Anesthesia tech.. Do I need to find a new job for better HCE?

[Ptothea]

I just got a job as an anesthesia tech but I'm not sure that what I'm doing is very applicable to the PA profession and I'm worried its not preparing me enough. What health care job is best?

[whoRyou]

I am curious as to why you DON'T consider this good HCE. I think it is better than some I have heard out there.

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

Depends on what you do. I've seen anesthesia techs do nothing but change/ stock equipment, clean laryngoscope blades, check anesthesia machine after surgery and others actually doing patient care up to placing arterial lines and putting hard stick IVs on the floor with US (yes it shocked me too). Most I've seen I would not consider adequate as they usually just handle the equipment.

 

RN, RT, EMT are considered the top by most, but think ER tech, MA, CNA would be better than anesthesia tech in most situations. Not all, mind you. Depends on the job description.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[nhpilot]

At the hospitals that I have worked at in NH, the Anesthesia Tech, was strictly a housekeeping job...no patient interaction.

[whoRyou]

WOW! After I read this I did some research and called an Anesthesia Tech (NOT assistant mind you) program where I live and found out their tuition is $30K for one year for a freaken certificate. HOLY COW! Sanford Brown "can not guarantee that graduates will be eligible to work as anesthesia technicians in Texas (that is where I am) or any other state, at all or any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment." Their evening program consists of classes that typically meet four days a week for 65 weeks. Following this portion of the program, students complete three clinical rotations over the course of 24 weeks. Normal competition time is 89 weeks excluding vacation periods and holidays. Sanford Brown "College" are eligible for and encouraged to take the certification. http://www.sanfordbrown.edu/Areas-of-Study/allied-health-technicians-and-therapists/anesthesia-technology

 

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

89 weeks?! To learn how to change tanks, change tubing, refill gas, clean blades, lay out intubation equipment, maybe find a leak in the anesthesia machine (really the job of provider), and clean it all? Absurd. Just the 12 weeks with a hour lecture at the end of the day would over train you.

[whoRyou]

That's what I thought as well ... Sounds like Sanford Brown is taking advantage of people. Shame on them!

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

Whoryou, you have exceed your inbox limit. I cannot reply to your message. Let me know when you have that fixed in a PM.

[jwalk1979]

I would say that it all depends on the programs you're applying to and what other experience you have. My last two years of work before getting accepted were in a pathology lab where I had literally zero patient contact, but I had a decent amount of patient contact before that and did a decent amount of shadowing. I wasn't in a position to take less pay or volunteer constantly in order to get specific experience. But it really depends on your school, because some put a much higher premium on patient contact hours.