Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT)

Animal Emergency & Specialty Center - Knoxville; Wauwatosa (WI); On-site; USD 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking veterinary practice that prioritizes surgical care and exceptional patient service. As a Certified Veterinary Technician, you'll play a vital role in a collaborative team, ensuring the highest standards of care for our pet patients. This position offers the opportunity to work in a dynamic environment, where your skills in anesthesia and surgical procedures will be valued. You'll receive ongoing education and support, contributing to a positive workplace culture. If you have a passion for animals and a commitment to excellence, this role is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Must be able to multitask and develop positive relationships with clients.
• Willingness to take Animal CPR certification courses is essential.
• Open to constructive criticism and responsible for actions.

Responsibilities

• Perform patient intake, collect blood samples, and document results.
• Administer anesthetics and monitor vital signs during surgery.
• Clean and disinfect surgical instruments and maintain inventory.

Skills

Anesthesia induction and monitoring

Surgical preparation

Intravenous catheter placement

Venipuncture

In-house lab work

Filling prescriptions

Client communication

Multitasking

Education

High school diploma or GED

CVT certification

1-2 years of related experience

Job description

Are you a dedicated Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) with a passion for surgical care? Join our collaborative, compassionate, and experienced team at Veterinary Surgery Specialists (VSS), where we prioritize excellent patient care, professional growth, and a supportive work environment. At VSS, we are a state-of-the-art veterinary practice offering comprehensive care, including advanced surgical procedures. Our commitment to providing exceptional care is matched by our dedication to support our team members with cutting-edge resources, ongoing education, and a positive workplace culture.

The Veterinary Anesthesia/Surgery Technician is vital in providing exceptional care to our pet patients while working in a fast-paced atmosphere. The position is currently part of a specialty surgery service in the greater Milwaukee area. This position requires empathy, strong communication skills, and a detail-oriented, customer-focused individual passionate about animals and committed to delivering outstanding hospitality and service.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1) Client/patient appointments

• Perform patient intake & start appointments.
• Obtain & review patient history, with bloodwork & images when applicable.
• Round doctors on history, bloodwork findings, & imaging results
• Start medical records with the above information & continue medical record recording throughout the visit.
• Collect blood samples via venipuncture & run pre-operative labs if needed.
• Document test results, deliver them to appropriate personnel.
• Perform post-op calls after procedures and take callbacks to answer client questions.
• Perform patient rechecks after appropriate training and recheck radiographs for patients.
• Remove sutures/staples.
• Perform minor wound care and bandage changes.
• Review patient discharges with owners

2) Anesthesia/Surgery Care

• Perform manual restraint.
• Place IV catheters
• Draw up and administer anesthetics.
• Intubate/extubate patients.
• Run and maintain anesthesia equipment.
• Monitor anesthesia (heart rate, blood pressure, SpO2, ETC02, temp) and record vitals
• Troubleshoot both anesthesia-related and surgery-related equipment malfunctions.
• Maintain an accurate log of all controlled substances.
• Obtain pre/post-op x-rays on the day of surgery.
• Patient clipping/prepping (+/- draping)
• Scrub in to assist in surgery as needed - will train.
• Recover patients from anesthesia and monitor post-extubating.
• Clean patients postoperatively of gel, blood, urine, vomit, or fecal material
• Perform patient treatments throughout the day and take for walks outside.

3) Other tasks

• Clean and disinfect the surgical suite and common areas.
• Hand clean surgical instruments, perform ultrasonic cleaning, wrap packs, and run autoclave.
• Maintain inventory and supplies for the hospital.
• Assist with lifting animals 50-100+ lbs.
• Prepare forms to be sent to owners, referring veterinarians, tertiary referral practices, or insurance companies.
• Dispense medication or call out prescriptions to the pharmacy.
• Describing medications, possible complications, how to administer them, etc., to owners.
• Enter procedures and charges into the computer.
• Prepare specimens for mailing to the lab according to practice requirements.
• Cross-train to be able to assist in other hospital functions that are not your primary role.
• Assist with add-on or walk-in urgent/emergent cases.
• Learn and run CPR codes.
• Complete any other tasks assigned/delegated to you.

Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each essential duty. The technician must be able to multitask, think quickly on their feet, and develop positive working relationships with clients and co-workers. This person should be willing to take Animal CPR certification courses and other educational training courses assigned by management. This person should be capable of taking on delegated responsibilities when required. Being open to constructive criticism and taking responsibility for your actions is essential.

Skills:
The CVT must have skills/knowledge in performing anesthesia induction and monitoring, surgical preparation, intravenous catheter placement, venipuncture, in-house lab work, and filling prescriptions. Our new Team Member must work well with others and independently, take initiative, and thrive in a busy work environment.

Education/Experience:
A high school diploma or general education degree (GED), one to two years of related experience and training, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Must have an active CVT certification (or equivalent qualification)