ANESTHESIA TECHNICIAN

Independence Health System•Greensburg, PA

62d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role involves delivering direct and indirect patient care in accordance with hospital policies, procedures, protocols, and standards of care. The Anesthesia Technician will perform and/or assist with patient care needs as directed, collect and report ongoing patient care data, obtain individual patient care equipment, and transport patients as directed. The position also assists in developing an educational process for patient care activities that promote health and improve outcomes, obtains necessary resources, and reports patient readiness to learn to the RN/CRNA. A key aspect of the role is maintaining collaborative relationships with other healthcare providers to ensure a continuous flow of patient care and communicating pertinent information about actual or potential problems to the professional nurse or CRNA. The technician will participate in performance improvement activities, assist in data collection, and recommend modifications for improvement. Leadership is demonstrated through problem-solving using critical thinking skills, seeking assistance from supervisors when appropriate, maintaining accountability, functioning as a resource person, acting as a patient advocate, and potentially serving as a preceptor/mentor to new hires and/or students. The role also contributes to maintaining and decreasing organizational/departmental costs. Specific technical duties include cleaning and processing fiberoptic bronchoscopes, maintaining the Steris sterilizer unit, and stocking, maintaining, and checking specialty carts. The technician will assist the department in complying with state, JCAHO, OSHA, and other regulatory agencies, aid in continuous survey readiness, and adhere to infection control processes. Responsibilities also include ensuring sufficient and proper supplies (linens, sterile supplies) are maintained, monitoring sterile supplies for expiration dates, and replenishing unit stock from various departments. Patient safety is paramount, requiring the use of two forms of patient identification, assuming appropriate code team roles, and responding effectively during emergency situations. The technician will assist in maintaining a safe and clean environment, and ensure proper collection, identification, labeling, and delivery of specimens. Cleaning instruments, supplies, and anesthesia machines according to the routing cleaning schedule is also required. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

High School Diploma, GED or higher level of education.
Completion of an approved Anesthesiology Technology Program.
Strong leadership ability, good organizational skills, independent and critical thinking skills, sound judgment.
Strong ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.
Current Basic Life Support (BLS) approved curriculum of the American Heart Association (CPR and AED) program.
Act 33 with renewal
Act 34 with renewal
Act 73 FBI Clearance

Nice To Haves

Previous Anesthesia Technician experience.
Certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Delivers direct and indirect patient care in accordance with hospital policies, procedures, protocols and standards of care.
Performs and/or assists with patient care needs as directed.
Collects and reports ongoing patient care data as directed.
Obtains individual patient care equipment as directed.
Transports patients as directed.
Assists in developing an educational process for the provision and coordination of patient care activities that promote and maintain health, foster self-care and improve outcomes.
Obtains resources as needed.
Reports to the RN/CRNA information regarding the patient's readiness to learn.
Maintains a collaborative relationship with other health care providers to achieve desired outcomes and assure continuous flow of patient care.
Communicates pertinent information of actual/potential problems to the professional nurse or CRNA.
Participate in the performance improvement activities designed to enhance the quality of patient care and customer services.
Assists in data collection process as requested.
Recommend modifications for performance improvement.
Demonstrates leadership by utilizing the behaviors inherent to the role of the nursing assistant.
Demonstrates an ability to solve problems utilizing critical thinking skills and seek assistance from immediate supervisors when appropriate.
Maintains accountability for actions taken.
Effectively functions as a resource person.
Acts as a patient advocate.
Performs effectively in the role of preceptor/mentor to new hires and/or students.
Assists in maintaining/decreasing organizational/department costs.
Cleans and processes fiberoptic bronchoscopes following manufacturers recommendations
Maintains Steris sterilizer unit per manufacturers recommendations
Stocks, maintains and checks all specialty carts per departmental standards
Assists in the department's compliance with state, JCAHO, OSHA and other regulatory agencies.
Assists in continuous survey readiness for surveys and inspections.
Adheres to the infection control process, including standard precautions, to reduce the risk of acquiring or transmitting infections.
Oversee that sufficient and proper supplies are maintained on an assigned unit.
Monitors sterile supplies for expiration date and replaces as needed.
Distributes and maintains a sufficient supply of linens in assigned patient care areas.
Replenishes daily/weekly unit stock from appropriate departments; i.e., CSR, storeroom, pharmacy.
Sterilizes equipment according to policy.
Provides for patient safety in compliance with hospital and nursing department policies.
Utilizes two forms of patient identification before implementing any form of patient care.
Assumes appropriate code team role during code situations or mock codes.
Responds effectively during emergency situations, including internal and external disasters.
Assists in maintaining a safe and clean environment for patients, visitors and staff.
Completes proper collection, identification, labeling and delivery of specimens to the appropriate department.
Ensures replacement of instruments, supplies and unit-maintained equipment.
Cleans, instruments, supplies and anesthesia machines in OR, etc., per routing cleaning schedule
Other duties as assigned.