Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Job Responsibilities:

• Provides pre-anesthetic preparation and patient evaluation.
• Ensures patient identification and obtains appropriate health history.
• Recommends, requests, and evaluates pertinent diagnostic studies.
• Documents pre-anesthetic evaluation.
• Obtains informed consent for anesthesia.
• Selects and/or administers pre-anesthetic medications.
• Selects prepares and administers anesthetic agents or other agents administered in management of anesthetic care.
• Informs anesthesiologist and/or surgeon of changes in patient's condition.
• Provides anesthesia induction, maintenance, emergence, and post anesthesia care.
• Inserts invasive line catheter/devices.
• Performs tracheal intubation and extubation, airway management.
• Provides mechanical ventilation.
• Performs venous and arterial punctures.
• Obtains blood samples. Performs and manages regional anesthetic.
• Manages patient's fluid, blood, electrolyte and acid base balance.
• Provides perianesthetic invasive and non-invasive monitoring utilizing current standards and techniques.
• Responds to abnormal findings with corrective action.
• Recognizes and treats cardiac dysrhythmias through use of perianesthetic electrocardiogram monitoring.
• Evaluates patient response during emergence from anesthesia. Institutes pharmacological or supportive treatment to insure adequacy of patient recovery from anesthesia and adjuvant drugs.
• Provides post anesthesia follow-up, report, and evaluation of patient's response to anesthesia and for potential anesthetic complication.
• Identifies and manages emergency situations. Initiates or participates in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Performs or orders equipment safety checks as needed.
• Cleans and sterilizes equipment and notifies supervisor of needed equipment adjustments/repairs.
• May perform patient care to the extent necessary to maintain clinical expertise, competency and licensing necessary to fulfill job responsibilities and to direct the provision of care on the unit.