About Us: ARISE (Arizona Regional Intensive Care) is a 24-hour veterinary emergency, critical care, and specialty hospital in Queen Creek, AZ. We have the most skilled doctors in the state and provide significantly complex treatments in the western US. ARISE is an organization that prides itself on its core values to drive a dynamic culture.  We pave the way for our leadership to forge an autonomous path by empowering our leaders to make decisions and changes. Our charge nurses will also work to collaborate regularly with leadership in the development of policies, cultivating growth in the team and fostering the commitment to maintain an inclusive, rewarding, and collaborative culture. ARISE is also to be the regional training center for veterinary medicine, offering a unique roadmap for any position in veterinary medicine to further their growth in their career. Our charge nurses will be hands on in training and growing our team members in the veterinary field.  

Job Purpose:  The purpose of the Veterinary Surgical Department Charge Nurse is to provide high-quality medical support and nursing care to companion animal patients in addition to providing top leadership and oversight to the support staff for the department, support the veterinarians in the department, and assist the organization of the daily workflow of the hospital.  

Duties & Responsibilities: 

Nursing Care – As a veterinary nurse, it is expected to provide high quality medical support and nursing care to companion animal patients. As a nurse you are routinely entrusted with patient assessments/triage, anesthesia, procedures, drug doses, and treatments. You will be responsible for patient care, patient follow-up, and maintenance of Surgery patient records. 

Proficient IV catheter placement 

Use and maintain IV pumps 

Understands and carries out written and oral directions 

Proficient and accurate drug calculations and administration 

Quality nursing and husbandry care of patients 

Strong working knowledge of veterinary procedures and pharmacology 

Perform in‐hospital lab testing and prepare specimens for outside labs, as needed when lab tech is not available. Report diagnostic testing results to veterinarians 

Perform and/or participate in all other diagnostics such as radiology, ultrasound, ECG, BP, and glucose monitoring 

Assist veterinarians in outpatient exams by taking histories, vital signs and weights as well as providing client education 

Provide nursing care for in‐hospital patients including all DVM requested treatments, diagnostics, and medications 

Accurately and completely record all treatments 

Conduct pre‐admission exams and discharge hospitalized patients 

Perform client callbacks as necessary 

Maintain legally defensible medical records in cooperation with veterinarians 

Actively engages in Rounds 

Rounds delivered/received at shift changes, anytime a staff member comes on shift or leaves a shift 

Rounds will be complete, detailed, and relative to patient & client care 

Proficient in monitoring anesthesia utilizing equipment such as pulse oximeter, electrocardiogram, ventilator, etc 

Prepare patients for surgery including pre-op medications, induction/intubation, and surgery preparations 

Assist veterinarian through surgery and monitor patients through anesthesia recovery 

Keep accurate anesthesia/surgical medical records 

Effectively communicate treatment and costs to owners and collect signatures and/or verbal consent forms and treatment plans 

Training – Coordinates with the Head of Training and Development on all training protocols and procedures to ensure existing support staff as well as new staff members are on-boarded and trained efficiently and effectively 

Take part in the interview and selection process of potential new support staff candidates, to include technicians, technician assistants, client administrators, client liaisons, lab technicians, kennel assistants, and doctor’s assistants. 

Support staff levelling and reviews 

Review leveling criteria and benchmarks for employee advancement per hospital protocol 

Performs mid and annual formal performance reviews per hospital protocol for all support staff 

Lead the support staff team by example 

Follow through on commitment to growth and development of entire support staff team 

Acts as a mentor for support staff  

Ensure appropriate medical techniques are being utilized 

Ensure that employees are demonstrating positive customer service to all clients 

Ensure all support staff are following hospital policies and procedures 

Work with employees to correct deficiencies, implement training as necessary, and partner with the Leadership Team to implement corrective action or coaching procedures 

Follow up on coaching to ensure it is being implemented. 

Document training and coaching sessions.  

Create and teach department specific curriculum for ARISE Academy 

Communication – act as the bridge between the hospital leadership team and support staff in department to maintain open channels of communication and constructive dialogue 

Conduct beginning of shift huddles 

Quarterly/bi-annual check-in meetings with all support staff 

Participate in regular team meetings with Leadership Team to: 

Identify areas for improvement within the company 

Ensure consistent messages are being disseminated to employees 

Increase knowledge of supervisory and leadership skills 

Develop a cohesive team with other members of the Leadership Team 

Monitor offices and hospital areas and ensure compliance with duties.  

Engagement – act as a leader to improve staff retention and foster a culture of growth and development 

Identify and solicit opportunities for growth within the support staff  

Identify areas of personal strength and weakness that may enhance or hinder job performance 

Actively seek out staff members who may be disengaged and intervene as necessary to improve staff retention 

Fully competent regarding organizational policies and procedures 

Involved in the development and implementation of new policies and SOP as relevant 

Establishes and reinforces a supportive team environment 

Discourages negative attitudes, gossip 

Leads by example 

Seeks out and participates in leadership development and advancement opportunities 

Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending CEs, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal and professional networks, etc. 

Acts in a solution-oriented manner to advocate and improve any deficiencies in the hospital. 

Hospital Operations – contribute to seamless and cohesive operations of the hospital 

The ability to resolve client needs, concerns, and complaints where appropriate 

Work with the inventory specialist to maintain all inventory for the department to ensure appropriate levels of items are always on hand without shortages or excess on hand and stays within the departmental budget.  

Ensuring the department always meets and follows all required OSHA standards. 

Ensure department is appropriately scheduled and staffed to meet the needs of the department. 

Requirements:  

Extensive surgical and anesthesia experience, preferably with board-certified surgeons 

Knowledge of handling high risk anesthetic patients  

Knowledge of complex surgical procedures and equipment 

Certified Veterinary Technician license (will consider RVT and LVT with potential to transfer to AZ licensing) 

Schedule 

Four 10 hour shifts – Monday-Friday 

Rotating On-Call with team – likely no more than 1 weekend every other month 

Compensation 

$29-35/hour for CVT/LVT/RVT 

$35-$40/hour for VTS 

Benefits  

VTS Support  

Possible Relocation Bonus 

CE Allowance  

Uniform Allowance  

Paid License Renewal Fees  

Paid Time Off  

Employee Pet Discount   

401k  

Medical/Dental/Vision  

Disability Insurance  

Life Insurance 

Equal Employment Opportunity 

ARISE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Hiring is contingent on candidate verifying their eligibility to work in the United States and passing a complete background check and drug screen.