January BRVC Employee of the Month: Nicole Ross By Erin Selby

Our first 2015 Employee of the Month performs a job often invisible to most of our clients. The Overnight Technician is essential to our hospital and the wellbeing of our hospitalized patients.

Nicole Ross is outstanding in this role.  Each night she cares for sick and wounded pets needing round the clock treatment and observation.  Your pet is never alone (even in the wee hours of the morning) because Nicole is lovingly watching over them and caring for their health.

When asked about Nicole, her coworkers all repeated the same phrase: “above and beyond”.  Not only is she admired for her dedication and skill, but also for her calm and collected manner and positive attitude. She has earned the trust and respect of her coworkers and all of the doctors.  This is why Nicole is our January 2015 Employee of the Month!

A little background…

Nicole grew up in the valley, in the small town of Riverbank.  She started working in the veterinary industry at the young age of 16.  Nicole recalls her first veterinary job; “It was actually a cute story.  I found the job posted in the school’s counselor’s office.  I had to beg my parents to let me have a job!  I interviewed with one of the owners of River Oak Veterinary Hospital.  They liked me so much, they offered me the job on the spot but had to hold the job for 2 months until I turned 16!”

She ended up working there for 5 ½ years; clearly she had found her calling.  She continued to work with animals at various pet hospitals in the Bay Area.  When she moved to Livermore with her fiancé in 2010 she started to look for a position a little closer to home.  She interviewed at BRVC for the Overnight Technician position and the rest, as they say, is history!

Nicole quickly fit into her role at BRVC and enjoys the fast pace environment and innovative medicine being practiced. She especially appreciates how much BRVC clients are willing to do for their pets; “It is definitely the best hospital I have ever had the privilege working in. Without our clients we couldn’t make that happen.” 

What her coworkers have to say…

“Nicole is one our most indispensable employees.  She handles the most difficult shift calmly and effectively even when the stress level can be overwhelming.  She makes great use of her skills overnight with the animals, clients and her fellow employees.”

- Dr. James Pogrel, Medical Director

“Nicole has an amazing energy about her that gives me confidence that she will make the right choices for our patients.”

- Chris Keas, HR Manager

“One of the best Patient Care techs we have here at BRVC.  Her attention to detail goes above and beyond. Her level of care to the patients is remarkable.  She is consistently trying to improve our level of care with great ideas.  She always looks to find a resolution instead of giving up and waiting for someone to give her the answer.  We really value Nicole and all her hard work she does here.  It’s not easy being the Overnight Tech but she does her job with a positive outlook and a huge smile. If she is ever overwhelmed it never shows and her level of care is consistent.”

- Olivia Hernandez, Technician Coordinator, RVT

“Nicole is one of the most amazing and intelligent technicians that I have had the pleasure of working with.  She goes above and beyond her job description on a nightly basis in providing the best possible care to our patients.  She has an amazing attitude and is always at the top of her game.  I continue to look to her as an example of the type of technician I hope to be, and I think we should all strive to be more like her in our work ethic and dedication to the patients and the job at hand.”

- Irene Troy, RVT

“Nicole always goes above and beyond – she is very thorough, has a high attention to detail, and often stays late on her shift to help out her coworkers.  She does an amazing job as a single technician juggling her patients.  She is very comforting and is calm and collected in high pressure situations – this helps set the tone for the rest of the staff.”

- Nikita Evans, RVT

Nicole’s favorite part about working at BRVC…

“My absolute favorite is having a patient who is really sick in the hospital and we are able to nurse them back to health.  It is a very good for morale.  I do like working by myself and being solely responsible for my patients’ wellbeing.  I get one-on-one time with them.”

From BRVC…

Thank you, Nicole.  We are proud of the amazing work you do for our patients and on behalf of our clients.  By consistently going above and beyond and maintaining a positive outlook you inspire trust and admiration in the rest of the staff.  You are an exemplary BRVC employee and we are honored to have you working with us.

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