Veterinary Assistant - Part-Time

Description

Lytle Veterinary Clinic is a highly respected and established clinic with a wonderful & compassionate well-trained team. Our focus on work-life balance inside and outside of the clinic facilitates an enjoyable work environment for all team members to thrive in our collective mission to provide the best care to our patients. We are a small animal clinic, just south of San Antonio, Texas. Established in the 1970’s, Lytle Veterinary Clinic has been serving San Antonio and the surrounding communities for over 50 years! We believe that if our clients are educated and knowledgeable about medical care for their pets, it will benefit the entire family. We have built a very strong reputation for quality in our community and have tremendous pride in what we have built. 

Position Overview

The purpose of this position is to ensure quality care for pets and promote greater efficiency by relieving technicians and veterinarians of technical and administrative work. The Assistant performs a variety of patient- and client-care duties and conducts patient assessments, oversees animals recovering from anesthesia, and performs procedures and treatments.

The Assistant uses sound judgment when making decisions about patient care, responds quickly and calmly to emergencies, and maintains high standards of patient care. This person communicates clearly with the veterinarians, other practice personnel, and clients to ensure that patients receive the care they need. Assistants are friendly and flexible in the face of varying expectations from clients and coworkers. They multi-task, prioritize tasks well, and think creatively. Veterinary Assistants strongly believe in the quality of care provided and communicate this sense of assurance to clients. The Assistant provides patient and client comfort by keeping the hospital clean and presentable and may provide training to other members of the healthcare team. 

Position reports to Practice Manager and receives direction from veterinarians. Works alongside the Technicians, who determine the scope and type of support services to be furnished and the procedures used to accomplish them. 

Primary Responsibilities

Patient Care

• Provides compassionate patient care, keeping patients clean, dry, and comfortable.
• Alerts the veterinarian(s) to changes in patients’ condition.
• Recognizes patients with contagious disease and follows relevant procedures.
• Provides safe and effective patient restraint.
• Medicates patients.
• Uses proper safety techniques and positioning for radiological procedures.
• Recovers patients from anesthesia. 
• Assists veterinarians and technicians in surgery and dentistry.
• Performs basic emergency care, CPR, and intensive care as needed.
• Helps with and documents patient treatments.
• Walks, cleans, and feeds patients.
• Sets up and assists with procedures, such as IV catheterization and other common treatments.
• Bathes patients as needed.
• Assists with patient admits and releases as needed.
• Ensures patients leave in better condition than when they arrived (e.g., clean and with IV catheter
• removed).
• Maintains knowledge of drugs and their uses. 
• Calculates drug dosages and fills prescriptions accurately; asks for guidance if necessary.
• Assists with lab tests as needed.
• Completes medical records accurately and efficiently.
• Performs procedures such as pedicures and fluid administration.

Equipment and Facility Maintenance

• Cleans, cares for, and packs surgical equipment properly.
• Keeps hospital clean and stocked.
• Removes trash from hospital and sweeps and mops floors daily.
• Launderers soiled blankets, towels, and other linens.
• Utilizes in-house inventory control procedures to ensure items are stocked appropriately.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Hourly compensation offered will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
• 401k with 100% employer matching up to 1st 3%
• Eligibility to participate in Employee Stock Option Program when launched
• PTO, FLEX and Holiday Pay (available after 90 days)
• EAP Wellness and access to Betterhelp.com
• Pet care discounts
• Scrub allowance

OUR COMMUNITY:  Lytle is a charming small town located in southwestern Texas. It offers a range of activities and attractions to explore, with a relaxing and picturesque setting for visitors to enjoy. Lytle is ideally located near San Antonio, allowing residents to commute easily to their jobs while enjoying the small-town atmosphere and nearby attractions. Lytle is also a rapidly growing, vibrant community and a desirable place to raise a family!  On the beautiful Riverwalk, you can enjoy shopping, dining, theaters, social clubs, and museums. Sea World, Fiesta Texas, the Zoo, and Caverns are here too.  If you enjoy trips to the beach, we are a close drive from the shores of the Texas Gulf Coast. San Antonio also hosts the Southwest Veterinary Symposium every other year. Lytle is considered one of the safest small communities in Texas, and is a wonderful place to live, work and play!  

Requirements

• Education equivalent to the completion of the 12th grade.
• At least one year of recent experience in veterinary practice or medical environment, with increasing responsibilities. 
• Demonstrated ability to accurately manage and record detailed information in medical records and other data-management systems.
• Ability to properly restrain patients.
• Knowledge of spelling and meaning of commonly used veterinary medical terminology and procedures. 
• Ability to complete assigned tasks in the time allotted without direct supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to show empathy toward clients and treat animals with respect and compassion.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• A commitment to outstanding client service.
• Ability to lift objects weighing 40 pounds without assistance and objects weighing more than 40 pounds with assistance.
• Ability to stay on task and work energetically for entire shift, sometimes exceeding 10 hours per day.