Registered Veterinary Technician / Experienced Veterinary Assistant - Shelter Medicine

San Francisco SPCA; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 37,195 - 50,971; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k Retirement Plan and matching

Medical, Dental & Vision insurance

Paid Time Off

Job summary

San Francisco SPCA is seeking a dedicated Veterinary Technician to join our Shelter Medicine team in San Francisco. The role blends individual patient care with population management and a strong emphasis on behavioral wellbeing.

You will perform nursing duties, assist with anesthesia and surgeries, and help monitor the health of shelter animals while documenting care accurately. This full-time position offers a path to impact lives daily.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years experience as Veterinary Assistant or 1 year as RVT in medicine and anesthesia/surgery
• Experience in high volume spay/neuter surgery and/or dentistry is a plus
• Shelter environment experience preferred

Responsibilities

• Provide veterinary medical care including preventive care, diagnostics, routine and emergency care for shelter animals
• Perform nursing tasks: IV catheterization, dosing, fluids, radiographs, samples, in-house tests, bandaging
• Monitor health of shelter population with SM team
• Record treatments and examinations on patient charts
• Assist in anesthesia and surgical procedures and monitor patients
• Maintain safe surgical flow and aseptic technique
• Contribute to ongoing improvements in nursing care and documentation

Skills

Veterinary assistance

Animal handling

Emergency care

Nursing care

Anesthesia monitoring

Education

AA/AS or 2 years post-secondary

RV T licensed or eligible

Job description

Description
At the San Francisco SPCA, the practice of Shelter Medicine requires a unique blend of individual medicine and population management with a strong focus on behavioral wellness. Every day, the Veterinarians and Technicians on our Shelter Medicine Team dedicate themselves to maximizing our life saving capacity in San Francisco and beyond. We are looking for a highly skilled, innovative, go-getter, compassionate, Veterinary Technician to join this remarkable team.

Job Type
Full-time

At the San Francisco SPCA, the practice of Shelter Medicine requires a unique blend of individual medicine and population management with a strong focus on behavioral wellness. Every day, the Veterinarians and Technicians on our Shelter Medicine Team dedicate themselves to maximizing our life saving capacity in San Francisco and beyond. We are looking for a highly skilled, innovative, go-getter, compassionate, Veterinary Technician to join this remarkable team.

Core Responsibilities

• Provide high quality veterinary medical care including preventive care, diagnostic testing, routine treatments, and emergency care to shelter animals on both an individual and population basis
• Nursing care will include, but is not limited to: IV catheter placement, calculation of appropriate drug doses and intravenous (IV) fluid rates, administration of IV fluids and medications by various routes, taking radiographs, collection of diagnostic samples, performance of in-house diagnostic tests, and application of bandages and splints as permitted by veterinary practice regulations
• In collaboration with SM Directors, SM veterinarians, and other SM staff, participate in/contribute to the monitoring and protection of the on-going health of the shelter population
• Perform basic physical exams and recognize normal and abnormal parameters in a variety of canine and feline patients with familiarity of veterinary terminology and abbreviations
• Recognize and respond appropriately to signs of animal pain and distress
• Demonstrate an understanding of infectious disease in patients and infectious disease control
• Humanely handle and care for animals, using low stress handling techniques and adhering to the 5 Freedoms
• Accurately record all treatments, examinations, test results, procedures etc. on computerized patient charts and other medical records
• Create, complete and interpret treatment sheets
• Contribute to /participate in ongoing assessment and improvement of nursing care systems, processes, and documentation

Anesthesia & Surgical Nursing

• Calculate, draw up, and administer pre-medication and anesthetic drugs as permitted by veterinary practice regulations
• Prepare animals for spays, neuters, and other surgeries, including intubation, preparation of aseptic surgical site, positioning, and preparation of appropriate surgical supplies and equipment
• Administer local and regional anesthetic blocks per protocol and/or as directed by surgeon
• Correctly operate anesthesia machine and anesthetic circuits
• Monitor vital signs & anesthetic depth for anesthetized patients from induction through recovery; maintain stable vital signs & appropriate planes of anesthesia
• Manually ventilate patients when necessary
• Concurrently monitor multiple patients in various stages of anesthesia and surgery
• In collaboration with surgeon, recognize and respond appropriately to anesthetic and surgical complications and emergencies
• Correctly operate and interpret output of anesthesia monitoring equipment
• Help to maintain safe and efficient surgical flow that minimizes wait times for surgeons and anesthetized patients
• Appropriately aseptically scrub and don surgical attire in order to assist surgeons with surgical procedures when required

Requirements

• A minimum of 2 years experience working as a Veterinary Assistant, or 1 year as a Registered Veterinary Technician, in veterinary medicine including both medicine and anesthesia/surgery
• Experience in high volume spay/neuter surgery and/or dentistry a plus
• A minimum of 1 year experience working in an animal shelter strongly preferred. Other experience working in veterinary medicine, animal science, agriculture, public health, laboratory animal research or similar field will be considered as well!
• AA, AS or two years of post-secondary education preferred.
• For Veterinary Assistants: Current Veterinary Assistant Controlled Substance Permit (VACSP) or ability to obtain one required
• For RVTs: RVT in good standing

Salary & Benefits

The starting salary for this position depends on the depth and breadth of experience. The expected range is $27 - $37 per hour. Regular, full-time positions are eligible for a benefits package including

• Paid Time Off and Holiday pay
• Medical, Dental & Vision insurance
• Life Insurance
• Long-term Disability Insurance
• 401k Retirement Plan and contribution matching
• Student debt relief program
• Pre-tax Commuter Benefits
• Discounts on retail and pet supplies
• Discounts on veterinary care at our SF SPCA Veterinary Hospital and Clinic

The SF SPCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This job description reflects the assignment of essential functions and does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. The San Francisco SPCA is an at-will employer and may conduct pre-employment background checks and drug screening depending on the role.

Salary Description

$27.00 - 37.00 / hour