Veterinary Surgery Department Supervisor / Lead Anesthesia Technician

About Us 

Apex Vets is an independently owned specialty hospital committed to high standards, efficient systems, and a collaborative team culture. We prioritize strong medicine, direct communication, and continuous skill development. 

This role is designed for a highly competent surgical/anesthesia nurse who wants to practice at a high level while helping elevate the technical capabilities of the surgery support team. 

Position Overview 

The Surgery & Anesthesia Nurse is a part-time, hands-on clinical role responsible for delivering advanced anesthesia and surgical nursing care two days per week. 

In addition to carrying a full surgical caseload, this role is specifically structured to elevate the technical skill set of surgery technicians by modeling best practices, providing real-time coaching, and reinforcing standardized protocols. 

This is not a department management role. It is a high-performance clinical role with structured mentorship expectations. 

Core Responsibilities 

1. Advanced Clinical & Anesthesia Responsibilities (60%) 

Serve as primary anesthetist for surgical cases on scheduled days. 

Perform thorough pre-anesthetic assessments and develop appropriate anesthetic plans. 

Execute advanced anesthetic monitoring, pain management, and intraoperative adjustments. 

Support surgeons with surgical preparation, sterile technique, instrumentation, and intraoperative assistance. 

Oversee smooth and safe anesthetic recovery. 

Ensure accurate anesthesia documentation and adherence to established protocols. 

Maintain high standards of surgical asepsis and patient safety. 

Manage controlled drug logs and compliance with regulatory requirements. 

You are expected to operate independently and competently with minimal oversight. 

2. Surgical Team Skill Development & Coaching (30%) 

This is the strategic purpose of the role. 

Provide hands-on coaching to surgery technicians during live cases. 

Identify skill gaps in anesthesia monitoring, sterile technique, surgical prep, recovery, and equipment handling. 

Model proper anesthetic planning, troubleshooting, and intraoperative decision-making. 

Develop technicians’ ability to safely carry routine surgical cases beyond their current baseline. 

Reinforce SOPs and standardized workflows. 

Conduct brief post-case debriefs focused on technical growth. 

Collaborate with hospital leadership to identify structured training priorities. 

The expectation is measurable skill progression in the surgery tech team over time. 

3. Quality, Safety & Workflow Contribution (10%) 

Maintain operating room readiness and efficiency. 

Ensure surgical equipment is properly maintained and utilized correctly. 

Identify workflow inefficiencies and propose practical improvements. 

Support ongoing quality improvement initiatives related to anesthesia safety and case flow. 

Qualifications 

Required 

Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT/RVT/CVT) 

3–5+ years experience in veterinary surgery and anesthesia 

Demonstrated advanced anesthesia proficiency 

Strong working knowledge of anesthetic pharmacology and monitoring 

Experience training or mentoring technical staff 

High level of clinical independence 

Strong documentation habits 

Direct, clear communication style 

Preferred 

VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia, Surgery, or ECC) or active pursuit 

Experience in specialty or referral-level practice 

Experience developing training materials or SOPs 

Core Competencies 

Clinically decisive under pressure 

Technically rigorous 

Efficient in high-volume surgical settings 

Comfortable correcting technique in real time 

Process-oriented and protocol-driven 

High accountability standards 

Strong situational awareness in anesthesia 

Work Environment & Physical Requirements 

Ability to lift up to 50 lbs with assistance 

Prolonged standing during surgical procedures 

Exposure to anesthetic gases, radiation, zoonotic disease, and surgical instruments 

Fast-paced specialty environment 

Schedule & Classification 

Part-time position 

2 consistent surgical days per week 

Non-exempt hourly role 

No formal on-call or departmental supervisory requirements 

Success Metrics 

Safe, complication-free anesthetic management 

Improved independent capability of surgery technicians 

Reduction in preventable anesthesia or workflow errors 

High-quality anesthesia documentation 

Positive surgeon feedback regarding efficiency and technical support