Veterinary Assistant - Emergency and Critical Care

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Veterinary Assistant works under the direct supervision of veterinarians and veterinary technicians to provide patient care and service support for the Emergency Room and Intensive Care Unit at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The assistant may also support other hospital areas based on operational needs. The position involves working with veterinary technicians, students, interns, residents, and faculty to care for patients with a range of needs, including post-surgical care, chronic conditions, isolation, and exposure to zoonotic or resistant organisms. The role includes monitoring patients, recognizing and reporting changes in condition, assisting with treatments and procedures, maintaining clinical spaces and equipment, documenting care and charges, and supporting laboratory and front-desk operations. The position requires professional, courteous conduct and the ability to work calmly and reliably in a demanding animal-care environment. This is a 100% full-time Civil Service position appointed on a 12-month basis. The collective bargaining agreement sets a wage of $19.35 per hour. The expected start date is as soon as possible after appointment. The position is not eligible for work-authorization sponsorship.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Knowledge of general care and handling of companion animal species, including dogs, cats, birds, and exotics.
Working knowledge of infection-control protocols and hospital standards.
Working knowledge of medical and veterinary terminology.
Knowledge of computers and hospital information systems.
Skill in operating surgical, laboratory, and diagnostic equipment.
Ability to adapt to new technologies, procedures, and equipment.
Ability to recognize abnormalities in patient vital signs and report them to veterinary staff.
Ability to work on the clinical floor and anticipate the needs and directions of staff and students regarding patients and care methods.
Ability to observe, record, compile, and assimilate data.
Ability to explain terminology used in veterinary medicine.
Ability to multitask, pay close attention to detail, and work calmly and professionally under pressure.
Strong interpersonal skills; courteous and polite manner.
Ability to work in an environment involving animal waste and fluids, animal handling, potential exposure to infectious agents and anesthetic gases, and variable physical exertion, including lifting a 40-pound dog.
Ability to use caution when handling animals, equipment, syringes, needles, and medications.

Responsibilities

Provide basic patient care under the supervision of a veterinarian or veterinary technician.
Work with veterinary technicians, students, interns, residents, and faculty to provide patient care, including care for post-surgical patients, patients with chronic conditions, and patients in isolation.
Provide food, water, and exercise according to written hospital orders or instructions from a veterinarian or veterinary technician.
Use problem-solving skills to assist with patient care in emergent and non-emergent situations.
Monitor patients, including hospitalized patients and those recovering from anesthesia, under veterinary supervision.
Recognize and report physical abnormalities, including respiratory difficulty or distress, changes in mentation, abnormal examination findings, and signs of shock.
Recognize and report pulmonary or cardiopulmonary arrest.
Restrain patients using appropriate techniques and facilitate their transport between clinical areas.
Support veterinary technicians in using basic monitoring equipment, including Doppler and oscillometric indirect blood pressure devices, ECG, pulse oximetry, and continuous temperature monitoring.
Complete and review patient monitoring and treatments according to care plans and patient records, and report findings outside established call parameters.
Report issues and assist veterinary technicians with setup and maintenance of urinary catheters, Jackson-Pratt drains, intravenous catheters, feeding tubes, nasal oxygen, nebulization, and fluid and syringe pumps.
Assist veterinary technicians with setup of IV fluids, continuous rate infusions, and other medications as directed by a veterinarian.
Support setup and administration of enteral feedings through NG, NE, E-tube, G-tube, PEG, or J-tube as directed by a veterinarian.
Assist with setup for patient treatments and procedures under direct or written veterinary orders.
Maintain cleanliness of animal and work areas, instruments, and equipment according to infection-control protocols and hospital standards; complete daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning assignments.
Stock and maintain clinical supplies and inventory records.
Help document and troubleshoot equipment issues and maintain patient logs.
Record treatments, procedures, supplies, and thorough notes in patient medical records; enter charges.
Provide backup front-desk support, including answering phones, registering patients in the hospital information system, and collecting payments.
Submit samples electronically to clinical pathology and the diagnostic laboratory.
Facilitate laboratory sample processing, including blood gases, PCV/total solids, blood glucose, lactate, and ketostick testing.
Perform other duties as assigned.