Amy Herrington-Firth
San Diego,CA
Summary
I am a dedicated and skilled veterinary professional with a versatile background developed through experiences in many different veterinary settings and positions within the veterinary hospital. To include, but not limited to emergency, shelter, exotic and general practice medicine. I also hold a license as a registered veterinary technician and am a certified compassion fatigue professional. I excel in leadership and employee development, conflict resolution, enhancing the client experience, and resolving hospital challenges with innovative solutions.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Nursing Manager
Veterinary Emergency Group
04.2024 - Current
- Manage Day-to-day operations of the hospital
- Supervise technicians and assistants
- Manage staff payroll budgets
- Interview & Onboard new hires (offboarding support as needed)
- Work in conjunction with hospital leadership
- Address patient care issues & interpersonal conflicts
- Ensure team has supplies/tools needed to perform veterinary care excellence
- Participate in team meetings & 1:1 check ins
- Drive development plans and performance improvements
- Organizes student internships and externships in coordination with Program Relations Manager
- Developed and implemented effective staff scheduling to optimize staffing levels and minimize overtime costs.
- Improved patient care by implementing evidence-based veterinary practices and protocols.
- Assessed staffing needs accurately during crucial times such as holidays or flu season to ensure adequate coverage without overstaffing or creating unnecessary financial burden.
- Delegated responsibilities effectively amongst team members according to individual strengths and areas of expertise which allowed for smooth transitions during shift overlap and increased overall productivity.
- Managed staff scheduling and time off to adequately staff the hospital and allow support staff earned time off.
Employee Development Manager
West Coast Animal Hospital
06.2020 - 04.2024
- Working closely with the CVPM to ensure a positive team environment
- HR responsibilities to include, but not limited to: Accounts receivable, operating the hospital’s HRIS system, conducting talent search and interviews, performing annual reviews, implementation and training of employment laws, onboarding of new team members, offboarding
- Development, implementation, and training of new hospital protocols
- Develop and perform monthly employee well-being surveys
- Develop and perform bi-annual eNPS surveys
- Plan and coordinate public events for the hospital
- Provide Mentorship
- Coordinate “lunch and learns” for staff
- Maintain positive relationships with support staff, associate veterinarians, managers and various hospital representatives
- Client de-escalation
Registered Veterinary Technician
West Coast Animal Hospital
01.2020 - 06.2020
- Anesthetic induction, intubation, and monitoring
- IVC placement, blood draws, cystocentesis, IV and SQ fluid administration
- Splint application
- Dental radiographs, dental extractions, dental nerve blocks, dental prophy
- Surgery intake and discharges
- Client education
- Guiding the team throughout the day
- Training and mentoring of support staff
- Proficiency with Covetrus software, Idexx lab equipment and performing radiographs
Registered Veterinary Technician
Scripps Ranch Veterinary Hospital
01.2019 - 01.2020
- Anesthetic induction, and monitoring
- IVC placement, blood draws, cystocentesis, IV and SQ fluid administration
- Dental radiographs, dental prophy
- Surgery intake and discharges
- Client education
- Guiding the team throughout the day
- Training new staff members
- Customer Service Representative responsibilities
- Proficiency with Avimark software, Idexx lab equipment and performing radiographs
Registered Veterinary Technician
San Diego Humane Society
09.2014 - 12.2017
- Anesthetic induction, intubation, and monitoring for high volume spay and neuter clinics
- Dental prophy
- IVC placement, blood draws, cystocentesis, IV and SQ fluid administration
- Lead RVT during low-cost vaccination clinics for the public
- Proficiency with Shelter Buddy software, Idexx lab equipment and performing radiographs
- Public education for spaying, neutering and vaccination of pets
- Administrating multiple types of medications and treatments to a high volume of several different species.
- Assisted trainers and behaviorists in implementing and continuing training/behavior plans for dogs and cats
Registered Veterinary Technician
Pet Emergency and Specialty Hospital
08.2012 - 09.2014
- Emergency triage
- Anesthetic induction, intubation, and monitoring of critically ill patients
- IVC placement, blood draws, cystocentesis, IV and SQ fluid administration
- Critical care of hospitalized patients
- Performing lifesaving treatments such as CPR, administering anti-seizure medication, charcoal treatment, placing urinary catheters in blocked cats
- Splint and bandage application
- Placing central line catheters, feeding tubes, NG tubes
- Calculating constant rate infusions
- Client de-escalation
Education
Certificate of Completion - Veterinary Science
Veterinary Allied Staff Education
Remote05-2013
Skills
- Veterinary Hospital Management
- Leadership Coaching and Development
- Team Development and Training
- Public Speaking
- Strong Understanding of HR best practices
- Effective Verbal and Written Communication
- Strong Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills
- Public Events Planning & Coordination
- Protocol Development & Implementation
- Mentorship
Community and Volunteer Work
- Leading the VEG CLOVER(Community Leader of Veterinary ER) program for the Veterinary Technician schools within the San Diego County area - October 2024-Present
- Caribbean Spay and Neuter Organization (501c3) – Spay and Neuter campaign – Suriname - 2024
- World Vets Organization– Spay and Neuter campaign (501c3) – Galapagos, Ecuador - 2022
- The Bare Campaign – 2021
Certification
- Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional – 2024-present
- Registered Veterinary Technician - 2013-current
Accomplishments
Speaking Engagements
Presenter – West Coast Animal Hospital, San Diego, CA - 2020-2024
· The grieving client – helping clients through the process of quality-of-life decisions
· Compassion fatigue and burnout
· Mental health and well-being
· OSHA guidelines
Presenter – South Coast Veterinary Management Solutions, Webinar – 2023
· Mental health and well-being-cultivating a healthy mindset
Presenter – North Orange County Veterinary Management Group, Orange, CA – 2024
· Mental health and well-being-cultivating a healthy mindset in the leadership role
Presenter – San Diego County Veterinary Management Group, San Diego, CA - 2024
· Mental health and well-being-cultivating a healthy mindset in the leadership role
Presenter – NAVC HIVE conference, Minneapolis, MN – 2024
· Mental health and well-being-cultivating a healthy mindset
· Compassion Fatigue and Burnout – Cultivating resilience in the leadership role
Panel Discussion Participant – NAVC HIVE conference, Minneapolis, MN – 2024
· There is no I in team – The relationships between leaders and their teams
Presenter – San Diego County Veterinary Management Group, San Diego, CA - 2024
· Monkey see, monkey don’t do – How we show up as a leader matters
Presenter – Long Beach Veterinary Management Group, San Diego, CA - 2025
· Monkey see, monkey don’t do – How we show up as a leader matters
Timeline
Nursing Manager
Veterinary Emergency Group
04.2024 - Current
Employee Development Manager
West Coast Animal Hospital
06.2020 - 04.2024
Registered Veterinary Technician
West Coast Animal Hospital
01.2020 - 06.2020
Registered Veterinary Technician
Scripps Ranch Veterinary Hospital
01.2019 - 01.2020
Registered Veterinary Technician
San Diego Humane Society
09.2014 - 12.2017
Registered Veterinary Technician
Pet Emergency and Specialty Hospital
08.2012 - 09.2014
Certificate of Completion - Veterinary Science
Veterinary Allied Staff Education
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