Rawesome Vets · Internal Staff Protocol
End-of-Day Close
Nursing Team
Kennel Hand
Kennel Handling
Administrative
Version 1.1 · April 2026 · For internal staff use
☰ Closing Shift Checklist — Print & use weekly
1. Outdoor Kennels
Poop scoop — daily minimum: A dog must never be placed in a dirty run. Check and scoop every occupied run at the start of the shift and as needed throughout the day.
Hose / gurney — 1–2× per week, or whenever runs are visibly dirty.
Best window: 9am–3pm, when two nurses are rostered on.
If the run is occupied, choose one:
- Temporarily move the dog to an indoor kennel while you clean
- Scoop with the dog present if it is calm and friendly
- Shuffle dogs between runs to create an empty run, then clean
Done looks like this
- No dog has been placed in a dirty run — checked before every move
- Runs hosed or gurneyed at least 1–2× this week, or more if visibly dirty
- Cleaning completed between 9am and 3pm while two nurses were on
- Where a run was occupied, the dog was moved, cleaned with or shuffled before hosing
2. Pre-Consult Checklist
Hard deadline: before afternoon consults start (3:30pm). All client-facing areas must be clean before clients arrive for the afternoon session.
When mopping: wipe down skirting boards before mopping the floor — always skirting first.
- Bins — empty and reline all bins: surgery, blood machines station, office ×3, bathroom, laundry
Done looks like this
- All client-facing areas swept and mopped before 3:30pm — not left for the morning
- All bins emptied and relined
3. Surgery & Treatment Close
Timing: After the last surgery of the day.
Equipment wipe-down: Dental instruments, X-ray table, and all surgical equipment wiped down before leaving the area.
Used surgical instruments: Scrub and place on a clean dry towel to dry overnight.
Do not soak instruments in soapy water overnight. Leaving instruments submerged causes rust and damages the equipment. Scrub, rinse, and place on a dry towel only.
Done looks like this
- All dental instruments and X-ray table wiped down
- Surgical instruments scrubbed and laying on a dry towel — not soaked, not in water
- Surgery and treatment areas swept and mopped
4. Ongoing / Rolling Tasks
Throughout the day — no fixed deadline. Fit these in between consults and surgeries. Do not leave them all for end of day.
- Kit packing — restock surgical kits as they are used
- Autoclaving kits — run autoclave cycle when enough kits have been scrubbed and packed
- Laundry — towels, gowns, and drapes through wash as they accumulate
- Dishwashing — put away clean dishes and instruments once the cycle is done
5. End of Day Close
Timing: ~7pm (Monday) or when the last staff member is ready to leave. Do not leave until every item below is confirmed.
Systems & Equipment
- All animals brought in for the night — water provided and fed
- Phones to Night Mode — confirm on display
- Blood machine turned off
- Dryer turned off
- Aircon off — walk through every room and check
- Computers turned off — except reception desktop
Security & Handover
- All doors locked — front, side, kennels, pet food room sliding door, and chest freezer outside
- Treatment board updated for tomorrow
- Group chat handover message sent
Done looks like this
- All animals brought in — water provided and fed
- Phones confirmed on Night Mode — visible on the display
- Blood machine off
- Dryer off
- Aircon off in every room — walked through and confirmed
- Computers off except reception desktop
- All doors locked — front, side, kennels, pet food room sliding door, and chest freezer outside
- Treatment board updated for tomorrow
- Group chat message sent
Before you leave: All animals in, fed and watered. Chest freezer locked. All doors checked. Phones confirmed on Night Mode. Blood machine off. Computers off except reception desktop.
End-of-Day Handover
Handover — Closing Shift → Next Day's Opener
When: Before leaving — every day there are in-patients or surgeries scheduled tomorrow.
Format: Treatment room whiteboard updated + OpenVPMS schedule confirmed + group chat message sent.
Fridge: Thaw food for kittens and puppies for the next day — label each container with the patient name.
Group chat message: The evening nurse messages the group chat before leaving with the overnight animal count and required start time for the opener.
Example: "Overnight 30 Apr: 2 boarders + Ron + 1 post-op (Bella). Morning start: 8am."
Counting rules: Ron is always included · a litter of kittens = one · puppies = counted individually.
If the count is below threshold (fewer than 4 boarding animals AND fewer than 2 hospital patients) — standard 8:30am start. Still send the message so the opener knows what to expect.
Standard: The clinic is set up and the next shift has everything they need to start without having to ask.
Weekend Close
Saturday hours: 9am – 12pm. Closed Sunday and public holidays.
Follow the same close checklist above. Surgery is not scheduled on weekends — skip the surgical items.
Note: Weekend-specific steps to be confirmed with Dr Mei — this section will be updated.
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