Veterinary Assistant

The Animal Care Assistant (ACA) is a vital member of the practice team. The ACA works under the direct supervision of the veterinarian or veterinary technician. The CTVRC clinic’s Animal Care Assistants are responsible for assisting the veterinary technician and/or the veterinarian in the performance of advanced technical procedures. The main duties and responsibilities of our ACA’s involves ensuring the clinic’s overall cleanliness, equipment operations and supplies are maintained.

**Hours of Service**

The Animal Care Assistant supports the CTVRC referral service and emergency services a total of 80 hours over 2 weeks. The schedule may include some weekends.

**Education**
- High School Diploma, required.
- Completion of a Veterinary Assistant Certificate from a National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) approved program, or equivalent “on the job” training program, required.
- Minimum 2 years of veterinary experience, required.
- Successful completion of the NAVTA Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA) examination, recommended.
- **Exceptional Performance/ Extra Effort**_
- **Teamwork**_

Works collaboratively with all members of the CTVRC team, patients and families. Act as a resource person to others. Demonstrate initiative in providing support to other team members. Support and facilitate interdisciplinary, patient-focused care.
- **Client Service **_

Demonstrate honesty, respect, fairness and accountability in dealing with others. Maintains information confidentiality and a high ethical work standard. Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication. Uses effective listening skills and is respectful in communication with patients, staff members and the public. Provide excellent, efficient and friendly patient care. Can build a strong rapport with patient, the patient’s family when handling complaints effectively and in a timely manner.

Demonstrate a desire to help or serve the CTVRC patients and their families. Focus efforts on meeting or exceeding the client's needs. Maintain clear interdisciplinary communication, responds to client’s issues in a timely manner, and takes personal responsibility for resolving problems.
- **Employee Efficiency**:_

Completes work assignments willingly, projects a positive attitude to patients, staff and the public. Analyze situations in a systematic way, organizes and sets priorities effectively and works through the problem to completion and generates realistic solutions. Successfully adapts to the clinic’s changing environment on a personal and professional level. Functions effectively within a variety of situations and as an individual or within the team. Seeks advice from other team members as appropriate.
- **Attendance**:_

Is punctual and maintains a satisfactory attendance record.

**Employee’s Essential (Technical) Skills & Competencies**:

- Perform laundry for both clinic staff uniforms and clinic bedding
- General tidiness and cleaning of all three levels of the clinics practice, including vacuuming of staff lounge area and staircases
- Routine disinfection of all clinic surfaces
- Regular cleaning of clinic equipment
- Maintain sufficient level of clinic supplies throughout the day, including stocking of staff and patient washrooms.
- Provide care & maintenance of clinic equipment.
- Restrain small animals on tables and floor.
- Prepare food & prescription diets-be aware of any special dietary needs.
- Clean & disinfect cages and kennels.
- Sterilize instruments & sanitize supplies using appropriate methods.
- Assist the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician with preparation & positioning of surgical patients using aseptic technique.
- Perform post-surgical clean up.
- Disposal of hazardous medical waste.
- Assistance in the collection of voided urine, fecal and blood samples.
- Assist the DVM or veterinary technician in procedures.
- Assist the DVM and/or the veterinary technician in the completion of diagnostic radiographs and ultrasound including the restraint, preparation, and positioning of patients.
- **Communication & Client Relations**_
- Exhibits effective client communication skills.
- Understand ethical conduct in day to day operations of a vet hospital.
- Understand the human animal bond.
- Demonstrate professional and appropriate appearance and language in the workplace.
- Demonstrate appropriate use of electronic communication in the workplace (cell phone usage, text messaging, social networking, digital photography, etc)
- **Examination Room Procedures**_
- Place and remove small animals from cages.
- Restrain small animals on tables and floor.
- Demonstrate standing, sitting, lateral, sternal, and dorsal restraint positions. Recognize when to alter normal restraint for compromised patients in the exam room (i.e. Ringworm, Contagious diseases, Ectoparasite infestation)
- Determine and record temperature, pulse, respiration, body condition score, and weight of patients.
- Express anal sacs u