Anesthesia Technician Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for an anesthesia technician job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an anesthesia technician. Feel free to use our anesthesia technician job description template to produce your own anesthesia technician job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an anesthesia technician.
Who is an Anesthesia Technician?
An Anesthesia Technician is a healthcare professional who primarily assists in administering and monitoring anesthesia. They have comprehensive knowledge of anesthesia administration procedures, equipment, supplies, and technology.
They work with anesthesiologists, nurses, and surgeons and set things the team will need to calm a patient down for surgery. An anesthesia technician also helps monitor devices that track vital signs and brain activity to maintain the patient’s stability and comfort.
In addition to working in operating theaters, anesthesia technicians may also work in emergency departments, intensive care units (ICUs), or clinics for outpatient surgery. They participate in every phase of anesthesia. An anesthesia technician may be the one to prepare the instruments and medicines, clean and test the equipment, set up the monitoring devices, and test the machines before anesthesia is given. When a patient is unconscious, they may help ensure that the doses are appropriate, keep track of the patient’s vital signs, or assist in opening and securing the patient’s airway so they can breathe comfortably. They will assist in reawakening the patient and transferring them to post-op care facilities after the surgery.
Anesthesia technicians ensure the anesthesiologist has all the tools ready for surgery. They locate sterile masks, gloves, intravenous (IV) 0lines, pouches, and the recommended dosages of the anesthetics. A technician who has undergone the necessary training may be permitted to set up IV equipment and inform the patient of the benefits of receiving an anesthetic.
During surgery, an anesthesia technician carefully monitors monitoring devices throughout the operation. The patient notifies the surgical team to take appropriate actions if the patient’s pulse, heart rate, or breathing rate changes abnormally. Additionally, the technician can help the anesthesiologist re-administer a predetermined drug dose if the patient starts to wake up or exhibit indications of discomfort. After an operation, the technician typically stays in the patient’s room to monitor how the anesthetic wears off and prevent any more difficulties.
Anesthesia Technician Job Description
What is an anesthesia technician job description? An anesthesia technician job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of anesthesia technician in an organization. Below are the anesthesia technician job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an anesthesia technician job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of the Anesthesia Technician include the following:
- Assist with sterile procedures such as blood transfusions, spinal, epidural, and other painkiller administration, and Swan-Ganz placements.
- Coordinate plans with recognized anesthesia supply and equipment professionals to guarantee that supplies and equipment are always available for anesthetic operations.
- Disinfect and clean anesthetic equipment after usage.
- Help with epidurals, nerve blocks, induction, trauma, and other facets of anesthesia.
- Create art lines, transducers, swan lines, and fluid warmers for heart, trauma, and other procedures.
- Keep yourself accessible to help with normal and emergency operations and to get blood and medication if necessary.
- Offer anesthetic services under the direct supervision of a licensed anesthetic care practitioner designated by the client hospital.
- Assist anesthesiologists with major surgery, outpatient surgery, and labor and delivery patient preparation.
- Stock all surgery and delivery rooms with anesthetic medications and supplies.
- Prepare the operating room following the equipment requirements for special procedures after consulting the operating room schedule.
- Perform phlebotomy, EKGs, wind care, administer splints and other orthopedic devices, and assess vital signs.
- Provide triage and critical care to all new emergency cases while managing the patients already in the hospital.
- Rotate through various surgical specialties, such as general surgery, orthopedics, plastic surgery, and neurology.
- Utilize proper methods and adhere to anesthesia technician requirements.
Qualifications
- A high school diploma, GED, or equivalent (Compulsory)
- An associate’s degree in an authorized anesthesia technician school
- At least, six months of training and workshop sessions on a similar role
- Up to a year of experience in a profession involving health or patient care
Essential Skills
Here are the skills required to excel in the role of an Anesthesia Technician:
- Adaptability
- Anesthesia Tools
- Anesthetic Medication
- Detail-oriented
- Interpersonal Skill
- Communication
- Electronic Medical Records
- Intravenous Fluids Knowledge
- Patience
- Phlebotomy
- Safety and Precaution
- Sterile Process
- Stress Management
- Ventilator Usage
Adaptability
The ability to change with the times is a must for anesthesia technicians. Depending on the operations scheduled and the time they take, they might need to alter their plans for the day or the week and adapt to the changes.
Anesthesia Tools
Anesthetizing devices used to provide anesthesia, are usually operated by anesthesia technicians. This involves being aware of the many kinds of equipment, their usage, and how to maintain them. Additionally, anesthesia technicians must be able to diagnose any problems that could develop with these devices.
Anesthetic Medication
An anesthesia technician must understand the numerous anesthetics and other medications used in anesthesia. They should know how to produce, store and dispense these drugs appropriately to guarantee patient safety. To identify any issues that can develop during or after treatment, anesthesia technicians must also be aware of the potential effects the medicine may have on a patient.
Detail-oriented
To keep their patients safe, Anesthesia technicians need to be able to follow directions accurately. When checking patient vitals and adjusting equipment, they must also pay particular attention to the small details since any variation from the usual may point to an issue to be addressed immediately.
Interpersonal Skill
Work relationships with various individuals, such as patients, physicians, and other medical professionals, are necessary for anesthesia technicians. When dealing with patients who could be worried or nervous before their treatments, anesthesia technicians must also be amiable and caring.
Communication
The capacity to communicate is the ability to express information to people. To carry out their responsibilities, anesthesia technicians need to be able to interact with patients, physicians, and other medical professionals. For patients to comprehend what is happening during therapy, it is also necessary for them to be able to translate complex medical jargon for them.
Electronic Medical Records
EMRs, or electronic medical records, are a topic that anesthesia technicians should be familiar with because they frequently collaborate with anesthesiologists and other medical specialists who maintain patient data in these systems. When working in a hospital setting, anesthesia technicians may need to input data themselves into the system.
Intravenous Fluids Knowledge
Anesthesia technicians should understand intravenous (IV) fluids and how to administer them. This is due to the possibility that they are in charge of giving patients fluids before and after treatments. An anesthesia technician must be able to read a patient’s medical history and recognize the sort of fluid the patient’s body requires. To avoid harming the patient, they must also know how to give the fluids correctly.
Patience
When interacting with patients and medical professionals, anesthesia technicians must have patience. They could have to wait for a doctor to enter the operating room or while keeping an eye on a patient’s vitals while the procedure is being performed, in addition to working closely with doctors with years of training and expertise. Anesthesia technicians may improve their abilities and learn from one another by being patient.
Phlebotomy
The ability to take blood from a patient is known as phlebotomy. As an anesthesia technician, you will probably need to learn how to do phlebotomy because it may be a relevant component of numerous medical procedures. Additionally, collaborate with a phlebotomist who takes blood for other medical specialists.
Safety and Precaution
When working in hospitals and other medical institutions, anesthesia technicians must be able to adhere to infection control procedures. Wearing the appropriate safety gear, sanitizing any instruments before use, and cleaning any surfaces that may have come into touch with biological fluids are all examples of this. Anesthesia technicians must also appropriately dispose of any waste created during an operation.
Sterile Process
The capacity to handle medical supplies and equipment in a way that keeps them clean is known as sterile processing. This entails ensuring you handle these supplies with clean hands, kept appropriately, and use them just once. Sterile processing abilities are crucial for anesthetists since they guarantee the safety of their equipment when used on patients. When managing medical equipment, anesthesia professionals also require these abilities to protect themselves and their patients.
Stress Management
Anesthesia technicians frequently work in hectic settings where they may be in charge of several patients’ lives. It is crucial to have stress management abilities, so you can deal with patients while remaining composed and focused. If a patient has difficulties or unexpected results during surgery, it may be worrisome and increase one’s stress level, so you might also need to learn how to control your stress.
Ventilator Usage
Anesthesiologists employ ventilators to give oxygen to their patients. An anesthesia technician can use this skill to support a patient’s air supply during surgery. With this ability, you can monitor a patient’s breathing patterns and modify the equipment.
Knowing how to use the device, keeping an eye on the patient’s vital signs while they are using it, and modifying the settings as needed are all examples of ventilator usage skills.
How to Become an Anesthesia Technician
You need to fulfill the minimal requirements for the position to become an anesthesia technician. You have a better chance of finding work in this industry if you do this. To seek a job as an anesthetic technician, follow these steps:
Step One: Obtain High School Certificate, GED, or Equivalent
Get your high school certificate after graduating. To best prepare you for a future as an anesthesia technician, concentrate on your math, science, and computer science coursework. Classes in biology and chemistry will provide you with the fundamental understanding you need for this line of work.
Step Two: Register for an Associate’s Degree Program
Take courses to earn your associate’s in anesthetic tech. These programs are available both on-campus and online, while online programs still demand hands-on clinical practice. You learn the fundamentals of anesthesia in your associate degree courses, which cover subjects including anatomy, pharmacology, anesthetic equipment, and vital sign monitoring. If you intend to subsequently pursue certification, be sure you finish an approved or certified anesthetic tech program.
While associate degree programs in anesthetic technology take two years to complete, you may also enroll in a one-year technical skills program. Additionally, this curriculum gives you clinical experience.
Step Three: Gain Clinical Knowledge
If your degree program does not provide clinical experience, find other ways to get it. When you begin your career right out of high school, you can obtain on-the-job clinical knowledge and experience.
Before enrolling in college, you can also work as a professional technician’s shadow. Shadowing can help you better understand what to expect from this professional path and decide whether you still want to pursue it. Your clinical training finally enables you to deal with actual patients and aids in your familiarization with anesthetic equipment and drugs.
Step Four: Obtain a Certification
Take the next step of obtaining anesthesia technician certification from the recognized bodies in your country of residence. Although not necessary, certification gives you more information about this profession and could impress hiring employers.
Where to Work as an Anesthesia Technician
An anesthesia technician may work in radiology, MRI, labor, and delivery, or the anesthesia department of a health facility.
They can work in colleges, universities, and professional schools; regular medical and surgical hospitals; medical centers; doctors’ offices; specialty hospitals, etc. They may do a lot of standing or sitting due to the nature of their job.
Anesthesia Technician Salary Scale
In the US, an anesthesia technician makes an average salary of $65,875 per year, which is about $31.67 per hour. This amounts to $5,489 every month or $1,266 per week. The majority of Anesthesia Tech salaries currently range between $35,500 to $114,500 annually across the United States, according to ZipRecruiter.
In the United Kingdom, the average salary for an anesthesia technician is £28,350 per year or £14 per hour. Anesthesia Technicians get annual average pay of between £20,866 and £33,708.
In Canada, anesthesia technicians make an average yearly pay of CA$52,133 or CA$26.73 per hour. Most experienced professionals earn up to CA$55,302 yearly, while entry-level roles start at CA$31,618.
Australia pays an anesthesia technician an average income of AU$77,035 annually or AU$39.51 per hour. More experienced professionals may earn up to AU$110,897 yearly, while entry-level start at AU$53,320 annually.
In Germany, the average gross pay for anesthesia technicians is €37,564 or €18 per hour. They also receive an average bonus of €590. Their salary range may fall between €28,126 to €45,437.
In Ireland, an anesthesia technician makes, on average, €38,250 a year and €18 an hour. They typically earn between €28,152 and €45,480 per year.
In Nigeria, the average monthly salary for an anesthesia technician is roughly ₦352,000. The salary range falls between ₦173,000 to ₦549,000 monthly.
The highest level of education often required for an anesthesia technician is a bachelor’s degree. The salary range differs based on factors such as location, years of experience, hospital, etc.
