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.