The main responsibility of a nurse anesthetist is to ensure that patients undergoing surgery have a suspended sense of consciousness such that they do not feel the sensation of pain accompanied with performing surgical incisions and other techniques and at the same time, the patient should have minimal side effects of the drug prevalent when he or she regains consciousness after the surgical procedure. Apart from this, it also involves the correct administration of the anesthetic to relieve pain. The anesthetic is injected into the patient's nerves and at this time the nurse anesthetist has to monitor the response of the patients. If there is any problem caused at the time of injecting anesthesia, then it can prove to be fatal for the patients. They continuously monitor the temperature, pulse and heart rate of the patient. If the patient shows any kind of reaction, then they immediately stop the injection of the anesthetic. They check out if the patient is facing problems regarding breathing, shock or heart irregularities. But before injecting anesthesia, the nurse anesthetic must meet the members of the family and obtain all the information about the patient. Hospitals, surgery clinics, and dental clinics are locations where a nurse anesthetist can work.
Responsibilities as a Nurse Anesthetist
The job of a nurse anesthetist job is very critical and instills a sense of great responsibility. Any small mistake can cost the patient his life. So only a person who is ready to take all the following responsibilities can opt for a career as nurse anesthetist:
- Analyze the patient's history and determine whether the person manifests any adverse reaction to anesthesia
- Find out how much dose a patient can tolerate before performing surgery on him
- Find out which drugs are best for the patients and which treatment will be suitable for him
- Give complete information to the patient prior to the operation about how he is going to be operated and the time it will take to operate on him
- If general anesthesia is not suitable for the patient, then give him local drugs
- Continuously monitor the response of the patient before and after giving dose of anesthesia
- In case the patient is a pregnant lady, then provide pain relief to them
- In the scenario where the patient is reacting badly then they should make arrangement for emergency relief to the patient
- They have to work with surgeons and dentists and help them with their work
As the job of nurse anesthetist is important, the person seeking to develop a career must possess the following skills to be successful:
- Good oral and written communication skills as they have to interact with people and help them to understand the needs of the situation
- Dedicated towards work as patients can come at any time of the day
- Must possess good knowledge in chemistry and pharmaceuticals
- Must be ready to work hard because most of the time they have to be on their feet
- Must be ready to work under stressful conditions and give their best performance
- Good observation skills and quick responsive mind
- Good decision making skills as they have only fraction of second to think over in critical conditions
- Must be ready to adapt to new technologies and use them for the betterment of the patients
On an average a nurse anesthetist could be entitled to a salary of $45,000 annually. But it can change according to their experience level, talent and education qualifications. Nurse anesthetist job holds a career filled with exciting challenges, promising one with great scope for future development. Nowadays many schools have started nursing programs to cope up with the rising demand for the position of nurse anesthetist. This field is not gender specific and both men and women can actively participate in it. Researches have shown that the demand for nurse anesthetist jobs is going to rise tremendously in the future.
