Overview
The Large Animal Hospital provides high quality medical/ surgical care to inpatient, outpatient and critical emergency large animal cases. The Veterinary Assistants of the large animal hospital are well versed at handling multiple different species that are cared for in our hospital. In addition to horses, which comprise much of our case load, our staff also has the opportunity to work with a variety of other species including alpacas, goats, sheep, pigs and other large animal species. Our veterinary assistants work together with the veterinary teams of residents, interns, and faculty clinicians to provide quality, compassionate, and timely care to all of our patients.
As a teaching hospital, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University is well known for the ability to offer a wide variety of cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic options for our large animal patients and their owners. In addition to patient care, employees are required to teach and support the veterinary students throughout their rotation in the Large Animal Hospital.
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University has excellent resources, and health benefits to offer, and plenty of Continuing Education opportunities to further enhance our staff and our hospital surroundings. This position is a based on a 40-hour 5 day work week. Compensation rate above what is listed will be considered based on education, experience, and credentials. Generous shift differentials are offered for any scheduled hours worked outside of normal business hours, which are Monday-Friday 8am-5pm and range between an additional $2-$4 per hour. A substantial holiday premium pay is applied to any University-designated holiday. The University observes a minimum of thirteen holidays throughout the calendar year.
If you are looking for a new challenge and a rewarding experience in the veterinary/large animal field, please consider the opportunities that we have available.
What You'll Do
This position facilitates excellent patient care and client service by supporting the clinicians in the large animal ultrasound service. Support may also be provided to residents, interns, technicians, and students working with ultrasound related cases in the Sports Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Surgery services. Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to, holding/restraining horses for ultrasound examinations, obtaining relevant history from clients, scheduling appointments, coordinating procedures within the hospital amongst various departments, submitting billing, jogging horses for lameness evaluation, assisting with other procedures (radiographs, nerve blocks and others) as directed by veterinarians and technicians, removing horseshoes, walking patients, cleaning stalls, cleaning and stocking the ultrasound room, cleaning and maintenance of all ultrasound related equipment, proper medical record keeping and data download. Prepare patients for admission and discharge, including unloading and loading the trailer. Duties also include maintaining inventory of medical supplies, barn supplies and hospital equipment.
Essential Functions:
- Clinical/Technical Assistance.
- Provide support to veterinarians by assisting with diagnostics test, procedures and treatments as directed.
- Answer and direct phone calls.
- Recognize and respond appropriately to veterinary medical emergencies by notifying the appropriate hospital personnel.
- Request records and information from other veterinary facilities.
- Assure general comfort and safety of animals and to be alert to any unforeseen circumstances.
- Prepare paperwork, requests for services, treatment notes and discharge orders (as needed).
- Must have strong interpersonal communications skills.
- Store, safely handle, and dispose of biological and therapeutic agents, pesticides and hazardous waste.
- Ability to jog horses and run.
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic normal and abnormal behavior.
- Perform inventory control procedures, including restocking of supplies, checking expiration dates and follow IACUC protocols.
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of common diseases and medical conditions.
- Demonstrate understanding of treatment plan.
- Apply and remove bandages to healthy animals – (equine leg and tail wraps).
- Clip and prepare patients for their ultrasound appointment.
- Provide care and maintenance of equipment.
- Assist the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician with preparation of patients using aseptic technique.
- Assist in the discharging/admission of patients, grooming, leg wraps.
- Recognize general types and groups of drugs frequently used in large animal medicine.
- Assist on-loading and off-loading of animals; maintain animal’s physical appearance at discharge; restrain, halter and lead animals.
- Patient Care/Section Maintenance/Husbandry
- Responsible for maintaining ultrasound equipment in good working order. Responsible for maintaining supplies in Ultrasound areas.
- Provide patient care and comfort by cleaning stalls, walking horses, watering and feeding patients. Contribute to the overall maintenance of the hospital by cleaning and stocking treatment areas. Provide supplies for Central Sterile as needed.
- Be responsible for the prioritization of routine coordination of repair and maintenance in treatment areas in the hospital
- In accordance with hospital protocols, sanitizing of facilities will include stalls, aisles, drains, feed room and isolation building. Maintain cleanliness and order to treatment areas.
Follow Bio Security protocols and inform clinician of any breaches in security:
- Utilize patient and personnel safety measures.
- Identify potential Zoonotic diseases.
- Follow isolation procedures.
- Be familiar with OSHA & IACUC standards
- Possess good computer skills, the ability to use an electronic medical record program to search for test results, input charges for procedures preformed and document results in EMR.
The schedule for this position will be Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm with 30minute unpaid break each day.
What We're Looking For
Basic Requirements:
- High school diploma or the equivalent and at least 3 years of related experience
- Familiarity with equine medical terminology, veterinary pharmacology and equine animal behavior.
- Ability to restrain horses in a safe and compassionate manner. High degree of comfort working around all types of horses in variety of situations.
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with co-workers, clinicians, students, staff and clients.
- Enthusiastic, genuine, empathetic and self-motivated professional with positive upbeat attitude.
- Pride in and commitment to maintain hospital work areas. Basic computer skills including the ability to learn the electronic medical record system.
- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. with or without accommodation.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Credentialed as a Certified Veterinary Assistant
Pay Range
Minimum $19.20, Midpoint $22.50, Maximum $25.90
Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.
