Veterinary Surgery Technician, AERA

Ethos Veterinary Health•West Caldwell, NJ

1d•$29 - $46•Onsite

About The Position

Veterinary Surgery Technician The Animal Emergency & Referral Associates in West Caldwell, NJ is hiring a dedicated and enthusiastic Certified Veterinary Technician to join our Surgery team! At Animal Emergency & Referral Associates (AERA) , excellence isn’t just a goal—it’s who we are. As an AAHA-accredited hospital, AERA represents the gold standard in veterinary medicine and patient care. We are proud recipients of the 2024 Neighborhood Fave award, recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Best Animal Hospitals of 2025, and honored with the dvm360 Hospital Design Merit Award for our innovative, state-of-the-art facility. In addition, AERA has been recognized as a Distinguished Kindness Workplace, reflecting our deep commitment to a supportive, respectful, and people-first culture. With comprehensive services including 24/7 emergency care, advanced anesthesia, diagnostics and radiology, internal medicine, orthopedic and soft-tissue surgery, and radiation oncology, AERA stands at the forefront of specialty and emergency veterinary medicine—where advanced clinical expertise meets genuine compassion for patients, clients, and each other. Position Overview: The purpose of the position is to provide primary support to the Specialist with diagnostics, treatments, and procedures, while ensuring the best quality of care possible for our patients. The Veterinary Nurse must pay attention to detail and maintain very high standards of cleanliness and care. They must be able to communicate well with doctors and coworkers to ensure overall accuracy and satisfaction.

Requirements

Credentialed Veterinary Technician required (LVT,CVT, RVT)
2 years’ experience working as a veterinary technician in an emergency or specialty setting
Knowledge of safety procedures and acceptable sanitation/sterilization practices
Comprehension of commonly used medical terminology and equipment
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Ability to calculate accurate dosages and injections
Familiarity with CPR and rescue breathing
Ability to take direction from a variety of people under various situations and accurately follow instructions
Capability of anticipating needs of Doctors and Nurses and show initiative
Ability to react quickly and appropriately during emergency situations, and remain calm under pressure
Excellent communication/people skills
Good grooming and hygiene
Must have team-oriented attitude and promote positive culture
Considerable tact and diplomacy in dealing with clients affected by a variety of problems
Ability to work with and without direct supervision
Fluent English skills (speaking & reading) are required for the role; fluency in multiple languages a plus!

Responsibilities

Practice “Fear Free” standards and protocols
Understand the organization and operations of the department
Ability to manage the daily OR schedule timely and efficiently
Ensuring the safety and set-up of each induction station and OR scheduled for the day
Completing pre-operative testing required for anesthesia (blood draws, radiographs, etc)
Preparing drugs, fluids, and CRIs for the next surgery
Pre-medicating patients, setting IVC, and preparing patients for induction
Assisting Anesthetist with completion of pre-op checklist, induction, and intubation of patient
Monitoring patient under good anesthetic plane during surgical preparation and local/regional block administration
Having the knowledge and ability to identify normal vs abnormal vitals and communicating concerns to the anesthetist
Documenting vitals, recording problems and interventions, ensuring completion of 2nd check list
Carry out orders from the anesthetist (i.e. changes in anesthesia, drug administration, etc)
Knowledge of proper surgical scrubbing, gowning, and gloving to assist surgeon in OR
Instrument and equipment care: cleaning, maintenance, packing, and sterilization
Complete post-operative diagnostics and other orders
Recover each patient smoothly with the ability to intervene if delirium, dysphoria, and/or pain is displayed
Ability to properly assess pain, assign pain score, and treat pain if present
Knowing, understanding, and ensuring the surgery scheduling protocols are followed
Ability to communicate effectively and put both clients and patients at ease
Monitoring the appointment schedule and put appointments in rooms at their scheduled time
Ensuring the doctors stay on time, and have ability to gently and tactfully move things along
Assist doctors with restraint/handling, suture removals, and medication refills
Facilitate bandage changes and radiographs for outpatient rechecks
Provide basic client education on nutrition, home care, zoonotic diseases, medication administration, post-operative care, and all other hospital recommendations/protocols, as directed by the Specialist
Re-stock and maintain cleanliness of specialty department area, exam rooms, and all other areas of hospital
Train less experienced staff members on proper policies, procedures, technical skills, and medical information
Cross-train to assist in other areas of the hospital as needed work