Specialty Care Veterinary Technician, Emergency Triage - AZ - College of Veterinary Medicine

Summary

The Specialty Care Veterinary Technician, Emergency Triage serves as the first clinical touchpoint for emergent patients, performing rapid assessment, prioritization, and stabilization within the Emergency & Critical Care (ECC) Service. Responsibilities include triage categorization, immediate nursing interventions, advanced monitoring, emergency sample collection, and team coordination to facilitate timely diagnostics and treatments. The technician communicates effectively with clinicians, students, and clients (including by phone);

maintains meticulous medical records and support the service’s teaching mission through bedside instruction and mentorship. The ideal candidate demonstrates calm, decisive action under pressure, strong technical skills, excellent communication, and a commitment to customer service and patient-centered, team-based care. Technicians are placed into a Level I, II, or III role based on demonstrated competency, experience, leadership, and teaching proficiency. Advancement reflects increased autonomy, technical mastery, case flow coordination, and contribution to student education and ECC hospital operations.

• Perform primary survey (airway, breathing, circulation, disability) and secondary survey to assign acuity (immediate, urgent, non-urgent).
• Identify life-threatening problems and initiate standing triage protocols (STAT calls)
• Coordinate patient flow from lobby to emergency treatment/ICU and notify clinicians of high-acuity arrives by activating code/rapid (STAT) response as needed.
• Coordinate with referring veterinarians when appropriate
• Provide clear, empathetic updates to clients on triage process and next steps under clinician directions
• Receive, triage, and route incoming client calls by distinguishing emergencies from urgent/non-urgent concerns using service triage guidelines
• Document phone interactions in the medical record and verify understanding of arrival instructions, medications, and precaution criteria
• Escalate red flags immediately to clinician on-duty and activate rapid intake for critical arrivals by utilizing de-escalation techniques in high-stress conversations.
• Adhere to hospital infection control and OSHA standards

• Conducts initial vital sign acquisition
• Monitors stable to moderately stable patients with direct oversight
• Accurately documents triage findings
• Handles routine inbound and scheduling-related client calls; provides scripted status updates with oversight
• Documents accurately in PIMS

• Independently triages routine and urgent cases.
• Recognizes decompensation and initiates stabilization protocols
• Independently triages urgent client calls, obtains focused phone histories, alerts emergency team, and provides clear instructions to the owner
• Contributes to workflow improvements

• Able to triage multi-patient arrivals and mass-casualty scenarios; coordinates code responses and resource allocation
• Trains and mentors incoming House Officers on triage processes
• Serve as liaison between clinicians, technicians, leadership, and specialty services to optimize patient flow and outcomes.

This position does not include direct supervisory responsibilities but may assist in training and mentoring veterinary students and junior staff.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must have regular, predictable, in-person attendance and be able to work in a constant state of alertness and safe manner.

• Proficiency in emergency and triage protocols
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate with clients, students, and colleagues during high-stress situations.
• Dedication to team-based care, client service, and patient well-being
• Strong verbal communication, empathy, de-escalation, and real-time, time-stamped documentation in PIMS while on the a call.
• Willing to work flexible…