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Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation.
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Calibrate and test anesthesia equipment.
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Develop anesthesia care plans.
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Select and prescribe post-anesthesia medications or treatments to patients.
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Prepare prescribed solutions and administer local, intravenous, spinal, or other anesthetics, following specified methods and procedures.
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Administer post-anesthesia medications or fluids to support patients' cardiovascular systems.
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Select, order, or administer pre-anesthetic medications.
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Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
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Request anesthesia equipment repairs, adjustments, or safety tests.
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Evaluate patients' post-surgical or post-anesthesia responses, taking appropriate corrective actions or requesting consultation if complications occur.
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Perform pre-anesthetic screenings, including physical evaluations and patient interviews, and document results.
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Select, prepare, or use equipment, monitors, supplies, or drugs for the administration of anesthetics.
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Disassemble and clean anesthesia equipment.
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Perform or manage regional anesthetic techniques, such as local, spinal, epidural, caudal, nerve blocks and intravenous blocks.
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Monitor patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, ventilation, or urine output, using invasive and noninvasive techniques.
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Insert arterial catheters or perform arterial punctures to obtain arterial blood samples.
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Discharge patients from post-anesthesia care.
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Obtain informed consent from patients for anesthesia procedures.
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Insert peripheral or central intravenous catheters.
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Assess patients' medical histories to predict anesthesia response.
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Respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administering emergency fluids or drugs, or using basic or advanced cardiac life support techniques.
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Perform or evaluate the results of diagnostic tests, such as radiographs (x-rays) and electrocardiograms (EKGs).
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Select, order, or administer anesthetics, adjuvant drugs, accessory drugs, fluids or blood products as necessary.
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Instruct nurses, residents, interns, students, or other staff on topics such as anesthetic techniques, pain management and emergency responses.