ICU Veterinary Nurse Assistant

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 21,903 - 26,174; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts

Tuition Assistance

Generous Retirement Plans

Time Away from Work

Wellness and Work-life Resources

Job summary

The University of Pennsylvania is looking for enthusiastic Veterinary Nurse Assistants to join the Ryan Veterinary Hospital team. In this role, you will assist with care, stock supplies, clean, and handle patients. The position involves both level A and level B responsibilities depending on your experience.

Ideal candidates will have a High School Diploma and prior experience in a veterinary setting. Physical requirements include lifting over 25 pounds. The role offers a sign-on incentive and a competitive hourly wage ranging from $15.90 to $19.00.

Qualifications

• 1-2 years of experience or equivalent for Veterinary Nurse Assistant A.
• 2-3 years of experience or equivalent for Veterinary Nurse Assistant B.
• Experience with difficult to handle patients is required.

Responsibilities

• Assisting nurses with patient care and procedures.
• Stocking supplies and cleaning medical equipment.
• Handling and transporting patients and samples.

Skills

Experience in a veterinary setting

Patient restraint

Strong interpersonal skills

Ability to multitask

Education

High School Diploma

Job description

ICU Veterinary Nurse Assistant

Ryan Veterinary Hospital is seeking a Veterinary Nurse Assistant to join our dynamic team. Veterinary Nurse Assistants are an integral part of our nursing team, assisting with providing excellent care to our patients.

Responsibilities

Veterinary Nurse Assistant A Responsibilities

• Stocking supplies
• Cleaning
• Cage set up/breakdown
• Make heparinized flushes
• Laundry
• Cleaning medical equipment (alcohol wipes only; no Rescue)
• Pharmacy, clinical lab runs
• Walking patients in appropriate areas, double-leashed
• Proper labeling and transport of deceased patients to appropriate cooler
• Patient restraint
• Proper handling and running of Nova samples, PCV/TP, blood smears, glucometer, and Idexx tests. Bloodwork must always be checked with a nurse after being analyzed.
• Prime fluid bags on a cassette. Cannot set up fluid pumps.
• Anticipate nurses’ needs. This includes setting up for an IV catheter, blocked cat set up. Talk with the nurse on duty about their expectations.
• Assist nurses with patients triaged to the treatment area that need immediate care.
• Assist with discharge of outpatients once properly trained.
• Any changes/abnormalities/questions on patient status must be brought to attention of nurse.

Veterinary Nurse Assistant B Responsibilities

• Level 1 responsibilities
• Room organization
• Some supervised medical treatments on stable patients only
• Assist nurses with unstable patients
• May need to work in any of the 24/7 nursing areas during busy times (ES, ICU, Wards)
• Become familiar with normal and abnormal physical parameters including mucous membranes, capillary refill time, pulses, heart rate, respiratory rate and effort, and lung sounds
• Feel comfortable with all monitoring equipment including normal results for the pulse oximeter, ECG set up, doppler/Cardell.
• Focus on anticipating nurse’s needs. This includes setting up for an IV catheter, blocked cat set up, fluid bag set up, etc…
• All treatments/findings must be checked and approved by nurse on duty.
• May perform treatments on stable patients under direct nurse supervision:
• TPR, ECG, Doppler, connect/disconnect IVF
• Prime IVF bags (cannot start infusions)
• No medication administration

This position is eligible for a sign-on incentive of $1,000.

Qualifications

Veterinary Nurse Assistant A

High School Diploma and 1–2 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience working in a veterinary setting and experience with patient restraint is required. Candidates should also have experience working with difficult to handle patients, the proven ability to multitask and to follow directions, and strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Veterinary Nurse Assistant B

High School Diploma and 2–3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience working in a veterinary setting and experience with patient restraint is required. Candidates should also have experience working with difficult to handle patients, the proven ability to multitask and to follow directions, and strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Physical Requirements: Ability to stand, kneel, bend, reach for prolonged periods of time. Must be able to lift >25 pounds with minimal assistance.

Job Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Veterinary Medicine

Pay Range

$15.90 – $19.00 Hourly Rate

Background Checks

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff on a wide range of products and services.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.