• | Demonstrates advanced knowledge, experience, and responsibility in the role of the Anesthesia Technician. |
• | Ensures that the policies, procedures, and practices of the Anesthesia department comply with the standards established by all regulatory agencies. |
• | Serves as a mentor and coach to teach and guide others. |
• | Supports a diverse and equitable work environment. |
• | Responsible for implementing and reinforcing the Mission, Vision, and Values of UW Health. Creates a vision aligned with organizational strategic goals to motivate and guide others. |
• | Creates a healthy work environment to promote staff and patient satisfaction and quality clinical outcomes. |
• | Interacts closely with the Surgical Services, Infection Control, Risk Management, and Safety departments to identify and mitigate potential patient safety issues. |
• | Participates in continuing education activities within the department. |
• | Initiates and develops programs that incorporate continuous improvement. Reviews processes, identifies opportunities for improvement, and affects change. |
• | Identifies staff training needs and collaborates with leaders and educators to provide guidance and support for staff education. |
• | Assists in ensuring proper use of equipment to avoid damage. |
• | Maintains current knowledge of organizational policies and procedures and is a resource for the department. |
• | Performs other specific tasks as assigned by the Surgical Services Technician Supervisor. |
• | May assist management with the following items: interviewing applicants, overseeing daily tasks, conducting huddles, helping staff work through issues, assisting operating room (OR) management and employees, and collaborating with Health Technology Management (HTM) about equipment maintenance. |
• | May assist with the development of departmental operational and capital budgets. |
• | Assists in monitoring staff performance, behaviors, and competencies and participates in performance reviews. |
• | Assists with all patient safety concerns reported through the Healthcare Event Reporting Online (HERO) system. |
• | Assigns and delegates patient care tasks as appropriate considering staff member’s level of experience, competency, and knowledge. |
• | Assists in establishing standards of supplies and equipment used within the department |
• | Manages human and material resources and technology to increase efficiencies and control costs. |
• | Assists other team members by performing the role as an AT in staffing. |
• | Ensures anesthesia carts are supplied and machines are in each room prior to the beginning of the surgery schedule and between procedures. Checks and replaces anesthesia gas tanks as needed. |
• | Retrieves special anesthesia supplies that are anticipated and/or requested by the person administering the anesthetic before and during surgery. |
• | Prepares complex equipment and supplies for hemodynamic monitoring. This varies based on location and may include peripheral arterial and pulmonary artery catheter transducers, EKG, pulse oximeter, and nerve simulators. |
• | Ensures monitoring equipment and supplies are ready. |
• | Ensures the anesthesia machine is ready for use including troubleshooting and correcting problems. May perform daily anesthesia equipment inspections including suction, electrical plugs, gas connections, oxygen, and nitrous oxide cylinders. |
• | May assist in positioning patients for procedures. |
• | Provides and sets up disposable materials needed to collect shed blood. Based on location, may set up equipment for delivering salvaged and banked blood products with Rapid infuser. |
• | Aseptically assembles autotransfusion disposables. |
• | Assists in dressing and securing IVs and Arterial lines. |
• | Assists Anesthesia during intubating and extubating procedures as directed. |
• | Restocks all used supplies as needed during a surgery. |
• | Disposes of contaminated materials and disinfects equipment in accordance with general operating room policies and procedures concerning biohazardous waste. |
• | Maintains awareness of physiological parameters and baselines of patients during a surgery. |
• | Cleans anesthesia equipment in the operating room and outside locations following each procedure. |
• | Cleans, maintains, and packages used anesthesia materials and equipment. |
• | Inventories and orders anesthesia supplies. |
• | Runs errands as requested by Anesthesiologists/CRNAs/charge RN/other team members as appropriate to facilitate the preparation and conduct of anesthesia. Performs additional duties as requested by other team members. |
• | Troubleshoots broken equipment and repairs as directed by Healthcare Technology Management. |