How to Become an Anesthesiologist Technician

The prime duty of an anesthesiologist technician is maintaining the anesthesia laboratory, that is cleaning and disinfecting the anesthesia equipment, preparing the operation theater, etc. Some technicians also help the anesthesiologist in some of the major tasks that require responsibility like administering anesthesia. Before deciding on the career, it's very important that you have a brief understanding of the job, and also your interests.

A job as an anesthesiologist technician is good for those who like to handle medical equipment, and have an eye of detail on the working of these instruments. The job is also a good bet for people who are interested for a career in the rewarding medical field. Among the plethora of options in the medical field, anesthesiology is one, and is very important.

An anesthesiologist technician usually works in anesthesiology laboratories in private or Government hospitals. The responsibilities are both technical and administrative in nature.

The primary responsibilities are listed as under.

• Maintaining the anesthesia equipment laboratory is the prime duty. This involves cleaning and disinfecting the used instruments and maintaining a stock of the inventory.

• It is also the duty of the technician to order new instruments, and then keep a record for the same.
• These technicians are also required to perform some basic medical procedures like cardiac output measurement, intra-aortic balloon pumping, vessel cannulation, etc.

• Under the guidance of the anesthesiologist, the technician is sometimes required to administer anesthesia injections to the patients. He is also required to monitor the health of the patients who were administered the anesthesia.
• He/she is also required to train the new medical students or nurses on the use of certain medical instruments and procedures.

The career path is quite challenging. For a successful career one should be ready for the hard work. This is because the technician is most of the time supposed to work at odd working hours. And the working hours of the technician depend on the schedule of operations. Take a look at the steps given below.

1. The educational requirements are not too high, and a high school diploma is enough to get you a job as an anesthesiologist technician. Some organizations though demand certification, and it is also highly desirable that you go for some training cum certification programs to improve the job prospects.

2. Once you have completed the high school education the next step is getting certified. The programs from the American Society for Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians (ASATT) offer the best certifications.

A certifications from the Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLF) or the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) are also good and recommended. The certification programs are available all round the year, and you need to clear an exam to get the certification.

3. Last step and the most important step, start job search. Prepare a resume for yourself, and submit it at all the hospitals that have an anesthesiology unit. You can also submit the resume on the job portal websites. Be ready to work at a small level first, as one gains the real experience at small level only.

There is no dearth of jobs, as in the medical field the requirement for the anesthesiologist and thus the technician is always there.

Remember that along with the laboratory skills, you should also be ready to work at odd working hours, and sometimes round the clock. The salary is around $50,000 per year. The salary varies as per the region and work place, and also it increases with experience. So, opt this job if you are ready for the hard work, and like the lab atmosphere. All the best!