Description

Veterinary Technician - Emergency Department Lead

Austin, TX

Location: Austin, Texas

Full-Time: 3 day, 12 hour swing shift. On-call required.

Compensation negotiable based on credentials and experience with a hourly pay rate starting at $28 - $32/ hour. The actual rate offered will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Join our Emergency team!

Pet Specialists of Austin, a Thrive Pet Healthcare partner, is looking for a skilled Emergency Department Lead Veterinary Technician to join our dedicated team. As part of our hospital, you'll gain access to specialized resources, career development opportunities, and the support of a nationally connected network-while enjoying the close-knit feel of a local practice.

Opened in 2021, Pet Specialists of Austin is a 24-hour emergency and specialty referral hospital committed to investing in the growth and success of its team. We proudly serve the Austin area with high-quality care in emergency and critical care, neurology, surgery, internal medicine, and oncology. Our workplace fosters emotional intelligence, collaboration, and a strong work/life balance, ensuring a positive environment for both patients and team members.

Job Summary

The Lead Emergency Veterinary Technician is responsible for performing all veterinary nursing duties while providing guidance and direction to veterinary technicians and assistants. They must possess broad knowledge across areas such as client service, communication, clinical pathology, radiology, animal nursing care, anesthesia, surgical assistance, and emergency medicine, and be able to train staff in these skills. The Lead Technician upholds the hospital’s core values and maintains professional composure. Their time is managed at an 80:20 ratio between floor duties and administrative responsibilities, with administrative tasks not performed during scheduled floor shifts. They will report to the Practice Manager and work closely with the Lead Emergency DVM to implement process and support the entire emergency department.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Animal husbandry including walking, feeding, and medication administration.
• Demonstrates exceptional written and verbal communication skills, delivering outstanding customer service.
• Has exceptional technical skills and is detail oriented
• Works independently, is goal oriented, and manages multiple tasks effectively under pressure in a fast, dynamic environment.
• Performs administrative duties such as training new and current staff, scheduling, and document coaching.
• Provides leadership within the hospital to delegate cases and tasks, as well as ensure technical procedures are performed according to process in a timely manner.
• Must be able to attend monthly lead meetings and disseminate information to staff through all forms of communication (email, verbal, meeting, etc.)

Education and Experience:

• Associate degree in Veterinary Technology preferred
• Credentials (RVT, CVT, LVT) preferred
• Prior supervisory/management experience required
• 3-5 years previous experience as a veterinary assistant or technician. Emergency experience is required.
• Prior customer service experience required.

Core Job Duties:

The following is a list of essential job requirements. This list may be revised at any time and additional duties not listed here may be assigned as needed.

General:

• Prepare patient records, admit, and discharge patients as assigned.
• Handle telephone calls and schedule appointments as needed.
• Promote a positive work environment and shows commitment to the hospital’s mission, vision, and core values.
• Trains new staff members and staff looking to improve their knowledge and skills.
• Properly utilize required logs such as controlled drugs, radiology, surgery etc.
• Ensure working area is always stocked with supplies.
• Maintain cleanliness in the hospital environment.

Nursing/Patient Care:

• Assess patient status, take patient history, perform tech exam, and assist veterinarian in exam room.
• Triage patients in a timely manner.
• Provide owners with financial updates, make and get estimates approved.
• Monitor changes in patient condition and report them to the veterinarian on duty.
• Perform emergency patient care as needed.
• Perform nursing care of patients requiring isolation.
• Perform Specialty skills
  • Place urinary catheters male or female
  • Place long lines: Central Jug or PICC
  • Place NG & NE tubes
  • Know Snyder oxygen kennels
  • Calculate drugs, set up CRI and blood products
  • Calculate medication doses and administer via all routes - to include CRI medications.
  • Perform cystocentesis as directed.
• Perform venipuncture for phlebotomy and IV catheterization.
• Administer IV/SQ fluids as needed.
• Chart in the patient’s medical record appropriately using correct medical terminology, symbols, abbreviations, and spelling.
• Apply a variety of bandages.
• Maintain a clean ICU
  • Keep ICU stocked
  • Clean kennels, cabinets, and drawers regularly
  • Sweep and mop floor daily
  • Keep all fluid and syringe pumps charged and ready
  • Solutions filled: Chlorhexidine and Alcohol
  • Help with laundry

Laboratory Procedures:

• Operate all laboratory equipment in the veterinary practice including microscopes, hematology, and chemistry analyzers, among others.
• Perform microscopy for blood, skin/ear cytology, fecal and urine analysis as needed.
• Perform all in-house testing such as PCV/TP, Heartworm, Flea/Tick, FeLV/FIV and Parvo snap tests, cross match for blood transfusions., etc.

Radiology Duties:

• Observe all required safety protocols for capturing radiologic images.
• Be able to properly obtain all required diagnostic radiographs, including basic contrast studies.
• Be able to properly utilize ultrasound machine for guidance with sample collection.

Anesthesia/Surgical Duties:

• Perform pre-operative physical examination.
• Assist with creation of anesthetic plan and calculate and administer all induction medications.
• Prepare OR suite for a variety of surgical procedures.
• Operate a variety of anesthetic machines and circuits including rebreather and non-rebreather systems.
• Be proficient in intubating all species seen in the practice.
• Properly induce, maintain, and recover a patient from anesthesia.
• Properly operate and interpret anesthetic monitors including ECG, BP, SPo2, ETCO2, Temperature, etc.
• Maintain the anesthetic machine including pre-op setup, checking, and changing of CO2 granules and oxygen tank maintenance.
• Understand pharmacology of and use of anesthetic and analgesic medications.
• Be able to respond in an anesthetic emergency and assist the veterinarian.
• Resuscitate neonatal patients as needed.
• Perform proper surgical instrument cleaning and maintenance.
• Prepare and sterilize surgical packs.

Administrative/Leadership:

• Run department meetings monthly or bi-weekly whichever is needed for the department type meeting minutes and give them to technician manager.
• Manage the floor for ICU/ER by directing inpatient technician’s and triage technician’s daily workflows by assigning cases, procedures and monitoring work is performed efficiently.
• Shift coverage
• Handle issues arising out of inefficiency such as late procedures, missed charges, or inappropriate staffing.
• Oversee the technician and assistant schedule and assign work schedules, approve vacation time and overtime as needed.
• Train new and current staff in all areas of the hospital
• Ensure staff maintain proper attitude, knowledge, skills, and abilities always.
• Model professional behavior by wearing appropriate attire, being on time for shifts, addressing gossip, and providing support to upper management.
• Delegate tasks appropriately and aid staff or assume primary nursing duties as required.
• Constantly seek opportunities for staff advancement in knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Work with management when coaching of staff members need to be escalated.

Physical Requirements:

• Dependable attendance is required.
• Must be able to lift 40 pounds with our without reasonable accommodation.
• Must be willing to work long or irregular hours under high pressure conditions while maintaining composure.
• This position requires the ability to walk, bend, stand and reach constantly during a minimum 8-hour day.
• Visual acuity sufficient to maintain accurate records, recognizes people and understands written directions.
• Ability to speak and hear sufficiently to understand, give information in person and over the telephone.
• Fine motor skills adequate for utilizing office equipment and hospital equipment such as laboratory equipment, radiology equipment, etc.

Additional Requirements:

• May be required to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• May need to work overtime.

Benefits - our care in action

Thrive offers a suite of benefits to support team members’ emotional, physical, professional, and financial wellbeing. In addition to our health and life insurance, and short- and long- term disability plans, we offer eligible team members:

• Competitive pay
• 401(k) with employer match
• Mental health resources, including 24/7 access to Lyra Health
• Paid parental leave
• Purr-ental leave for when you adopt a pet
• Employer-sponsored childcare and elder care
• Personalized care for every family-forming journey
• Discretionary funds and FREE CE courses
• Pet perks and veterinary service discounts
• Student loan management tools and assistance

Apply today!

At Pet Specialists of Austin, we foster a culture of care, safety, and connection, where integrity guides our actions-we do the right thing, not just the easy thing. We provide comprehensive care through a diversity of knowledge and team empowerment, ensuring the best outcomes for pets and their families. Collaboration is at the heart of our work, and we embrace a one-team mentality to support each other and deliver exceptional veterinary care.