Anesthesia Care Assistant

WVU Medicine

34d•Onsite

About The Position

Work requires general knowledge of anesthesia practices and aseptic technique needed to organize, stock, set-up, and clean anesthesia equipment, work areas, and inventory locations. Follows Perioperative Services and Anesthesia’s departmental/regulatory standards in the completion of assigned tasks.

Requirements

High School Diploma or Equivalent.
Obtain certification in Basic Life Support within 30 days of hire date.
One (1) year of nursing assistant and/or patient care experience.

Nice To Haves

Graduate of an approved school of Anesthesia Technology, Surgical Technology, or Respiratory Therapy.

Responsibilities

Follows general principles of aseptic technique in the completion of assigned work tasks. Ensures proper disposal of one-time use items. May set up disposable supplies for sterile anesthesia field.
Monitors the inventory of consumable supplies. Ensures that the anesthesia carts are stocked with disposable supplies and the anesthesia area is clean, uncluttered, and ready for next day use. Reprocesses reusable supplies.
Checks expiration dates of disposable supplies and rotates stock for earliest expiration date use.
Performs anesthesia post case cleaning. At end of day terminally cleans and dusts anesthesia equipment returning cleaned equipment to its designated storage location.
Ensures basic anesthesia equipment is available in each anesthetic location including emergency airway equipment (i.e. Ambu bags, working blades, etc.). Assists anesthesia providers with intubations and other procedures by acquiring requested supplies, instruments, and equipment (does not include the set-up and spiking of IV fluids).
Cleans up a hazardous spill ensuring SDS sheets are followed. Completes required incident documentation.
Transports mobile anesthesia carts to scheduled patient care locations. May assist anesthesia provider with patient transport and positioning. May transport mobile cart’s medication tray to and from Pharmacy.
Sets up suction devices. Switches out anesthesia machine tanks and recording paper when needed. Confirms anesthesia equipment is available for CRNA/resident/MD including confirming power/gas sources & electrical cords are in proper working order; notifying Biomed & hands-on provider of concerns related to equipment & patient safety (i.e. loose sockets); and ensuring anesthesia equipment is properly cleaned prior to patient care & appropriately connected to emergency power outlets.
Drains and reconnects hoses. Checks and changes soda sorb.
Informs appropriate persons of equipment issues and potential problems. Recognizes need for repair and initiates repair actions. Maintains an equipment repair log and equipment loaner book.
Stocks IV bins and utilizes anesthesia exchange carts to stock anesthesia blue bells. Gathers and stages anesthesia supplies in procedural areas based on procedure types and patient ages.
Assumes responsibility for answering anesthesia pages during workday.
Prepares equipment and scopes according to manufacturers’ IFU’s.
Transports lab specimens and blood as needed.
Unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) may have limited access to medications including transport of non-controlled substances and MH kit at the request of a licensed care provider.
Partnering with new hire and role modeling scope of practice, assists with an orientee’s duties’ training.
Performs patient glucose and hemoglobin testing.
For facilities with specialty accreditation requirements: Completion of annual required education related to specialty accreditation as defined by accreditation standards. Training may be completed through CBLs, trainings, In-services, and competency validation.