Pacific Northwest Pet ER & Specialty Center is a 24/7 emergency and specialty hospital located in Vancouver, WA, just outside Portland, OR.

We offer advanced veterinary technology, including MRI, CT, and more, in a supportive work environment focused on wellness and mental health.

Benefits include competitive compensation, staff pet discounts, continuing education, health insurance, 401k, and a $4/hr pay differential for Licensed Veterinary Technicians working between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. We also offer a weekend differential that is an additional $2/hr for any work between 12 a.m. Saturday to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. 

Enjoy working in a modern space, complete with an employee garden!

Primary Responsibilities:  

Communication:  

Assist with appointment admission, history collection, and discharges 

Provide patient updates, reporting doctor recommendations 

Call in prescriptions verbally and/or send electronically  

Provide follow-up care for patients and clients  

Provide client education on drug side effects, common toxicity, half-life, nadir, and handling of animal waste products while on chemotherapy 

Provide client education on the common treatment approaches for the basic cancer types, including mean survival times with and without treatment, and typical sites of metastasis 

Follow established hospital policies and procedures when handling client communications and concerns 

Communicate with doctors, technicians, and assistants regarding patient status or concerns 

Practice kind, respectful communication between coworkers 

Communicate respectfully with referring veterinarians 

Treatment of patients:  

Obtain and record vitals, provide prescribed nursing care  

Utilize gentle patient handling techniques and ask for sedation when needed 

Fill and administer medications  

Collect and run diagnostics as indicated 

Provide accurate charting and complete records and treatments in a reasonable timeframe 

Practice proper animal restraint for the safety of the patient, Doctor, tech, and assistant 

Venipuncture and intravenous catheter placement  

administer oral and parenteral medications 

Anesthesia: 

Employ knowledge of anesthetic and monitoring equipment (anesthesia machine, capnograph, pulse oximeter, doppler, ECG, ventilator)  

Develop anesthetic plans from pre-anesthesia to recovery 

Administer anesthetic, analgesic, and sedative medications when prescribed and monitor through recovery 

Ensure appropriate vascular access 

Be knowledgeable of monitoring parameters 

Perform general anesthesia and monitor for CT or other procedures 

Perform calculations of basic drugs and be knowledgeable of various routes of drug administration 

Imaging: 

Practice appropriate radiation safety techniques 

Perform radiograph positioning and capture 

Assist in CT studies and ultrasounds 

Order diagnostics (rads, AUS, CT) and send for review 

Laboratory: 

Set up the appropriate supplies for sample needed 

Ensure appropriate submission of samples to various labs (including storage, shipping and forms) 

Set up for FNA’s and prepare to submit to lab 

Properly and safely collect urine by ultrasound guided cystocentesis 

Perform basic laboratory tests (i.e. packed cell volume, total protein/solids, urinalysis, cytology staining, manual platelet count) 

Chemotherapy administration: 

Set up appropriate materials for chemotherapy administration  

Proper restraint of patient during IV chemo administration 

Proper monitoring of IV chemo administration site during administration 

Be familiar with the calculation of IV fluid drip rates 

Check chemotherapy agent calculations and dosages 

Correctly calculate the size of a patient using lb, kg, m2. 

Properly and safely mix and/or draw up chemotherapeutic agents in the hood using proper PPE 

Safely dispense and administer oral chemotherapy using proper safety techniques 

Safely dispense, reconstitute and administer SC/IM chemotherapy agents 

Properly place an IV catheter for chemotherapy infusion 

Safely administer IV chemotherapy using proper drawing techniques, administration techniques, and proper PPE 

Assist with intracavitary chemotherapy administration 

Demonstrate how to properly handle a chemotherapy spill 

Properly handle and dispose of chemotherapy waste materials and patient waste 

Demonstrate techniques for handling chemotherapy extravasations including the use of antidotes where applicable 

General oncology service tasks: 

Maintenance of proper medical records and knowledge of computer skills 

Routinely monitor oncology inventory and order as needed 

Stock and keep rooms and kennels clean 

Have a clear understanding and enforcement of OSHA regulations and hospital safety standards 

Performs other job duties as assigned 

General requirements: 

All employees are required to participate in the on-call rotation as needed. Shifts are subject to revisions and changes at the discretion of the hospital 

Willing to work rotating holiday shifts in the emergency and critical care department 

COMPENSATION:

This position has an initial hiring range of $28.00 to $35.00 per hour based on skillset and experience. We offer a competitive shift differential for team members working the hours of 6pm to 6am at $4.00 per hour on top of base pay along with competitive benefits, including continuing education, staff pet discounts, incentives for professional development, health insurance, and 401k. We also offer a weekend differential that is an additional $2/hr for any work between 12 a.m. Saturday to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

High School Diploma or equivalent required. 

Completion of an AVMA-Accredited Veterinary Technician Program preferred. 

Currently licensed in WA state, or able to transfer an out of state technician license. 

At least 2 years of specialty medicine required, oncology preferred.  

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.  

Strong work ethic and a positive attitude. Ability to act as a team player.  

Must be flexible, adaptable and ability to multitask.  

Punctual and reliable.  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. Pacific Northwest Pet ER & Specialty Center provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Pacific Northwest Pet ER & Specialty Center complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.  

This position requires repetitive motion, which includes periods of sitting/standing, bending/stooping, kneeling, and lifting up to 50 pounds.