ICU Veterinary Assistant

Essential Job Duties

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Veterinary Assistant provides advanced nursing care within the 24/7 high-acuity unit of the Randall B. Terry Jr. Companion Animal Medical Center. Operating in a fast-paced teaching environment, this role manages a varied caseload of small animal and exotic patients. The position requires a high level of clinical expertise, professional communication, and the ability to coordinate care seamlessly between specialty services, clinicians, and students.

Clinical Excellence & Patient Care

• Advanced Nursing Interventions: Perform complex medical treatments, including catheter placement (venous, arterial, and central), oxygen therapy (nasal/chest tubes), urinary management, and blood/plasma transfusions.
• Critical Monitoring & Diagnostics: Monitor vital signs (TPR, BP, ECG), manage ventilator support, and utilize specialized equipment such as pulse oximeters, wound vacuums, and ultrasound machines.
• Emergency Response: Perform CPR and provide immediate life-saving support for patients in crisis.
• Pharmacological Management: Calculate and administer high-risk medications, including constant rate infusions (CRI), intravenous fluids, and complex pain management protocols.
• Specialized Recovery: Manage post-anesthetic and post-surgical recovery for high-risk neurological, soft tissue, trauma, and extracorporeal patients.
• Infection Control: Maintain rigorous standards for isolation protocols, antibiotic-resistant cases, and infectious disease management.

Coordination & Educational Support

• Clinical Communication: Coordinate patient admissions and care plans by synthesizing information from clinicians and students regarding diagnostics and treatment goals.
• Instruction & Mentorship: Actively teach, coach, and orient 4th-year veterinary students, interns, residents, and new staff on hospital policies and advanced patient care techniques.
• Data Management: Accurately record and communicate patient data, diagnostic results, and treatment histories using hospital information systems.
• Client Relations: Support and facilitate client visitations, maintaining professional empathy in emotionally charged or challenging situations.

Professional Standards & Operations

• Safety & Compliance: Maintain a clean, functional workspace in accordance with OSHA, EHS, radiation safety, and hospital infectious disease policies.
• Team Collaboration: Participate actively in problem-solving and team advancement, working independently with sound judgment while requesting assistance when necessary.
• Operational Agility: Demonstrate the physical ability to lift up to 50 pounds, work around potential hazards (zoonotic diseases, chemicals, gases), and extend work hours as required by patient needs.

Other Work/Responsibilities

Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Experience/Education

Completion of an accredited training program in the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience.

Some positions may require additional Training, Certifications, or Licensure.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Clinical Experience: Previous experience as a veterinary technician in an emergency or critical care clinical setting; preferably at a teaching hospital.
• Instructional Background: Proven experience in teaching, coaching, or mentoring veterinary students and junior staff members within a clinical environment.
• Specialized Technical Proficiency: Advanced competency in managing high-acuity interventions, including ventilator monitoring, central line placement, and complex anesthetic recoveries.
• Critical Thinking & Pharmacology: Strong aptitude for high-risk drug calculations (CRIs) and the ability to exercise independent judgment in rapidly changing medical situations.
• Communication & Resilience: Demonstrated ability to provide high-quality customer service and maintain professional composure during emotionally charged or high-stress client interactions.