Clinical & Cognitive Skills

Applicants Must

• Be a registered nurse
• Have nursing experience in the critical care setting
• Provide leadership and function as part of a health care team
• Possess effective communication skills

Applicants must be able to perform the essential functions or tasks of an anesthetist using the following abilities

Sensory

• Discriminate variations in human responses to disease using visual, auditory, tactile, and other sensory clues.
• Discriminate changes in monitoring devices and alarms using visual and auditory senses.
• Communicate clearly and effectively in English through oral and written methods in order to interact with other health care providers and patients of all ages.

Motor

• Coordinate gross and fine motor movements and the senses of touch and vision required of the anesthetist to safely provide all aspects of general, regional, and Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) and the endurance to handle multiple patient needs.
• Examples of such care include, but are not limited to, such tasks as: insertion of intravascular and intra-arterial access lines, administration of regional anesthetics, performance of airway management, and the ability to respond to in-house emergencies in a timely manner.
• Demonstrate sufficient physical strength to perform airway management and move and position patients and equipment.
• Sufficient stamina to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time.
• Safely maneuver the operating room and other anesthetizing locations.
• Respond appropriately to alarms and changes in patient conditions that require physical interventions.

Cognitive

• Use reason, analysis, calculations, problem solving, critical thinking, self-evaluation, and other learning skills to acquire knowledge, comprehend, and synthesize complex concepts.
• Interpret information derived from auditory, written, and other visual data to determine appropriate anesthetic management plans.
• Apply theoretical knowledge to practice to provide safe anesthetic care.

Behavioral

• Demonstrate personal and professional ethical behavior and self-control as well as tactfulness, sensitivity, compassion, honesty, integrity, empathy, and respect.
• Work flexibly and effectively in stressful and rapidly changing situations.
• Cooperate with other members of the health care team to provide a therapeutic environment and safe patient care.

Non-Discrimination

This program will not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, nationality, origin, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation or sex/gender in its admissions, and other educational activities or programs. Because of the nature and intensity of the work, all students will be assessed on an individual basis in relation to their ability to meet the didactic and clinical requirements of the curriculum.

Credentials

National Certification Examination administered by the National Board for Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).

Resources

American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
National Board for Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists
South Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists
South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation