Patient Care Assistant Cambridgeshire
Job description
If you are a current Linnaeus Associate, you will need to apply internally. In order to do this, please contact our Talent Acquisition team (details can be found via The Link) and someone will be in touch to discuss and progress your application.
Roles and Responsibilities
The role of a Patient Care Assistant is to support the nursing and wider practice team in achieving the highest standards of care. The Patient Care Assistant role will involve working in a variety of areas within the practice to support the team. It will be necessary to accept instruction from a variety of people including Management, Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses. Working enthusiastically within the team you will help maintain a happy, efficient and effective working environment.
Main purpose & goals
Ensure the highest standard of care is provided to our patients and clients.
- Work and communicate effectively with colleagues and clients. Demonstrate the ability to be reliable, adaptable, understanding and empathetic.
- Manage your areas of responsibility; working with other team members order to achieve this.
- Demonstrate a professional appearance reflecting the highest standards of professional practice.
- Ensure that you are clear of your roles, responsibilities and boundaries; demonstrating an awareness of the professional responsibilities of other team members.
- Participate and engage in training appropriate to your role, this may be in-house and/or by an external provider.
- Promote our team members, services and products, both in and out of the practice, at all times
- Understand and implement practice and group policies.
Key Responsibilities
Assist with patient handling and restraint. Ensuring that all handling and restraint is carried out in a ‘patient friendly’ approach to ensure no unnecessary stress or discomfort to the patient.- Prepare and maintain patient accommodation taking into account the condition and welfare of the patient, environmental enrichment and additional supporting aids as necessary.
- Cleaning and disinfection of patient accommodation to include ward and isolation accommodation.
- In-patient care to include exercising, feeding and grooming of hospitalised patients.
- Monitoring, recording and providing supportive care to patients, under the direction of the Veterinary Surgeon or Registered Veterinary Nurse.
- Assisting with laboratory diagnostic techniques to include preparation of equipment, processing samples and packaging for external laboratories.
- Assisting with diagnostic imaging to include maintenance and preparation of equipment and patient preparation and positioning.
- Cleaning, packaging and sterilisation of sterile supplies.
- Maintenance of theatre to include preparation of the environment and equipment and cleaning.
- Assist with patient preparation, surgical team support and recovery under the direction of the Veterinary Surgeon or Registered Veterinary Nurse.
- Assist with the management of the pharmacy to include unpacking of orders, stock rotation and environmental temperatures. Prepare and dispense a range of medication under the direction of the Veterinary Surgeon or Registered Veterinary Nurse.
- Cleaning, disinfection, equipment and consumable maintenance throughout the practice environment.
- Assist with reception and client care to include answering the telephone, dealing with enquiries, booking procedures and taking payments.
- Follow standard operating protocols at all times to include:
Waste disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste
Handling and restraint of patients
Area and equipment specific procedures
- Assist the Veterinary Surgeons, Registered and Student Veterinary Nurses, Reception staff and any other team member who requires support, where and when required.
- Attend and contribute to practice meetings and events.
Health & safety
- Be fully aware of all Health & Safety issues and read all information supplied
Specification
- Previous experience in working and/or caring for animals
- Previous experience in working within a veterinary practice
- Basic understanding of animal welfare and handling
- GCSE grade 4 or above (or equivalent) in Maths, English and a science
- L2 animal related qualification or equivalent
- Basic administration skills
- Dealing with the general public
- The ability to work under pressure
- Good verbal and written communication skills
- Good numeracy skills
- Basic computing skills
- Reliable and hard working
- Able to work in a team and on their own.
- The ability to take instructions
- Desire to progress career
Benefits
- 5 weeks holiday + bank holidays + Birthday Leave
- Career progression opportunities
- Staff discount schemes
- Life Assurance
- Enhanced sickness pay
- Enhanced equal family leave
- E-car salary sacrifice scheme
- Employer contribution pension scheme
-
Wellness program including:
- Employee assistance program
- Eyecare voucher scheme
- Free annual Flu jab
- Cycle to work scheme
- Recruitment referral reward scheme
About us
Established over 100 years ago, Cromwell Vets offer primary care services for small animals within the county of Cambridgeshire. We provide a comprehensive diagnostics service as well as a 24-hour emergency care service that is available 365 day of the year to care of our patients at any time. Our team is immensely proud of their work and keeping up with the heritage of caring for Cambridgeshire's loveable pets.
At Linnaeus, we are committed to supporting the physical and mental health of all our Associates. We have an amazing team of Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) across our practices and central support office in addition to a confidential Employee Assistance which is available for everyone.
Part of an amazing global family
Being part of this amazing global group gives us the benefit of a huge network of experts and specialists, a future we can invest in and the security that allows us to concentrate on what we do best – caring for pets. We are proud to count some of the finest specialists, veterinary surgeons and nurses in the UK among our team. Being part of the Mars family of businesses provides huge development opportunities across the group for our Associates.
The future of the veterinary world is at the heart of everything we do. We are all individual but two important things bring us together: a commitment to excellence and our passion to make A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.
Linnaeus is owned by Mars, that makes us part of their 70,000 Veterinary Health Associates who spend their days thinking about the 400 million pets of the world and how to improve their lives. Being part of this amazing global group gives us the benefit of a huge network of experts and specialists, a future we can invest in and the security that allows us to concentrate on what we do best – caring for pets.
Our Associates are fundamental to our success and we are proud to count some of the finest specialists, veterinary surgeons and nurses in the UK among our team.
Being part of the Mars family of businesses provides huge development opportunities across the group for our Associates.
Linnaeus is an equal-opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, we are committed to fostering a culture that is inclusive and diverse for all our associates.
If you would like to apply for this role, please click the Apply Button or for more information, please feel free to reach out directly to our Talent Acquisition team at [email protected]
