Anesthesia Technician

Anesthesia Technicians/Technologists work inside various medical facilities and under the supervision of other medical professionals such as Anesthesiologists, Physicians, and Nurse Anesthetists. Non-certified Anesthesia Technicians provide general support to an Anesthetic Care Team (ACT) by assisting with supplies, whereas a Certified Anesthesia Technician/Technologist will have more training and education and will work more closely with patients and provide higher-level aid to the ACT.

Most Anesthesia Technician/Technologist jobs will offer full-time positions, and the opportunity to travel to different facilities to work if they choose. Although you do not have to have a certification to become an Anesthesia Technician, most employers prefer that you have some medical education or experience.

Typical Duties

• Acquire and inventory supplies for use by the ACT
• Perform cleaning and sterilization of medical supplies and equipment
• Obtain patient health history prior to anesthesia
• Aid in calculating dosage and preparation of anesthetic drugs
• Monitor patient vital signs such as blood pressure, oxygen level, and heart rate before, during, and after anesthesia
• Help supply oxygen, nitrous and other medically necessary inhalants to patients
• Cross schedule procedures with other medical departments
• Gain familiarity with a variety of surgical and medical procedures 
• Act as a liason between the rest of the ACT and the patients/patient’s family
• Monitor surgical room for safety by checking for any medical inhalant leaks  

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform maintenance/verify servicing on medical equipment.
• Monitor patient’s airway, aid in intubation/ventilation.
• Manage IV fluids, blood, plasma, and other fluids.
• Aid in life-sustaining care, including CPR if necessary.

Soft Skills

• Problem-solving – must be able to quickly overcome difficulties.
• Verbal communication – to relay information to patients and other members of the ACT.
• Active listening – paying close attention to the information given by patients and other members of the ACT.
• Reading comprehension.
• Written communication. 
• Science – must have a basic grasp of scientific rules and methods.
• Service-oriented – able to put the needs of others first and show consideration.
• Time management. 
• Judgment and decision making – can make decisions based on knowledge and skills, even in a time-sensitive or strenuous situation. 
• Operations monitoring – to monitor equipment used during anesthesia.

Technical Skills

• Microsoft Office Suite
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Understanding of the use and monitoring of medical equipment like ventilators and electrocardiograms.
• Various medical software such as:
  • Allscripts PM
  • Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
  • CareCloud Central
  • eClinicalWorks EHR software
  • Epic Practice Management
  • GalacTek ECLIPSE
  • GE Healthcare Centricity Practice Solution
  • IOS Health Systems Medios EHR
  • McKesson Practice Plus
  • simplifyMD
  • Vitera Healthcare Solutions Vitera Intergy
  • WRSHealth EMR

Although surgical settings are where you would expect an Anesthesia Tech to work, their job settings can vary greatly and include:

• Dental Offices
• Imaging centers for MRIs, CT scans, etc.
• Labor and Delivery wards
• Emergency Rooms
• Outpatient clinics
• ICU (Intensive Care Unit)
• NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)

Anesthesia Techs generally work full-time shifts and may be required to work long hours and varying shifts. Depending on the medical practice that you are employed with, this could include night shifts and be on call, even on weekends and holidays. A lot of time will be spent on your feet, with moderate physical exertion like moving patients and heavy equipment.

The job can also be emotionally taxing and taking care of others who are often experiencing extreme pain or illness can cause internal stress. There is also the possibility of being exposed to communicable diseases, bodily fluids, and poor medical outcomes. You are required to maintain professionalism and attitudes proper to the situations you are in.

Although many children go through phases where they pretend to ‘play doctor’, others will show more nuanced interests and behaviors. These can include watching television shows that include the medical field, or a strong interest in the human body and science. As a kid, if you wanted to be able to help people and weren’t bothered by ‘gross’ things like blood, you may have shown a very early interest in the field.