Registered Veterinary Technician; RVT

Position Summary

A certified veterinary technician directly handles inpatient and outpatient care, working hand‑in‑hand with veterinarians. The technician assists in exam rooms by taking patients’ history, vital signs and weight; preparing vaccines; collecting samples and running diagnostic tests; providing client education; and assisting with animal restraint. Technicians also may see their own appointments for procedures such as suture removal, nail trim, vaccine administration when a doctor exam is not required, long‑term medication monitoring testing, surgery admission and discharge and boarding check‑in exams.

Technicians directly impact doctors’ productivity, client service and patient care. Technicians play a key role in communicating with clients in person and by phone for follow‑up care and patient monitoring.

Reports to:

Technician Supervisor, Medical Director and/or Practice Manager

• Assist veterinarians in the practice of veterinary medicine and surgery
• Perform in‑hospital lab testing and prepare specimens for outside labs
• Assist veterinarians in outpatient exams by taking histories, vital signs and weights as well as providing client education
• Provide nursing care for in‑hospital patients
• Conduct pre‑admission exams and discharge hospitalized patients
• Perform client callbacks
• Maintain proper care and medication administration of boarding animals and assist kennel staff
• Maintain legally defensible medical records in cooperation with veterinarians

• Prepare and maintain exam rooms (cleanliness and stocking of supplies and brochures)
• Assist veterinarians in exam rooms by taking patients’ history, vital signs and weight; preparing vaccines and medications; and assisting with medical records
• Educate clients on prevention and wellness topics
• Collect samples and run heartworm, tick‑borne disease and intestinal parasite tests
• Fill prescriptions per veterinarians’ instructions
• Educate clients about medication instructions and administration
• Perform admission exams for patients being hospitalized, including weight, vital signs and pre‑surgical exam
• Perform pre‑anesthetic exams on surgery and dental patients if the veterinarian has not already assessed patients
• Discharge patients for dentistry, spay, neuter and declaw surgeries
• Conduct dental recheck exams

• Responsible for in‑hospital lab testing such as intestinal parasite screens, pre‑anesthetic testing, senior screens, complete blood count, urinalysis, heartworm, tick‑borne diseases, Feline Leukemia, FIV, cytology, etc.
• Collect and prepare samples
• Report diagnostic testing results to veterinarians
• Maintain quality controls and record keeping on in‑house lab equipment
• Complete proper sample preparation and paperwork for outside diagnostic lab tests

• Perform treatments noted on treatment board and in medical records (hospitalized patients, surgeries, dentistry patients, boarding medications)
• Assist veterinarians with daily treatments
• Monitor intensive care patients
• Provide nursing care
• Take and process x‑rays
• Accurately number and file x‑rays; record x‑rays in log and medical records
• Use and maintain IV pumps

• Admit patients scheduled for surgery and dentistry
• Keep surgical materials stocked
• Prepare gown and surgical packs
• Check oxygen lines and waste gas scavenger system; turn off scavenger system after surgical procedures are completed
• Prepare surgery suite for surgery
• Prepare instruments; know type of surgical instruments required for specific surgeries
• Assist veterinarians with patient restraint
• Assist veterinarians with induction/intubation or perform induction/intubation
• Surgical preparation of patient
• Monitor anesthesia closely with monitoring equipment such as pulse oximeter and electrocardiogram
• Help maintain anesthesia machine
• Assist veterinarian performing surgery
• Monitor patients waking up from anesthesia; assist with treatment if patient has reaction to anesthesia
• Clean surgery suite and surgical instruments after each procedure following hospital sterilization protocols
• Keep accurate anesthesia/surgical medical records
• Ensure hospital patients go home well groomed and in an appropriate medical state

• Cle…