Anesthesia Tech Career Plan
Anesthesia technologists have a varied set of duties; they assemble and calibrate equipment, but also perform some of the more basic patient care duties within the operating room. Anesthesia technology is an important career, and one that can take just two years of post-secondary education. The following steps are designed as a guide, to take you from the exploration stage on through the certification process and beyond.
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Find out as much as you can about the career, and if possible, experience a day on the job. Look for job shadow opportunities and health career camps – some camps are absolutely free. Your school’s career services center can be a good resource for locating opportunities, but it’s not the only one. You might also try contacting your local Area Health Education Center.
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Meanwhile, make sure you’re on track for high school graduation. Focus on English, math, science, and computers. It’s a good idea to take more math than what’s actually required for graduation.
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Get you certification in CPR/ basic life support.
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Look for a two year program that has been approved by the American Society of Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians. The school’s status is important because it is a qualification for professional certification.
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Complete your anesthesia technology coursework and clinical hours. Remember that the connections you make now can lead to job offers down the road. Technological competence may not be quite enough in a tough economic market. You’ll also want to project the right attitude.
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Now it’s time for that first real position. You may want to use career resources on the ASATT site.
Personality Traits: It takes a certain amount of technical savvy to make it through anesthesia tech coursework. Beyond this, employers look for good communication skills, professionalism, and problem solving ability.