Becoming an anesthesia technician is a rewarding career that can be very rewarding.

There are several steps you need to take in order to become an anesthesia technician.

First, you will need to earn a high school diploma or its equivalent. After that, you will need to complete an accredited program of study at a vocational/technical school or community college. This program will last about two years and provide you with training in the medical field.

After completing your program of study, you will need to pass the National Certification Exam for Anesthesia Technicians (NCCT). This exam is administered by the National Board for Certification of Anesthesia Technicians (NBCAT) and consists of three parts: knowledge-based questions, patient care scenarios and clinical simulations. You must pass each part of this test before being able to work as an anesthesia technician.

How To Become Anesthesia Technician

A career as an anesthesia tech allows you to enter the medical field with fairly minimal requirements compared to other healthcare professions. Understanding what’s required of this role and how to pursue it can help you determine whether or not it’s the best career for you. In this article, we explain the role of an anesthesia technician, list their duties, provide you with their average salary and the job’s outlook, list the steps for pursuing this profession and answer frequently asked questions.

Related: Learn About Being an Anesthesiologist

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What is an anesthesia tech?

An anesthesia tech is a healthcare worker who mainly helps with the administration of anesthesia and the monitoring of patients under anesthesia. Anesthesia techs have strong knowledge of various anesthesia instruments, technology and techniques. Their duties span all stages of anesthesia. For example, not only do anesthesia techs provide assistance before the administration of anesthesia, but they also help during the administration and after a patient’s surgical procedure.

Related: What Is an Anesthesiologist?

What does an anesthesia tech do?

Working as part of an anesthesia team, anesthesia techs provide assistance to anesthesia professionals through a variety of duties. Their responsibilities combine technical, clerical and patient care tasks. Here are some of the common duties of an anesthesia tech:

• Prepare equipment for the delivery of anesthesia.
• Set up patient monitoring devices.
• Sanitize anesthesia equipment.
• Troubleshoot equipment in need of repair.
• Identify problems with equipment and ensure it gets repaired.
• Sterilize equipment used on the job.
• Ensure the accurate dosages of anesthesia.
• Monitor a patient’s vital signs.
• Establish and secure a patient’s airway so they can breathe easily during a procedure.
• Assist anesthesia providers with patient procedures.
• Explain procedures to patients.
• Keep records of inspections and maintenance.
• Help wake up patients at the end of a procedure and transfer them to a post-op care unit.
• Work alongside other healthcare professionals.
• Help prep patients for surgery.
• Assist with anesthesia administration.
• Attend to patients during and after a surgical procedure.
• Order replacement supplies.
• Test and troubleshoot equipment used during a surgical procedure.
• Comfort and calm patients who remain conscious during surgery.

Related: Q&A: What Does an Anesthesiologist Do?

Salary for anesthesia techs

Anesthesia techs make a national average salary of $65,239 per year. Your salary in this profession may differ depending on your employer and your geographic location. Apart from this salary, you may also earn benefits like health insurance, 401(k) matching and license reimbursement.

Job outlook for anesthesia techs

While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn’t have job outlook data for anesthesia techs, it does have data for surgical technologists. The BLS projects an employment growth of 7% from 2019 to 2029 for surgical technologists—a rate faster than the average employment growth for all other jobs in the workforce. You may attribute this growth to advances in medical technology or the increase in surgical operations.

How to become an anesthesia tech

In order to become an anesthesia tech, you need to meet the job’s minimum qualifications. Doing so gives you a greater chance of securing employment in this field. Use these steps to pursue a career as an anesthesia tech:

1. Earn a high school diploma or your GED

Complete high school and earn your diploma. Focus on your math, science and computer science classes to best prepare you for a career as an anesthesia tech. Biology and chemistry classes, in particular, provide you with the basic knowledge you need for this profession. You can also earn your GED in place of a high school diploma.

2. Enroll in an associate degree program

Pursue an associate degree in anesthesia technology. You can find these programs online or on-campus, though, online programs still require in-personal clinical experience. Your associate degree coursework teaches you the basics of anesthesia, including topics like anatomy, pharmacology, anesthesia instruments and monitoring vitals. Make sure to complete an approved or accredited anesthesia technology program if you plan to pursue your certification later on.

While associate degree programs last two years, you can also pursue a one-year technical skills program in anesthesia technology. This program also provides you with clinical experience.

3. Gain clinical experience

If your degree program doesn’t provide you with clinical experience, gain this through other avenues. You can gain on-the-job clinical experience when you start your career straight out of high school.

You can also shadow professional technicians before you enter college. Shadowing gives you an idea of what to expect from this career path and can help you determine if you see yourself pursuing this career after all. Your clinical experience ultimately lets you work with real patients and helps you become familiar with both anesthetic instruments and medication.

4. Earn your certification

Consider pursuing a certification for anesthesia technicians through the American Society of Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians (ASATT). While not required, a certification provides you with additional knowledge for this career and may impress hiring managers. The ASATT provides you with several options for becoming a certified anesthesia technician.