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Wilson Lam
Prof. Riedel
STACC English 1A
23 February 2015
Exploring the Discourse Community of an Anesthesia Technologist
Today, anesthesia technologists remain to be an integral member of the anesthesia patient
care team equipped with a unique set of skills and responsibilities. One might say that
anesthesiologists have a simple job and all that is expected of them is to apply the general
anesthesia before surgery. In fact, anesthesia technicians are solely responsible for the health of
the patient as well as the dosage of anesthesia applied to a patient. Anesthesia is generally
applied to induce the patient into a pain-free state, sometimes unconsciously, through
administration of pharmaceuticals that act directly to block the passage of pain impulses along
the nerve pathways of the brain. Moreover, an Associate of Science degree is awarded upon
completion of the anesthesia technician program. However, anesthesia technicians are also
required to be certified by the American Society of Anesthesia Technicians/Technologists
(ASATT) as well as the National Certification Examination in order to become a certified
Anesthesia Technician. Through the application of numerous techniques and specialized training,
anesthesia technicians remain to be essential health-care workers dedicated to providing the
highest quality of service taken towards the care and safety of the patient.
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Next, in order to warrant the highest level of care, anesthesia technicians are tasked with
a particular set of responsibilities and duties. For example, according to the Pasadena’s
Anesthesia Technologist Program Informational Brochure, anesthesia technologists are tasked
with advanced clinical procedures in order to assist licensed anesthesia providers in the
acquisition, preparation, and application of the various types of equipment required for the
delivery of anesthesia care. Therefore, anesthesia technicians are expected to utilize their training
with sophisticated equipment and procedures in order to provide the highest standard of care for
the patient. In addition, technicians are also held accountable for the safe-keeping of the
anesthesia equipment and its delivery systems. The supervision of the anesthesia equipment is
vital to patient safety due to the importance of keeping medical equipment properly clean,
sanitized, and organized.
Furthermore, as the health-care environment becomes more increasingly complex,
patient safety is at risk. Lisa Haas, chief CRNA/anesthesia department manager at Kaiser in San
Francisco, emphasizes in her article, “Anesthesia Care Team Risk” that anesthesia support
personnel pose a risk to patient safety due to the rising demand for higher-quality care and the
innovation of new, contemporary medical technologies (121). As Haas states, anesthesia
technicians are expected to keep up with the complex health-care environment by utilizing their
training in specialized equipment which may include modern “technologically advanced
monitoring systems, highly specialized airway equipment as well as physiologically appropriate
ventilators set with sensitive and specific functionalities” ( 121). In other words, Haas believes
that in regards to patient safety; anesthesia support personnel are ethically obliged to keep up
with the modern technologies in order to effectively ensure higher-quality care. With the rising
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technological advances in medical technology and the rising demand for higher quality care,
anesthesia technicians remain to be an important member of the anesthesia support personnel
carrying the burden of responsibility towards the safety and care of the patient.
Moreover, technicians hereby represent the hospital and its practices through various dayto-day job duties. In Richard J. Ruckman’s article, “The technician’s role with anesthesia”
Ruckman, MD, writes about the role of anesthetic technicians in eye care. Ruckman states that,
as part of the anesthesia support team; the technician must first establish first contact with the
patient (1). Subsequently, the technician then performs a thorough medical history of the patient
consisting of a complete family medical history and a list of current medication and allergies
(Ruckman 1). This initial process is very important for the technician to understand the
appropriate dosage needed prior for surgery. For example, the purpose of the history and
physical is to establish the patient’s chief complaint and record pertinent findings. Ruckman
asserts that, the technician must be very observant as “the success of the patient’s clinical and
surgical experience depends greatly on the success of the anesthesia” (Ruckman 3). Basically,
Ruckman is claiming that anesthesia plays an important role, crucial to the success of the surgery
and to ensure a safe experience for the patient as well.
Next, this particular field struck my interest recently through my personal experiences at
Pasadena City College. My counselor, Beth Kiama introduced me to this new program here at
PCC; as I was deciding my next step on furthering my education. My chosen path through the
medical field started through my interest in the television show House, M.D; where it centers on
a smart egocentric doctor whose intelligence helped save many lives. The show, House, MD
introduced me to the field of medicine through the many procedures and terminologies repeated
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on the show. On a personal note, I was raised to be respectful and kind by offering to help those
that need help. By keeping this mindset and personality in mind, the job duties and
responsibilities of this profession will help fulfil my innermost moralities and virtues by
administering anesthesia to patients to help ease their pain.
At first, I took the Emergency Medical Technology course which offers the basic skills
and procedures of emergency rescue and care. It was a really great class and taught me many
new skills that are essential to know. For example, this class taught me CPR (cardiopulmonary
resuscitation), which is a lifesaving technique useful in many emergencies and situations
primarily in heart attacks or drownings. Similarly, the Heimlich maneuver is another emergency
technique used for preventing suffocation in a person’s airway. However, I later learned that this
profession was not for me as I would not be able to work under these stressful and emotional
conditions on a day-to-day basis. Similarly, in anesthesia technology, this program is perfect; as
it would have a strict set of responsibilities and skills in which I would be able to provide with
the utmost care and professionalism. To illustrate, this profession would employ teamwork, basic
life support, implement ethical and legal responsibilities, as well as work on my communication
skills.
Furthermore, another step in finding out my interest is to get a general background of a
certified anesthesiologist. During a recent interview with Joel Castellion, a certified
anesthesiologist that recently completed his residency from USC Medical Center; I recently
interviewed him about his endeavors towards his path to become an anesthesiologist. The
purpose of this interview is to provide some insight as to what to expect should anyone pursue
this higher tier of anesthesiology. Castellion explains that the process to becoming an
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anesthesiologist is a “brutally long and expensive” career to pursue, but if anyone is interested in
the medical field, then they should pursue it. Also, the education required is upwards of 12 years
of post-secondary education consisting of undergraduate school, medical school, and
anesthesiology residency. After all the schooling, Castellion received a Bachelor’s Degree in
health science, became a doctor in medicine, and is now licensed and board certified. As a result
of this newfound information, this really scared me off of medical school and my future of
becoming a doctor because of the extensive and costly schooling required. Despite this, Pasadena
City College’s new anesthesia technician program looks like a really promising 2-year program.
Pasadena’s Anesthesia Technician program awards an Associate of Science degree upon
completion of the two-year program of 67-72 units. Therefore, this program is perfect to
introduce anyone into the field of medicine and into the basics of Basic Life Support.
In conclusion, during my interview with Castellion, he offers his advice and perception of
his life as an anesthesiologist. Castellion states that, “My day-to-day everyday life really consists
of a lot of responsibilities relating to the care of the patient as well as the condition of the
equipment.” Basically, Castellion is saying that the anesthesia technician represents the face of
the hospital and that the health of the patient remains as the top priority. According to Castellion,
“there are also really intense moments during surgery where everything goes [berserk] and you
think to yourself that we can do this…but sometimes the reality is that you can’t save them”
(Castellion). In other words, Castellion is pointing out the fact that you can’t save everyone from
their inevitable death. Consequently, this opened up my perception of working in the health
industry within the hospital’s environment of death and despair. However, Castellion also states,
“I do love the fact that I am able to administer the anesthesia prior to surgery because I make the
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patients feel good before they risk their life on the table.” In making this comment, Castellion
believes that by just being in the atmosphere of the operating room: with all of the skills, the
equipment and the team readily accessible; that the anesthesia technicians hold the ability to
make a difference to someone’s life. Thus, the presence of the anesthesia support personnel
offers patients a temporarily pain-free way of living by properly administering the correct dose
of anesthesia to patients; as a result, the technicians have become a part of something good in
life. In conclusion, by having the expertise, the technologically sophisticated equipment, as well
as the personnel, the anesthesia technicians remain to be a part of that life-changing surgery in
which the patient will never forget.
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Works Cited
"American Society of Anesthesia Technologists and Technicians Standards of
Practice."ASATT.org. American Society of Anesthesia Technologists and
Technicians. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
<https://www.asatt.org/files/standardsofpractice/asatt_standards_of_practice.pdf>
"Anesthesia Technician Program." Pasadena City College Anesthesia Technician"
Official. Web.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): First Aid." - Mayo Clinic. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600>.
Castallion, Joel. Personal Interview. 17 February 2015.
Haas, Lisa. "Anesthesia Care Team Risk: Considerations To Standardize Anesthesia
Technician Training." AANA Journal 81.2 (2013): 121-
126. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
Heimlich Maneuver: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of
Medicine.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.
Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 12 Feb. 2015. <http://www.merriamwebster.com/medical/anesthesia>.
Reese, Susan. "Anesthesia Technologist." Techniques: Connecting Education &
Careers 88.5 (2013): 58-59. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Feb.
2015.
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Ruckman, Richard J. "THE TECHNICIAN's ROLE WITH ANESTHESIA. (Cover
Story)." Ophthalmology Times 03.03 (2014): 1-4. Academic
Premier. Web.
13 Feb. 2015.
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