Nurse Anesthetists

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Prepare prescribed solutions and administer local, intravenous, spinal, or other anesthetics, following specified methods and procedures.
• Evaluate patients' post-surgical or post-anesthesia responses, taking appropriate corrective actions or requesting consultation if complications occur.
• Disassemble and clean anesthesia equipment.
• Develop anesthesia care plans.
• Perform or evaluate the results of diagnostic tests, such as radiographs (x-rays) and electrocardiograms (EKGs).
• Select and prescribe post-anesthesia medications or treatments to patients.
• Select, prepare, or use equipment, monitors, supplies, or drugs for the administration of anesthetics.
• Administer post-anesthesia medications or fluids to support patients' cardiovascular systems.
• Insert peripheral or central intravenous catheters.
• Select, prepare, or use equipment, monitors, supplies, or drugs for the administration of anesthetics.
• Prepare prescribed solutions and administer local, intravenous, spinal, or other anesthetics, following specified methods and procedures.
• Insert peripheral or central intravenous catheters.
• Select, order, or administer pre-anesthetic medications.
• Respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administering emergency fluids or drugs, or using basic or advanced cardiac life support techniques.
• Perform pre-anesthetic screenings, including physical evaluations and patient interviews, and document results.
• Insert arterial catheters or perform arterial punctures to obtain arterial blood samples.
• Respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administering emergency fluids or drugs, or using basic or advanced cardiac life support techniques.
• Assess patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response.
• Select, order, or administer anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, fluids or blood products as necessary.
• Calibrate and test anesthesia equipment.
• Request anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments, or safety tests.
• Monitor patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, ventilation, or urine output, using invasive and noninvasive techniques.
• Perform pre-anesthetic screenings, including physical evaluations and patient interviews, and document results.
• Perform or evaluate the results of diagnostic tests, such as radiographs (x-rays) and electrocardiograms (EKGs).
• Select, order, or administer pre-anesthetic medications.
• Select, order, or administer anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, fluids or blood products as necessary.
• Obtain informed consent from patients for anesthesia procedures.
• Calibrate and test anesthesia equipment.
• Instruct nurses, residents, interns, students, or other staff on topics such as anesthetic techniques, pain management and emergency responses.
• Prepare prescribed solutions and administer local, intravenous, spinal, or other anesthetics, following specified methods and procedures.
• Respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administering emergency fluids or drugs, or using basic or advanced cardiac life support techniques.
• Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation.
• Evaluate patients' post-surgical or post-anesthesia responses, taking appropriate corrective actions or requesting consultation if complications occur.
• Perform pre-anesthetic screenings, including physical evaluations and patient interviews, and document results.
• Discharge patients from post-anesthesia care.
• Select, order, or administer anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, fluids or blood products as necessary.
• Perform or manage regional anesthetic techniques, such as local, spinal, epidural, caudal, nerve blocks and intravenous blocks.
• Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
• Select, prepare, or use equipment, monitors, supplies, or drugs for the administration of anesthetics.
• Administer post-anesthesia medications or fluids to support patients' cardiovascular systems.

Skills

• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.

Abilities

• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

Knowledge

• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Education

Education

Master's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Gonzaga University
  E 502 Boone Ave, Spokane WA 99258-0001
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 800-986-9585
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.gonzaga.edu/
  Program Name
  Nurse Anesthetist
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Doctor's degree - professional practice
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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

239,200+/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

115+/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

860

Yearly Projected Openings

50

Personality

Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking. They do well at jobs that need:

• Self-Confidence
• Sincerity
• Adaptability
• Perseverance
• Empathy
• Stress Tolerance

Tools

• Anesthesia inhalers or inhaler units
• Anesthesia nerve block kit or tray
• Arterial line catheters
• Blood collection syringes
• Bronchoscopes
• Cardiac output CO monitoring units
• Central venous catheters
• Diagnostic or interventional vascular catheters for general use
• Electrocardiography EKG units
• Electronic blood pressure units
• Electronic stethoscopes
• End tidal carbon dioxide monitors
• Endotracheal or tracheotomy sets
• Endotracheal tubes
• Flow sensors or regulators or components
• Gas anesthesia apparatus or machines
• Goggles
• Intermittent positive pressure breathing IPPB machines
• Intravenous infusion pumps for general use
• Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits
• Intubation forceps
• Intubation gauges or guides
• Medical acoustic stethoscopes
• Medical nasal cannulas
• Medical oxygen masks or parts
• Medical syringes with needle
• Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
• Neurologic sensors
• Non invasive bi level machines
• Notebook computers
• Oxygen concentrators
• Patient carbon dioxide detectors
• Patient controlled analgesia infusion pumps
• Personal computers
• Pharyngeal airways or airways kits
• Pulse oximeter units
• Surgical gloves
• Surgical isolation or surgical masks
• Surgical nerve stimulators
• Thermometer probes
• Tourniquets
• Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers

Technology

• Medical software
• Word processing software