Nurse Anesthetists

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

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Nurse Anesthetists.

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Nurse Anesthetists.