Our veterinary nurses (VA/RVT) are instrumental to the practice. Without you, we’d fail to provide the highest standard of care to our patients. The following description will help paint a picture of your typical day here at HVH.
Reports to: Clinical Practice Manager, Lead RVT
Employee Status: Non-exempt (part-time or full-time)
Pay Scale: $20-$36 / hour based on VA Level (1-4)
Key Skills & Responsibilities
Client relations Radiology/Ultrasonography
Nursing care Laboratory
Examinations & Tech Skills Dentistry
Record keeping Pharmacy
EzyVet knowledge Marketing
Anesthesia & surgery assistance Hospital flow & housekeeping
Client Relations (Levels I-IV)
Vetmed is a service industry for pets and their people. Every HVH team member is expected to treat our clients with excellent rapport, compassion and respect.
● Actively listen and be intentional with your in-person, curbside or virtual communication. Hospitality also comes a long way!
● Effectively communicate wait times, walk-in’s or emergencies between clients and clinical staff
● Capable of stepping into a front desk role to assist with client inquiries: check-in’s, answer incoming calls and emails, intercom, schedule appointments as needed
● Documenting our client communications (non-complaints) in EzyVet is crucial
● Professionally present treatment plans, discharges, and medication instructions
● Educate our clients (non-medical advice): preventative care, vaccine schedules, disease prevention, puppy/kitten care, exotic care, wellness, flea/tick/heartworm, prescription diets, medications (prescribed and OTC), grooming, routine laboratory tests, age specific testing, husbandry, referrals
● Demonstrate ear cleanings, medication administration, anal glands, etc. in the exam room per DVM/client request
● Confidently diffuse negative client feedback or interactions prior to management intervening
● Trust is everything - never let an owner leave with pending questions
Nursing Care (Levels I-IV)
Compassionate, patient-first care is our top priority. We strive to incorporate Fear-Free techniques into our everyday practice.
● Ensure all patients are kept as clean and comfortable as possible
● All patients must be clearly identified with a neck band and kennel card
● Provide fresh water, clean blankets, and potty breaks for drop-off patients
● Treat hospitalized/recovering patients as directed by the supervising veterinarian
● Utilize the fear-free resources given to you to create a more positive experience for everyone
● Ability to handle “compassionate care” (euthanasia) appointments with poise and patience from start to finish
Examinations & Technical Skills (Levels I-IV)
Although nurses must refrain from discussing a diagnosis, you act as a second pair of eyes and ears on the clinical team.
● Ability to read patient body language; use proper and safe restraint techniques that will not stress the patient or put our team members at risk
● Accurately acquire patient vitals and stats (weight, TPR, body condition score, identify heart murmurs, dental score assessments)
● Ability to complete pedicures, anal gland expressions and suture removal
● Comfortable handling various reptiles, birds, pocket pets, swine or other species at the doctor’s discretion
● Ability to describe canine, feline, and exotic anatomy/body planes and medical terminology
● Bandaging and splinting
● Identify external parasites, masses/growths, grooming needs or potential healthcare issues
● Ability to document and clearly communicate your findings to the DVM
● Ability to lift at least 40 lbs, stand for extended periods of time, squat, kneel down or lean over is part of the day
● Scheduled, occasional house call visits with the DVM to the surrounding area
Record keeping (Levels I-IV)
From EzyVet medical records to our Google Drive, record keeping ensures we are covering our bases.
● Client records include but are not limited to: e-mail correspondence, updating contact preferences, conversation notes, charges, etc.
● Your patient, your notes (which must be completed before the end of your shift)
● Clinical records include but are not limited to: your preliminary exam findings, in-house lab results, behavior notes, SOAP notes in partnership with the DVM, etc.
● Maintaining hospital log books: controlled substance log, CURES reporting daily, surgery, radiology, laboratory log)
● Participate in scheduled inventory counts: quarterly; weekly inventory sweep & receiving orders via EzyVet which is an added bonus to your wage
● Utilize the HVH Google Drive (gmail, calendar, and tasks) which was created to conveniently house multiple resources in one place for the team
EzyVet Knowledge (Levels I-IV)
Aside from Google Drive, ezyVet is a major pillar to our hospital. It plays a vital role in patient care, communication and staff accountability.
● Every team member will complete ezyVet 101 within the first week of hire
● Familiarize yourself with ezyVet tabs, navigation and documents
● Our nurses are responsible for, but not limited to: dashboard organization (scheduling), communication, diagnostics, work list, medications
● Update patient profiles and SOC’s as needed
● Actively update client profiles and contact information
● Relay negative lab results to clients via email if we have not done so in person
● Partnering with your DVM to create comprehensive treatment plans and acquiring signatures as needed
● Process payments via Payjunction or Care Credit
Anesthesia & surgery assistance (Level III-IV)
Proper anesthesia training builds a confident team and greatly reduces the risk of anesthetic complications.
Scheduled shift positions: dental tech, dental assistant, soft tissue assistant
● Be familiar with all the procedures that are offered, proper maintenance and use of anesthetic machines/equipment and setup
● Under DVM supervision, administer IV/IM/SQ injections or oral medications
● Partner with your DVM to use the Drug Calculator (Google Sheets) for dosage calculations
● Be consistent in surgical patient pre-op, monitoring, post-op, recovery, medical notes and discharge instructions
● Uphold aseptic techniques in the surgical room and maintain sterile conditions throughout the procedure
● Sterilize surgical instruments and packs on a weekly basis
Radiology/Ultrasonography (Level II-IV)
For the safety of our team members, you will undergo yearly training, understand the equipment and wear the proper PPE prior to using any radiograph or ultrasound imaging. All associated softwares are integrated with ezyVet.
Dental Radiographs (Level III-IV)
● Efficiently capture pre & post dental radiographs using the Midark unit
Body Radiographs (Level II-IV)
● Full understanding of the Sedecal PAC system and radiology equipment
● Safely measure and position patients to capture images
● Ensure images are allocated into the patient’s medical record
● Forward images to radiologist for review per DVM or client approval
Ultrasonography (Level III-IV)
● Undergo Piloter training
● Prepare patient to capture images +/- submit images for review
Laboratory (Levels I-IV)
We will be offering our clients in-house and reference lab options.
● Jugular, cephalic, and medial/lateral saphenous blood draw; IV catheter placement
● In-house lab work includes bloodwork, urine testing, snap tests, cPL/fPL, ear swabs and cytologies, skin scraping, fine needle aspirates, corneal stains, collect fecal and urine samples (free catch +/- cysto) (certain skills will vary by VA level)
● Occasionally prep blood smears, stains and other slides to analyze under the microscope
● Complete hematocrit, glucose curve testing, phenobarbital testing, urinalysis tests
● Prep samples for Abaxis, IDEXX, Zoetis Reference Labs, and other third party labs to submit via courier services, UPS or Fedex
● Complete scheduled machine maintenance
Dentistry (Levels II-IV)
Dentistry is an exciting and advancing topic in vetmed. We strive to keep our clients educated about the benefits of daily dental care and yearly dental cleanings.
● Complete dental grade assessments for adult patients
● Educate our clients with the preventative products we carry, demonstrate teeth brushing techniques and the diets that are available
● Provide owners with dental prophy treatment plans and forward book dentals strategically
Dental Prophylaxis (Levels III-IV)
Seasoned nurses who have completed anesthesia training and exhibit a passion for dentistry can be scheduled for dental procedures.
● Understand how to set up, maintain and use the iM3 unit and tools
● Confident and efficient techniques for acquiring
● Proper dental charting, probing/scaling/polishing of the teeth
● Properly recover your patient and input medical notes
● Able to discharge your patient with thorough instructions
Under DVM supervision, Registered Veterinary Technicians are licensed to intubate and
extract diseased or infected teeth.
Pharmacy (Levels I-IV)
Maintaining a hospital pharmacy can be overwhelming. Our goal is to minimize our shelves with products we will only recommend, share our online pharmacy or utilize compounding pharmacies as needed.
● Follow the pharmacy rules and maintain proper storage/organization
● Use the correct pharmacology terms and double-sign Rx labels
● Check the pharmacy voicemail daily and fill prescriptions that have been dispensed by our DVM in ezyVet
● Familiarize yourself with our online pharmacy via our hospital website. Check pending
Vetsource requests on behalf of the DVM and update SOC’s
● OTC and routine F/T/HW refills can be completed by our CSR’s or nurses by checking the patient’s SOC
● Assist in ordering medications and supplies as needed
● Only nurses that carry a VASCP can handle controlled substances
Marketing (Levels I-IV)
Here at HVH, we hope to share the stories of our hardworking team members. As essential workers of the community, we can help more pets through education and shared content.
● Sign marketing waiver if you wish to be a part of the hospital website and social media posts
● Participate or support marketing events or programs with our community partners
● Understand and present marketing promotions to new and existing clients
● Capture photos of the team, procedures and patients to share on our pages
Some Final Notes (Levels I-IV)
A clean, efficient hospital takes a group effort.
● Hospital meetings are mandatory
● Morning hospital huddles are also mandatory
● 5 hours of CE or Race virtual/in person curriculum to advance your communication or technical skills per year is mandatory
● Open to troubleshooting IT & diagnostic machines given the correct resources
● Adhere to OSHA and medical waste management
● Make certain our hospital is kept tidy, clean, and disinfected (treatment, boarding runs, kennels, surgery, pharmacy and exam rooms) by completing our daily, weekly and monthly cleaning tasks
● You may be assigned to support a new hire if your skills and support would benefit them
● Adhere to changing COVID-19 hospital policies and county guidelines
● Bring positivity and new ideas into work, be dependable, and take your wellness
seriously
Preferred Qualifications
● Current kennel assistant/intern/volunteer within HVH looking to advance
● Outside candidate with a strong passion for the veterinary field
● 1-2 years experience in veterinary or animal shelter setting
● Experience with ezyVet would be amazing!
● US work authorization is required
Education
● High school diploma or equivalent is required
● Currently enrolled in VA/VT program is great
● Associate’s or Bachelor’s preferred
Pay Scale
● $20-36 based on experience, certifications/education and capabilities*
● You may be asked to complete skill set checklists in order to evaluate your confidence in various techniques during your reviews
Veterinary Assistant Level I (Entry) $20-23
Veterinary Assistant Level II $23-25
Veterinary Assistant Level III $25-28
Veterinary Assistant Level IV $28.25+
*Assistant levels are determined when your 90 day orientation period is finished
Schedule
We want to partner with you and your availability as much as possible. We fully understood those that are in school or have parental needs that take precedence, which we take into account upon hire.
● The current hospital schedule is 9am-6pm, Monday - Friday
● Part-time or Full-time positions may be available
● 8-Hour or 10-Hour shifts are available, which will need to match hospital needs
● Closed Holidays: Labor Day, Thanksgiving (paid), Christmas Day (paid),
Benefits details and other employee requirements are outlined in the hospital handbook
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Contract, Internship
Pay: $20.00 - $35.00 per hour
Expected hours: 30.0 – 35.0 per week
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- What is your ideal work schedule?
Experience:
- Veterinary: 2 years (Required)
Language:
Ability to Commute:
- Hayward, CA 94542 (Required)
Work Location: In person
