Anesthesia Technician jobs

Does anyone have any insight on how to pass the certification exam for an anesthesia technician? I finished medical vocational school and landed a job at Mercy Hospital in the surgical shock unit. Now, there’s word that an opportunity might open up for me to move into the OR as an anesthesia tech, but I’m lost on the specifics. I have no idea which courses or exams I need to take, where they are held, or how long the whole process takes. Neither the head nurse nor the department heads at the hospital have given me a straight answer—they just say I'll find out when the time comes. Google hasn't been much help either. If anyone knows the drill, please let me know. Thanks.

You basically just shadow a second technician in the OR and learn on the fly. I don't think there’s actually a dedicated course for it—unless I'm mistaken, which happens more than I'd like to admit. You can probably hit up a national anesthesia tech or nursing conference once a year, though. And obviously, you're expected to do a ton of reading.

There aren’t even any exams or special training programs you have to grind through to get started. You’ll kick things off on the day shifts, always working alongside someone else, but then after a few months—or maybe even a couple of years depending on which hospital you end up at—you might start pulling solo shifts...

You don't even need to attend those big medical conferences or spend your nights buried in textbooks.

But honestly, if you ask anyone what the "real" secret is for a modern anesthesia tech (and trust me, the veterans will be the first ones to tell you this), it’s basically just learning how to fast-track your way into complaining. They’ll teach you how to reflexively tell everyone around you how grueling, exhausting, intense, and soul-crushing the job is... making it sound like you're performing open-heart surgery in a hurricane when really, most of it is a total breeze.

Scott Allen10 said:There aren’t even any exams or special training programs you have to grind through to get started. You’ll kick things off on the day shifts, always working alongside someone else, but then after a few months—or maybe even a couple of years depending on which hospital you end up at—you might start pulling solo shifts...

You don't even need to attend those big medical conferences or spend your nights buried in textbooks.

But honestly, if you ask anyone what the "real" secret is for a modern anesthesia tech (and trust me, the veterans will be the first ones to tell you this), it’s basically just learning how to fast-track your way into complaining. They’ll teach you how to reflexively tell everyone around you how grueling, exhausting, intense, and soul-crushing the job is... making it sound like you're performing open-heart surgery in a hurricane when really, most of it is a total breeze.

🤣😂

And maybe don't forget about the whole complaining routine too, you know, like when those surgeons suddenly decide they need something else on the table at 2:00 AM even though things have never been finished by 5:00 before, or just throwing a little tantrum and making comments about the surgery here and there...

Casey Cook10 said:🤣😂

And maybe don't forget about the whole complaining routine too, you know, like when those surgeons suddenly decide they need something else on the table at 2:00 AM even though things have never been finished by 5:00 before, or just throwing a little tantrum and making comments about the surgery here and there...

👍

There are really only one and a half things I truly value in anesthesia techs these days, though obviously not every single one of them hits the mark.
First off, it’s that knack for jumping right in during an emergency, slamming a needle in and getting a line established when things are going south—that can be incredibly tough to pull off, especially with kids, so you've gotta respect that.
Then there's that other half of the equation... which is basically just having the guts to hold down the fort in the OR while the anesthesiologist decides to take a little stroll around the unit, sometimes for quite a while during the actual surgery.

Everything else, especially the routine stuff and the general workload, isn't just mindless work; it's actually a technical paradise where you're mostly just handing tools to the doctor and pushing meds as directed. You aren't really interacting with the patient before the surgery or once they're being moved back to their home ward or over to JLL.

I wouldn't go so far as to say all technicians are like that; I suspect this perspective might be coming from someone other than the OP 😁
I personally know several veteran anesthesiologists who can intubate with incredible precision—that is exactly the kind of skill doctors ought to master. If not everyone, then certainly those frequently facing such scenarios who currently lack the proficiency... however, if you hone your craft at JLL, transitioning to the ER becomes quite manageable; it shouldn't pose much of a challenge
As for the idea of anesthesiologists just wandering around... either they possess the necessary expertise and experience, or they lack it enough to realize what they are getting themselves into... 😁

I’m with you guys. Mastering external access won't be the only thing on his learning curve. This job is demanding and exhausting, plain and simple. I know plenty of anesthesia techs who can handle intubation without breaking a sweat—it just comes down to grit and constant practice.
And honestly, I don't see why hitting up a major medical conference once a year with the crew is such a big deal. You've got to stay on top of the literature, too. Learning doesn't stop just because you've graduated, right?
Best,

Paul Alvarez97 said:I’m with you guys. Mastering external access won't be the only thing on his learning curve. This job is demanding and exhausting, plain and simple. I know plenty of anesthesia techs who can handle intubation without breaking a sweat—it just comes down to grit and constant practice.
And honestly, I don't see why hitting up a major medical conference once a year with the crew is such a big deal. You've got to stay on top of the literature, too. Learning doesn't stop just because you've graduated, right?
Best,

When I mentioned "neck access," I wasn't specifically talking about the external jugular, I was more speaking figuratively about how you should basically have a line established almost the second you roll into the ER...

As for hitting up those big medical conferences, I totally agree that there's absolutely no reason not to go every now and then... but man, take it from me... in the US, you could probably count the anesthesia techs with that kind of drive on one hand, if you're lucky. Most of them just don't care. They’re just looking to wrap up their shift or finish their rotation as fast as possible so they can get home... and when you're pulling in maybe $50k or $60k a year... what else is there to motivate them? It’s just not on their radar. Sadly enough.

If we're talking about intubation, you mostly hear about it from the veteran techs; back in the day, especially during the 90s when there were way too few anesthesiologists, they were often forced to step up and manage the whole anesthesia process themselves.
The younger generation, though? For the most part, they either don't do it or don't even know how. Personally, I feel like in the way things work here in American hospitals today, where they mostly just act as assistants to the anesthesiologist... they don't really need to, and they're just asking for trouble if they try to jump in next to the doctor and end up getting chewed out for overstepping.

The real, million-dollar question is why isn't this something every single doctor knows by the time they graduate? The truth is, that fundamental resuscitation skill is mostly practiced by anesthesiologists—maybe a pediatrician working in the ICU, or someone over at a US Navy facility, or perhaps a few folks who actually bothered to practice during their residency... everyone else in the hospital just stands there like a deer in headlights during respiratory arrest, acting like they're too important to help while they wait for the anesthesia team to show up and handle the resuscitation...

The real question is why this isn't standard knowledge for every doctor graduating med school. The reality is that basic resuscitation skills are mostly reserved for anesthesiologists. You might see a pediatric intensivist or someone working in a US Navy medical unit who practiced it during residency, but that's about it. Most other hospital doctors just stand there acting helpless during respiratory arrest, playing scientist while they wait for the anesthesia team to show up and actually do the work...

I agree. I spent a year and a half on EMS crews, and it’s pathetic how many doctors can’t even place an IV, let alone handle intubation. It’s sad. As for my current role in the OR, I'm working in the transplant unit, and I've already applied quite a bit of what I learned in EMS. At the end of the day, everything comes down to experience—specifically, being a reliable anesthesia tech and earning the surgeon's trust so they'll eventually bring you onto their transplant team.

...hey there, buddy... so they're actually dragging you into the OR after all...😉...and I specifically told them yesterday to leave you alone and let us keep you to ourselves...😍
...you've pretty much read everything here, but I'll just add that none of our anesthesia techs have ever had any special training beyond just putting in some hours at JLL... though lately, things have been shifting slightly and people are starting to pay more attention to it, so every now and then someone might head out to a seminar, a workshop, or a session of Congress... unfortunately, as usual, those "perks" usually go to the "chosen few"... but maybe with this new center opening up, things might finally improve since the workload is going to be massive...🤷
...later, see you at the handoff😉

Scott Allen10 said:When I mentioned "neck access," I wasn't specifically talking about the external jugular, I was more speaking figuratively about how you should basically have a line established almost the second you roll into the ER...

As for hitting up those big medical conferences, I totally agree that there's absolutely no reason not to go every now and then... but man, take it from me... in the US, you could probably count the anesthesia techs with that kind of drive on one hand, if you're lucky. Most of them just don't care. They’re just looking to wrap up their shift or finish their rotation as fast as possible so they can get home... and when you're pulling in maybe $50k or $60k a year... what else is there to motivate them? It’s just not on their radar. Sadly enough.

If we're talking about intubation, you mostly hear about it from the veteran techs; back in the day, especially during the 90s when there were way too few anesthesiologists, they were often forced to step up and manage the whole anesthesia process themselves.
The younger generation, though? For the most part, they either don't do it or don't even know how. Personally, I feel like in the way things work here in American hospitals today, where they mostly just act as assistants to the anesthesiologist... they don't really need to, and they're just asking for trouble if they try to jump in next to the doctor and end up getting chewed out for overstepping.

The real, million-dollar question is why isn't this something every single doctor knows by the time they graduate? The truth is, that fundamental resuscitation skill is mostly practiced by anesthesiologists—maybe a pediatrician working in the ICU, or someone over at a US Navy facility, or perhaps a few folks who actually bothered to practice during their residency... everyone else in the hospital just stands there like a deer in headlights during respiratory arrest, acting like they're too important to help while they wait for the anesthesia team to show up and handle the resuscitation...

Ah, sorry, I misunderstood the external jugular thing... no big deal. Anyway, I have to agree with most of what you said. Unfortunately, I've lost count of how many times I've been in the middle of a resuscitation and seen one of "my" cardiologists just standing there, hands in pockets, watching my nurses lead the code while we wait for the anesthesia team to arrive. It's sad and incredibly frustrating, but unfortunately, it's the harsh reality in our hospitals.