Veterinary Technician-Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Washington State University•Pullman, WA

About The Position

Positions provide skilled veterinary technical support, assist clinicians and fourth-year students in all aspects of patient care including, but not limited to, maintaining daily patient records, recording procedures, medications and general work-up of patients. Must be able to use electronic medical records system to accurately reflect patient charges and medical records. May order, track and maintain supplies of pharmaceuticals and consumable inventory. May teach/lead students in the professional degree program. Current Vacancies: Emergent Surgery - Provide veterinary technical support by circulating and assisting in all aspects of surgical care and treatment of all species within the Emergent Surgery section of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Administer anesthetic injections and medications, draw blood, help with C-arm, collect specimens, and monitor vital signs for veterinarians and clinicians involved in animal health care and instruction. Perform skilled veterinary technical duties, anticipating needs of surgeons and coordinating with other services to ensure efficiency. Assist in explaining specific techniques to students and personnel. Oncology - This position provides veterinary technical support in the management and treatment of patients presented to the Oncology service, as well as act as a patient advocate. This includes facilitating receiving of patients, assisting during examination, and assisting in or performing diagnostic procedures and/or treatments as per the clinicians on the Oncology service. Instructing or performing the administration of anesthetics, injections and medications, phlebotomy, specimen collections, and monitoring of vital signs for veterinarians and clinicians involved in animal health care. Instruct how to and/or prepare animals for surgery, radiology, diagnostics, intravenous catheter placement, and other various treatments. Instruct and/or perform nursing care for oncology patients. Assist in a variety of specialized veterinary applications including chemotherapy and radiation therapy, ultrasound, CT, radiology, and may occasionally assist with endoscopy. Coordinate procedures within other VTH units as needed. Administer medications and maintain patient records. Participate in clinical oncology research as appropriate. Operate and trouble shooting of all specialty related equipment. Enter information into the patient’s electronic record for recording all charges, procedures, anesthetic events, communications and miscellaneous information. Communicate treatment protocols with 4th year veterinary students and assist in explaining common specialty techniques and protocols according to industry standards unique to the service. SA ICU and Emergency Service Technician - The WSU Critical Care is a 24/7 fully staffed fast growing service. Licensed technicians are always on duty helping to oversee and assist with patient stabilization and treatments. This team of outstanding professionals provide compassionate care at the highest level using the latest tools, medicines, and techniques. The staff handles the critically ill and emergent patients with round the clock observation and therapy. Depending upon skill/position level, technician duties include peripheral and central intravenous line placement, canine and feline urinary catheter placement, pain assessment, administering constant rate infusions, monitoring vitals including direct and indirect blood pressure, ECG monitoring, and patient advocacy. Duties will also include performing and/or assisting with thoracocentesis, abdominocentesis, administering blood transfusions, and performing CPR. This position is involved with helping to develop the emergency and critical care knowledge of the fourth- year veterinary students. Strong communication and teaching skills and aptitude are required. Radiology Technician - The primary responsibilities for this position will be to provide veterinary technical support by performing CT and MRI examinations of all species (large, small and exotic), including post-mortem specimens and inanimate objects. Includes instructing and orienting residents in basic equipment operations and acquiring diagnostic imaging studies in a timely manner and the ability to adapt them to individual patient need based on the requested procedure and patient cooperation. Administer contrast media and pharmaceuticals under clinician direction. Make sure that appropriate safety protocols are followed by faculty, residents, interns, and students. Perform routine quality control procedures and scheduled maintenance when needed on the equipment. Practice and teach good patient handling skills and act as a patient advocate. Perform necessary immobilization (includes calculating doses and administering sedation). Evaluate images for technical quality. Assist in maintaining inventory of supplies and evaluating new products and equipment. Provide training for students and faculty in specialty area such as a specific computer software program- RIS/PACS. Assist with maintaining a clean and orderly work environment. Teach and model quality veterinary nursing care. Float/Pool Technician - This position provides the widest variety of experience in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Members of this team may be asked to work in any one of the other services throughout the hospital on any given day. Experience with dogs, cats, pocket pets, birds, and small wildlife is desired. Training in all departments will allow these team members to become well rounded in all aspects of veterinary technician training. If you like variety and are just as happy working in the operating room as you are in critical care than this is the position for you. At this level members of the Float team will also receive specialty training to allow them to help work with the Oncology Radiation Team on the Linear Accelerator, and I -131 animals. Float techs could also be assisting our Certified Canine Rehab Practitioner with underwater treadmill therapy, therapeutic exercise, and low light laser therapy. There will also be some advanced training in therapeutic ultrasound and E-Stim. This unique training will make you an invaluable member of any team. SAIM Technician - Provide veterinary technical support in the management and treatment of patients presented to the Small Animal Internal Medicine service, as well as act as a patient advocate. This includes facilitating receiving of patients, assisting during examination, and assisting in or performing diagnostic procedures as per the clinicians on the service. Instructing or performing the administration of anesthetic injections and medications, phlebotomy, specimen collections, and monitoring of vital signs for veterinarians and clinicians involved in animal health care. Instruct how to and/or prepare animals for surgery, radiology, diagnostics, intravenous catheter placement (including PICC lines and central lines and multi-lumen catheters), and other various treatments. Instruct and/or perform nursing care for internal medicine patients. Assist in a variety of specialized veterinary applications including ultrasound, endoscopy, and radiology. Coordinate procedures within other VTH units as needed. Participate in clinical internal medicine research as appropriate. Operation and troubleshooting of all specialty related equipment. Enter information into the hospital computer system for recording all charges, procedures, and miscellaneous information for client billing. Communicate treatment protocols with 4th year veterinary students and assist in explaining common specialty techniques and protocols according to industry standards unique to the service. Assist service with inventory ordering and inventory control as needed. Perform independent technician appointments to include performing a physical exam, obtaining diagnostic samples, performing level appropriate tasks, client communication, and record keeping. Community Practice Technician - This position will work in our fast-paced Community Practice that models a private practice industry for our students. This service provides both wellness care and treatment for minor injuries of dogs and cats. While on this service your duties can include providing clinical expertise in canine and feline venipuncture, peripheral IV catheter placement, animal restraint, inducing and monitoring animals under anesthesia, performing dental radiographs and routine dentistry, and assisting in some oral surgeries among other tasks. There will also be an expectation of some clinical teaching and mentoring to the fourth-year veterinary students so clear communication and patience is important.

Requirements

Associate’s Degree from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited school of veterinary technology OR Equivalent education and experience as defined by the Washington State Department of Health Veterinary Technician licensing requirements; AND must be licensed as Veterinary Technician in the State of Washington within six months of hire.
WA State department of Health Vet Tech licensing requirements: Applicants must meet one of the following: Graduation from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)-accredited school in veterinary technology. Graduation from a two-year curriculum in animal health or veterinary technology which is not accredited, plus a minimum of 36 months of full-time experience under the supervision of one or more licensed veterinarians. Licensure as a veterinary technician in another state and 36 months of full-time experience. DVM or VMD degree from an AVMA-accredited college of veterinary medicine.
Applicant must meet the required criteria (WAC 246-935-060) to be eligible to sit for the Washington State veterinary technician exam and must pass the exam the first time it is available.
Must pass WSU radiation safety training exam first time it is available.
May require evening and/or weekend or overnight schedule.
Requires 1-year full-time experience as a Veterinary Technician/Specialist 1 or equivalent education/experience.
Requires A Bachelor’s degree in a medical, biological, or allied field, and two years of applicable experience; or graduation from a two-year veterinary technician program, and two years of working experience with laboratory animals, at least six months must include experience directing the work of others; OR equivalent education/experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience training and teaching students, interns and residents in specialty practice or hospital, or in academic practice
Experience with dogs, cats, pocket pets, birds, and small wildlife is desired.

Responsibilities

Maintaining daily patient records
Recording procedures, medications and general work-up of patients
Using electronic medical records system to accurately reflect patient charges and medical records
Ordering, tracking and maintaining supplies of pharmaceuticals and consumable inventory
Teaching/leading students in the professional degree program
Administer anesthetic injections and medications
Draw blood
Help with C-arm
Collect specimens
Monitor vital signs for veterinarians and clinicians involved in animal health care and instruction
Performing skilled veterinary technical duties, anticipating needs of surgeons and coordinating with other services to ensure efficiency
Assisting in explaining specific techniques to students and personnel
Facilitating receiving of patients
Assisting during examination
Assisting in or performing diagnostic procedures and/or treatments as per the clinicians on the Oncology service
Instructing or performing the administration of anesthetics, injections and medications, phlebotomy, specimen collections, and monitoring of vital signs for veterinarians and clinicians involved in animal health care
Instructing how to and/or prepare animals for surgery, radiology, diagnostics, intravenous catheter placement, and other various treatments
Instructing and/or perform nursing care for oncology patients
Assisting in a variety of specialized veterinary applications including chemotherapy and radiation therapy, ultrasound, CT, radiology, and may occasionally assist with endoscopy
Coordinating procedures within other VTH units as needed
Administering medications and maintain patient records
Participating in clinical oncology research as appropriate
Operating and trouble shooting of all specialty related equipment
Entering information into the patient’s electronic record for recording all charges, procedures, anesthetic events, communications and miscellaneous information
Communicating treatment protocols with 4th year veterinary students and assist in explaining common specialty techniques and protocols according to industry standards unique to the service
Peripheral and central intravenous line placement
Canine and feline urinary catheter placement
Pain assessment
Administering constant rate infusions
Monitoring vitals including direct and indirect blood pressure
ECG monitoring
Patient advocacy
Performing and/or assisting with thoracocentesis, abdominocentesis, administering blood transfusions, and performing CPR
Performing CT and MRI examinations of all species (large, small and exotic), including post-mortem specimens and inanimate objects
Instructing and orienting residents in basic equipment operations and acquiring diagnostic imaging studies in a timely manner and the ability to adapt them to individual patient need based on the requested procedure and patient cooperation
Administering contrast media and pharmaceuticals under clinician direction
Making sure that appropriate safety protocols are followed by faculty, residents, interns, and students
Performing routine quality control procedures and scheduled maintenance when needed on the equipment
Practicing and teaching good patient handling skills and act as a patient advocate
Performing necessary immobilization (includes calculating doses and administering sedation)
Evaluating images for technical quality
Assisting in maintaining inventory of supplies and evaluating new products and equipment
Providing training for students and faculty in specialty area such as a specific computer software program- RIS/PACS
Assisting with maintaining a clean and orderly work environment
Teaching and model quality veterinary nursing care
Performing independent technician appointments to include performing a physical exam, obtaining diagnostic samples, performing level appropriate tasks, client communication, and record keeping
Providing clinical expertise in canine and feline venipuncture
Peripheral IV catheter placement
Animal restraint
Inducing and monitoring animals under anesthesia
Performing dental radiographs and routine dentistry
Assisting in some oral surgeries among other tasks

Benefits

WSU offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents; retirement; deferred compensation, optional supplemental retirement accounts; training and development; and employee tuition waiver.

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