The Clinical Veterinary Technician 1 assists in providing clinical care, nursing support and husbandry for a variety of laboratory research animals. This is the first level of a three-level series. It is distinguished from the higher levels with increased level of oversight on clinical cases and focus on assisting surgical procedures. This role will be supervised or guided by senior staff and DVMs. At this level there is an emphasis on animal health, training, and greater supervision. It is distinguished from other Veterinary Technician series by the emphasis on clinical care and nursing support. Work inside an ABSL3 facility is a requirement of this position.

Key Responsibilities & Performance Standards

Rounds/Triage

• With oversight, evaluates new and ongoing clinical cases
• Provides basic treatments within clinic guidelines or as determined by the attending veterinarian
• Determines which cases need immediate care from the attending veterinarian, and which can be managed through routine practices

Nursing and Critical care

• Provides assistance and support in the assessment, treatment, and stabilization of patients with urgent medical needs.
• May independently stabilize patients while the veterinarian is en route.
• Provides ongoing care for patients with potentially life-threatening illness or injury whose condition is likely to change moment to moment.
• Monitors recovery from sedation and patient care, including creation of medical records and administration of medications.
• Performs general nursing functions in the clinical hospital, hospitalized patient area, and animal housing facilities

Therapeutics

• Performs standard clinical procedures on research animals including but not limited to: checking for standard pathogens and treating as appropriate; venipuncture, intravenous and urethral catheter placement; medication dose calculations; administration of medications via intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal and oral routes; body fluid and tissue collection; cleans, debrides, sutures, and bandages wounds; assists with dental manipulations; monitoring of animals receiving gas anesthetics.

Observation and Records

• Checks clinical cases daily for signs of abnormal behavior, illness, or injury
• Records information necessary to document adequate clinical care; and reports observed findings to veterinarians
• Records requested environmental data; fills out death record on dead or euthanized animals.

Animal Husbandry

• Waters and feeds hospitalized animals as instructed.
• Captures, restrains and transports animals in support of investigative or veterinary procedures.
• Identifies sex
• Weighs animals

General Maintenance

• Clean and disinfects surgical and clinical supplies and instrumentation by an appropriate means for the material being cleaned.
• Assembles surgical instrument sets and supplies according to established guidelines or as directed.
• Maintains sterility of surgical supplies and instruments through proper storage and rotation
• Maintain procedure rooms including but not limited to stocking, cleaning, expiration monitoring

Miscellaneous

May perform some of the following tasks

• Drive unit vehicles to provide support to animal care.
• Identify animals.
• Help with group-housed processing.
• Perform any duties which are deemed necessary by managerial staff.

• High school diploma or GED

Experience:

• 1 year experience caring for animals in a veterinary hospital including 6 month experience in a clinical position AND

• State certification through the Veterinary Medical Examining Board as a Veterinary Technician AND

• Certification by the American Association for Lab Animal Science at the Assistant Lab Animal Technician (ALAT) level within one year of employment

Job Related Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Competencies):

• Knowledgeable in standard medical terminology and nomenclature
• Ability to communicate and record patient information as required
• Manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills to correctly perform clinical and technical procedures
• Knowledge of veterinary and biological principles which underlie clinical illness.
• Knowledge of normal physiological parameters, normal growth and development, and typical disease processes
• Knowledge of veterinary procedures and practices to determine appropriate actions during clinical case management
• Ability to operate a variety of medical equipment used in clinical practice
• Ability to obtain clear, diagnostic x-rays using established medical techniques or standard procedures.
• Knowledge of methodology and microbiology as it relates to cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization.
• Veterinary nursing skills for intensive care patients
• Ability to utilize personal protective equipment for cases requiring Animal Biosafety levels 2 & 3
• Ability to interact in a positive and productive manner with veterinary, scientific, and technical staff in difficult or stressful situations
• Intermediate level skills in Microsoft applications
• Prioritization/triage
• Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written formats

Registrations, Certifications and/or Licenses:

• current state certification through the Veterinary Medical Examining Board
• valid Driver’s License and the ability to drive DCM vehicles on and off campus

Education:

• AA in Veterinary Technology

Experience:

• Experience in the health care of experimental animals in a research setting

• Experience working with USDA regulated research animals
• Experience working in a surgical environment
• Experience with dental procedures, ultrasound, radiology, or emergency medicine

Job Related Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Competencies):

• Advanced computer and Microsoft skills
• Medical knowledge and clinical experience in the management of nonhuman primate illness
• Skills from working in the surgical environment

Registrations, Certifications and/or Licenses:

• AALAS certification
• Current state issued radiology license