Veterinary Technician: Emergency Room

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category:

University Staff

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Veterinary Technician I

Job Summary:

Are you a Certified Veterinary Technician who loves the adrenaline, variety, and meaningful impact of Emergency Medicine? At UW Veterinary Care, we’re elevating emergency care—and we want talented CVTs to join our dedicated Emergency Room team.

In this ER-focused role, you’ll practice at the top of your license in a fast-paced teaching hospital where every day brings unique challenges and opportunities to provide exceptional patient care. With both full-time and part-time opportunities available, you can select the shift track that best aligns with your schedule and career goals.

Your Impact in the ER

Working directly within our Emergency Room service, you will play a key role in frontline emergency care:

• Rapid Triage & Stabilization: Perform comprehensive initial patient assessments, assign triage levels, obtain vital signs, and initiate immediate emergency protocols for incoming emergency cases.

• Advanced ER Procedures: Perform vascular access, emergency blood sampling, point-of-care lab testing, emergency fluid and drug administration, and wound management under veterinarian direction.

• Monitoring & Patient Care: Continuously track patient vital parameters, recognize subtle or acute changes in patient status, and collaborate with emergency clinicians and criticalists to adjust care plans. 

• Client & Team Communication: Guide anxious pet parents through emergency admissions with empathy, deliver updates, and coordinate smoothly with specialty hospital services when emergency patients require hospitalization.

• Medical Recordkeeping & Charge Capture: Maintain precise, real-time medical records and accurate documentation of treatments, diagnostic findings, and procedures.

Current Shift Opportunities

This position is available at 75–100% FTE (30–40 hours per week), with current openings on the following shifts:

Evening/Swing Shift – Full-Time (40 hours/week)

• 4:30 PM–2:30 AM

• Three weekday shifts plus rotating weekend coverage

Night Shift – Part-Time or Full-Time (30–40 hours/week)

• 9:00 PM–7:00 AM

• Two to three weekday shifts plus rotating weekend coverage

Applicants will be considered for the shift track that best aligns with their availability and the operational needs of the hospital. Occasional on-call and holiday hours will be required.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Tracks supply inventory levels and places replenishment orders (10%)

• Assists with the execution of more complex animal care procedures and affiliated activities (15%)

• Monitors animal health status and records, notifies veterinarian when status changes, and ensures care plans are completed and recorded in the medical record (10%)

• Prepares, completes, and documents basic technical animal care procedures, assessments, and medication administration according to established care plans and medical necessity (15%)

• Serves as a point of contact for animal owners and stakeholders providing information and answering questions (10%)

• Documents and disseminates results to the appropriate entities (10%)

• Completes routine laboratory tests and collects specimen according to established medical orders and care plans (10%)

• Maintains organization of and updates records related to medical procedures and billing (20%)

Department:

School of Veterinary Medicine

UW Veterinary Care (UWVC) Hospital

Emergency Room (ER)

Compensation:

The anticipated pay range for this position is $23.00 - $35.00 per hour, but is negotiable based on experience, qualifications and Vet Tech level placement.

This position is eligible for a hiring bonus of 5% of base pay (prorated to FTE) which will be paid over the first year of employment!  

Shift Differential: Up to additional +$10/hour offered for qualifying add-ons and differentials.

Why Choose the ER Team at UW Veterinary Care?

• Top-of-License Clinical Practice: Perform advanced triage, rapid patient stabilization, point-of-care diagnostics, trauma management, and critical interventions in an empowering environment.
• Significant Differential Pay: Boost your earnings with shift differentials and add-ons that can add up to +$10/hour on top of your base rate.
• Badger Pride & Academic Distinction: Work at UW–Madison, Wisconsin’s premier public teaching hospital, surrounded by world-class clinicians, board-certified emergency specialists, and supportive colleagues.
• Exceptional Benefits & Perks: Enjoy Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension benefits, premier health/dental coverage, generous paid time off, an annual shoe allowance, hospital-provided scrubs, and financial support for Continuing Education (CE) and VTS (ECC) certification.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 1 year of clinical veterinary technician experience.
• Ability to lift a minimum of 50 lbs independently and maintain physical agility required for fast-paced emergency interventions.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and multitasking skills under pressure.
  

This position is posted across Veterinary Technician Levels 1, 2, and 3. Level placement and rate are determined by prior experience and clinical credentials:

• Level 1: Minimum 1 year of clinical veterinary technician experience.
• Level 2: Generally 2+ years of veterinary technician experience (specialty practice may substitute for years).
• Level 3: Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) or advanced emergency/specialty clinical experience (e.g., academic/specialty referral setting).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct prior experience in a high-volume ER, urgent care, or specialty referral hospital.
• Strong interest or active pursuit of Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency & Critical Care (VTS-ECC).
  

Education:

Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) credential required.

High School Diploma or equivalent required.

Associate degree or higher in Veterinary Technology preferred.

How to Apply:

Ready to bring your emergency nursing expertise to a dynamic teaching environment? Click “Apply” to submit your current resume.

You may also include an optional cover letter highlighting your emergency clinical experience and preferred shift schedule.

Current UW System employees: Please apply through the internal process in Workday Jobs Hub. 

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. 

The deadline for assuring full consideration is October 25, 2026; however, this position will remain open and applications will be considered until the position is filled.

Contact Information:

Hiring Manager: Hayley Pooler, Veterinary Nurse Supervisor, [email protected] 

Human Resources Support: Anne Kaldunski, HR Coordinator, [email protected] 

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. 
 
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). 
 
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