MightyRecruiterA nurse anesthetist is responsible for administering anesthesia to patients in a medical facility. This task may be done in preparation for a medical procedure such as surgery, but anesthesia may also be provided during or after an operation. Other instances for which a nurse anesthetist may provide anesthesia include therapeutic or diagnostic procedures.
A nurse anesthetist job description will outline many of the qualities and skills required to be successful in the position. You should seek candidates who indicate exemplary communication skills and critical thinking abilities. In addition to this, nurse anesthetists should have compassion towards their patients and interpersonal skills that allow them to interact with staff and patients effectively.
Crafting an attractive nurse anesthetist job description will attract a candidate who possess these and all other requisite qualifications. Consulting the example below should give you an idea of what makes a great job description.
Nurse Anesthetist Job Summary
As a nurse anesthetist at Sacred Heart Hospital, you can expect to treat a diverse range of patients and work in a fast-paced medical environment. You will coordinate and provide patient care from the point of taking vitals and charting information to providing anesthesia during surgery and other medical procedures. In the latter of these responsibilities, the ideal candidate will treat each patient carefully in administering the form of anesthesia most appropriate for their needs. We are seeking a candidate who can keep up with the demands of a busy hospital while embodying the role of a nurse anesthetist with professionalism, skill and compassion.
Job Responsibilities
- Review patient history to prepare for procedures and identify any potential complications or issues that may arise as a preventative exercise
- Manage patient reactions to anesthesia and provide resolution in instances of poor reaction, reporting issues to superiors
- Select the medical instruments and drugs that will best be suited to the administration of anesthesia for each patient based upon age, gender, weight and other factors
- Check patient vitals, such as pulse and blood pressure, and document all information in patient records prior to beginning treatment
- Identify the appropriate dose of anesthesia required for the patient and the procedure that is to be completed
- Calm anxious patients and provide compassionate care that ensures every patient’s health is holistically cared for
- Assist anesthesiologist with processes required for sedation, using training to appropriately make suggestions and offer professional contributions
- Thrive in a fast-paced environment where life and death situations are common, if not the norm
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Master’s degree or higher in nursing or related discipline
- Certified by the American Heart Association in Basic Life Support
- Licensed in the state in which the position is located
- Must have completed nurse training and anesthesia training programs
Preferred:
- At least three years of prior experience
- Ability to work for 10-12 hours per shift
- Experience with diverse patient populations
Nurse Anesthetist Job Responsibilities
While it might seem like a nurse anesthetist job description is relatively easy to come up with, it may be trickier than you think because you have to consider not only what you put in it but also how you write it. Job candidates want the best position possible, and if the job responsibilities section is flat, lifeless or otherwise bad, the candidates move on to the next job that looks more interesting. You could present the description factually but uninspired, and that could make perfectly qualified applicants change their minds about applying for your posting.
Since this is the meatiest part of the nurse anesthetist job description, you want to make it easy to digest for jobseekers who look at dozens of job postings each day. The best way to do this is to use descriptive yet simple sentences to explain the responsibilities you would expect of the applicant. Use a structured list to elucidate the duties and requirements so jobseekers can glance through the description to figure out if the position would fit their skills and preferences.
Here are some nurse anesthetist job responsibilities you could include in your own job description:
- Examine how patients respond to different medications and prescriptions
- Detail plans on how to treat individual patients given their varying medical histories
- Communicate with patients what their medical plan will be so they are not caught off guard with treatments
- Monitor patients under anesthesia to ensure patients’ safety
Nurse Anesthetist Job Specifications
The job qualifications and skills section may not be very long, but that does not mean it isn’t as important as the responsibilities section. This is the part of the nurse anesthetist job description that will really separate the best from the rest. You want to use precise language and a strong list so applicants are aware of the qualifications required of them before applying. This ensures nobody wastes his or her time, either by applying for a job that one could never receive or by reading countless applications from underqualified jobseekers.
Before writing the qualifications and skills section, you ought to sit down with someone who already holds the position and with someone who is a director of nurse anesthetists. That way, you can be sure you hit all the necessary and preferred qualifications and skills so you do not miss any marks with unqualified jobseekers applying. For nurse anesthetist job specifications, break up the list between the “required” and “preferred” skills for your applicants to make it easier on them before applying.
Here are some qualifications and skills you could put in your own nurse anesthetist job description:
- Master Degree in Nursing, Nursing Anesthesiology or related nursing field
- Minimum five years’ experience as a nurse anesthetist
- State-licensed certificate for registered nursing
- Able to communicate effectively with patients and colleagues
- Comfortable taking the initiative
