians, and mentor students in advanced anesthesia knowledge and technical skills.
Maintain adequate inventories of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, and clean and maintain assigned clinical areas.
Identify malfunctioning clinical equipment and schedule service.