How to Become an Anesthesia Technician

Looking for a career in healthcare that doesn’t require a college degree to get started? An anesthesia technician is an essential member of the surgical team, providing support to anesthesiologists and ensuring patients receive safe anesthesia care during medical procedures. In this role, you need strong organizational skills and the ability to work with a highly specialized team.

In the United States, 64 million surgeries are performed every year. From common appendectomies to complex triple bypass surgery, these procedures require a team of experts who keep patients safe and promote good outcomes. Anesthesia techs work with surgeons, physician’s assistants (PAs), nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), anesthesiologists, surgical nurses, surgical techs, and more to care for patients as they undergo procedures.

Anesthesia techs may work wherever surgeries are performed, including:

• Hospitals
• Outpatient surgery centers
• Dental clinics
• Endoscopy centers
• Plastic surgery clinics
• Veterinary clinics
• Cardiac catheterization labs
• Pain management clinics

What Is an Anesthesia Tech and What Do Anesthesia Techs Do?

The term anesthesia tech can be used to refer to anesthesia technicians or anesthesia technologists, depending on whom you’re speaking with. These professionals have similar responsibilities, providing support to anesthesia providers before, during, and after procedures. Their duties involve preparing, maintaining, and monitoring equipment, and they also ensure that the operating room is set up and ready for anesthesia procedures.

These responsibilities may include specific tasks like:

• Checking the operating room schedule to prepare rooms and ensure supplies are stocked for specific procedures.
• Setting up anesthesia machines to be sure they’re functioning, verifying oxygen and gas levels, and making sure all equipment is ready for use.
• Preparing medications so that they’re labeled and ready for administration.
• Checking and restocking the OR room crash cart.
• Cleaning and sterilizing medical tools, like endotracheal tubes, laryngoscopes, and syringes, so they’re safe to use in procedures.
• Hanging IV medications and priming lines before surgery.
• Confirming a patient’s identity, hooking them up to vitals machines, and positioning them once they have entered the OR suite.
• Helping the anesthesiology provider by adjusting medication levels, monitoring the patient’s vital signs, or providing additional equipment as needed.
• Administering medications under the supervision of the anesthesia provider.

How Much Does an Anesthesia Technician Make?

The typical anesthesia technician salary is around $47,000 per year. Your anesthesia tech pay will depend on your experience, specialty training, care setting, and geographic location.

How to Become an Anesthesia Tech: 4 Steps

If you’re looking to pursue this career, expect to spend about two years on your training. Here are the steps you need to take to get started:

Step 1: Complete Basic Anesthesia Technician Requirements

Before applying for an anesthesia tech program, you’ll typically need to complete these requirements and courses:

• Have a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent
• Basic life support (BLS) training
• Updated immunizations
• Prerequisite courses, such as medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and more
• Minimum GPA requirement

Many anesthesia technician schools are offered by community and technical colleges, where you’ll be able to complete your prerequisite classes. Some programs group these classes in with your anesthesia classes, so look up specific schools in your area to familiarize yourself with their requirements.

When researching schools, it’s important to understand whether a program is accredited or not. To be eligible to take the American Society of Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians (ASATT) certification exam, you’ll need to graduate from a program they recognize. For example, you can find anesthesia technician certification programs online, but these programs may not prepare you for the certification exam.

Step 2: Complete Your Anesthesia Tech Training

Once you’re in a program, the real work begins. Anesthesia tech training programs are designed to give you the skills to work in this field at the entry level. You’ll take courses like:

• Introduction to anesthesia technology
• Professional aspects of anesthesia technology
• Anesthesia pharmacology
• Anesthesia equipment

Alongside didactic courses, you’ll also rotate through clinical experiences, where you’ll have the chance to see and assist in real surgeries. This is a great opportunity to ask questions, pay close attention, and learn more about the specific surgical area you’d like to work in.

Step 3: Earn Your Anesthesia Tech Certification

While the ASATT used to offer a credential to become a certified anesthesia technician, today they only offer certification for anesthesia technologists (Cer. A.T.T.). Certification through ASATT is a growing expectation in this field, so while not every anesthesia tech is certified, you’ll likely have more opportunities if you are. Certification demonstrates your competence and commitment to high standards in the field and can help you work in a wider range of facilities.

To become certified as an anesthesia technologist, you’ll need to pass the ASATT certification exam. The content of this test includes the following:

• Anatomy and physiology
• Pharmacology
• Anesthesia equipment
• Principles of anesthesia
• Safety protocols
• Infection control
• Patient monitoring techniques
• Anesthesia-specific procedures
• Troubleshooting equipment
• Critical thinking in the operating room setting

Step 4: Find Roles for Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians

With your education and certification in hand, you’re ready to begin your career as a certified anesthesia tech. Start by looking for job openings in hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, or specialty clinics, where anesthesia techs are needed to assist anesthesiologists and other medical professionals during surgeries and procedures. When applying for your first roles, be sure to highlight your certification, training, and any hands-on experience gained during your internships or clinical rotations.

Benefits of Becoming an Anesthesia Technician

If you’re considering this role, here are some of the benefits of a career as an anesthesia tech:

• Strong demand: Anesthesia technicians are needed in various medical settings, so you’ll have a good chance of finding work that suits your location.
• Career advancement: With experience and further education, anesthesia technicians can advance to higher-level roles in the OR.
• Meaningful work: Being part of a team and helping to ensure patient safety can offer a rewarding career.
• Competitive salary: Anesthesia tech roles offer a competitive salary for those with a high school diploma — and additional certifications can help you earn even more.

Anesthesia Tech FAQs

Anesthesia tech vs. surgical technologist: What’s the difference?

An anesthesia technician and a surgical technologist play distinct but complementary roles in the operating room. While both professionals assist in the OR, anesthesia techs support the pain management side of surgery, while surgical technologists (or surgical techs) are more involved in the surgical process. They’re focused on supporting the surgeon, scrub nurse, and other surgery personnel. They may also help with sterilizing equipment, but they also set up surgical instruments and assist surgeons during operations by passing tools and ensuring that the environment is sterile.

Anesthesia tech vs. nurse anesthetist: What’s the difference?

A CRNA is an advanced practice nurse who is trained and licensed to independently administer anesthesia. An anesthesia tech and a nurse anesthetist differ significantly in terms of their education, scope of practice, and level of responsibility.

CRNAs use their advanced training to assess patients, develop anesthesia care plans, and provide anesthesia for surgeries, labor and delivery, and other medical procedures. They are responsible for monitoring patients’ responses to anesthesia and adjusting dosages as needed throughout the procedure. An anesthesia tech is there to assist, while a CRNA provides anesthesia and may receive assistance from the tech.

Anesthesia technicians vs. anesthesia technologists: What’s the difference?

The difference between these two roles can be subjective based on the facility in which you work. In some areas, the two titles refer to essentially the same role. On the other hand, an anesthesia technologist can also be a more advanced role for experienced anesthesia technicians. Technologists likely have similar duties — though they may have some additional responsibilities as well.

Put Your Anesthesia Technician Skills to Work

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