Job Description

Job Title: Theatre Focused Patient Care Assistant

Salary: £26,436.80 + OOH supplement payment

Job Type: Permanent

Hours: Full time, 40 hours per week

About us

Dick White Referrals (DWR) is one of the largest specialist multi-disciplinary veterinary referral centres in Europe, offering outstanding levels of clinical care in state-of-the-art facilities.

Our dedicated vets, nurses and nursing assistants, supported by the client care teams

teams, are committed to providing the highest quality surgical and medical care

for pets. Many of our clinicians are nationally or internationally recognised specialists in their field and bring unique experiences to care for pets.

We accept referrals in Anaesthesia, Cardiology, Dermatology, Diagnostic Imaging, Emergency and Critical Care, Internal Medicine Neurology and Neurosurgery, Oncology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Physiotherapy and Soft Tissue Surgery.

Your role and responsibilities

We are seeking a passionate and enthusiastic Patient Care Assistant to join our vibrant Theatre Team working in our busy, purpose-built specialist veterinary centre.

As a Theatre Focused PCA you will primarily work within the Theatre suite or Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD), being involved in all aspects of caring for and supporting our canine and feline patients before, during and after their surgical procedures. This is a varied, hands on role including everything from basic animal handling, through to maintaining specialist surgical equipment and supporting the veterinary surgeons during complex procedures.

You will have the opportunity to be involved in the facilitation and smooth running of surgical procedures across a range of different disciplines, including soft-tissue, orthopaedics, neurology, ophthalmology and dentistry, this will allow you to develop a broad range of experience and knowledge of working in a veterinary referral centre.

This position is full-time, working a 40-hour week (Monday – Friday) with 8 hour shifts between 8am-7pm, compressed hours (4 x 10 hour shifts) may also be considered.

Once the induction training has been completed then participation in the out of hours oncall rota would be required, this would involve covering allocated weekends and bank holidays oncall and then coming into the hospital as required, a supplement payment and allocated rest time would be provided to compensate for this.

Responsibilities:

• Supporting patients before, during and after their surgical procedures.
• Work efficiently and effectively to prevent delays and adapt quickly to changing demands
• Maintain cleanliness standards of the clinical environment and equipment in line with infection control policies.
• Work and communicate effectively and professionally with other associates and departments across the hospital.
• Working under the direction of Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses to provide all aspects of patient care.
• Carrying out duties in the sterile services department to maintain instrumentation and equipment correctly and to ensure efficient turnaround times.
• Assisting with diagnostic imaging
• Setting up/closing the theatre suites down before and after procedures
• Housekeeping duties to include but not limited to; stock control, maintaining cleanliness and organisation.
• Follow Standard Operating Procedures at all times to include but not limited to; clinical tasks, infection control, patient restraint, waste disposal and health and safety policies.

To be successful in this role you need to be highly organised, willing to learn, have great attention to detail and have the ability to cope under pressure in a fast-paced working environment. You should be a highly motivated team player with excellent communication skills and have the passion and drive for delivering outstanding patient care.

If you have a desire to learn and build a career working with and caring for animals, we are the ideal working environment to help you flourish. Although not a requirement of the role, many of our PCAs eventually progress onto further education programmes as Student Veterinary Nurses or progress their PCA pathway within DWR.

Although benefical, prior PCA experience or work within a clinical setting is not necessary as full training will be provided.

Benefits

· 5 weeks holiday + bank holidays

· Additional paid day off to celebrate your birthday

· Enhanced equal family leave

· Enhanced sickness policy

· RCVS & VDS fees paid

· CPD opportunities and allocated CPD days

· Access to an extensive range of clinical and non-clinical learning and

development programmes

· Progression & development opportunities

· Staff discount schemes

· Discounts with PetPlan

· Wellness program, including;

· Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

· Gym membership discount

· Cycle2Work scheme

· Eye care vouchers

· Flu vaccine voucher

· Recruitment reward scheme

How to Apply

To apply, please click Apply Now

For an informal discussion or further information, please contact:

Purvi Kataria
Email: Purvi.Kataria@linnaeusgroup.co.uk

All applications with relevant skills and qualifications will be carefully considered. If you require support during the application process, please contact the Talent Acquisition team.

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