TE06 Guidelines on the Duties of an Anaesthetist

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF ANAESTHETISTS
ABN  82 055 042 852

GUIDELINES ON THE DUTIES OF AN ANAESTHETIST - 2010

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1.   PREAMBLE

Fellows of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists have the training and knowledge to provide safe and high quality patient care before, during and after surgery and medical procedures. The specific duties of an anaesthetist are outlined in this document.  In hospitals approved for FANZCA training posts, specialist staff have additional educational duties which will ensure appropriate training for those occupying such posts. In hospitals specialist anaesthetists contribute to organisational management. It is accepted that not all of these duties will be carried out by every anaesthetist.

2.   CLINICAL DUTIES

2.1 Provision of anaesthesia and perioperative services for patients having surgical, medical, obstetric or investigational procedures, including continuous monitoring during such procedures.

2.2 Pre-anaesthesia assessment and early post-anaesthesia care of patients.

2.3 Supervision of anaesthesia trainees and other staff as appropriate.

2.4 Supervision of Recovery Room patients.

2.5 In collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, management of the work of the Day Surgery Unit, in particular the anaesthesia component.

2.6 Organisation and clinical management of acute pain services and participation in a Pain Medicine Unit where appropriate.

2.7 Acute resuscitation services for medical, surgical and trauma emergencies, including retrieval services.

2.8 Assistance with the intensive care management of patients, particularly when there is no intensive care medicine specialist available.

2.9 Clinical management and organisation of pre-operative assessment and preparation of patients for day surgery, extended day-only surgery and other patients as necessary.

2.10 Supervision of clinical anaesthesia services in the role of the daily Duty Coordinator.

2.11 Supervision and/or management of cardiopulmonary bypass.

2.12 Clinical duties in the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit when appropriate.

2.13 Other clinical services as may be necessary and appropriate to the specialty.

3.1 Managerial duties relating to the functioning of the department and the hospital including perioperative units, pre-anaesthesia clinics, operating suites and recovery rooms.

3.2 Organisation of and participation in appropriate educational activities for:

   3.2.1 anaesthesia trainees
   3.2.2 intern and resident medical staff
   3.2.3 medical students
   3.2.4 trainee and postgraduate nurses
   3.2.5 anaesthesia nurses and/or technicians
   3.2.6 recovery room nurses
   3.2.7 operating room nurses
   3.2.8 other health professionals
   3.2.9 community groups in subjects such as “basic life support”.

3.3 Participation in peer review and quality improvement activities to ensure and review the quality of patient care.

3.4 Participation in continuing medical education to maintain personal knowledge and skills as established in the College’s Continuing Professional Development Program.

3.5 Contribution to activities of professional associations, hospital committees, and other relevant state and national organisations.

3.6 Participation in research and reviews on matters relevant to anaesthesia, perioperative medicine, pain medicine, resuscitation and intensive care.  These activities may include assistance to trainees with their Formal Project.

3.7 Participation in programs to safeguard personal wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of colleagues, trainees and related professionals.

3.8 Participation in activities to promote a positive image of the speciality to professional colleagues and to the public.

3.9 Duties related to the management and direction of operating rooms.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

TE3 Policy on Supervision of Clinical Experience for Vocational Trainees in Anaesthesia

TE9 Guidelines on Quality Assurance

TE11 Policy on the Formal Project

PS4 Recommendations for the Post-Anaesthesia Recovery Room

PS7 Recommendations on the Pre-Anaesthesia Consultation

PS9 Guidelines on Sedation and/or Analgesia for Diagnostic and Interventional Medical or Surgical Procedures

PS10 Guidelines on the Handover of Responsibility During an Anaesthetic

PS15 Recommendations for the Perioperative Care of Patients Selected for Day Care Surgery

PS16 Statement on the Standards of Practice of a Specialist Anaesthetist

PS20 Recommendations on Responsibilities of the Anaesthetist in the Post-Anaesthesia Period

PS26 Guidelines on Consent for Anaesthesia or Sedation

ANZCA professional documents

College Professional Documents are progressively being coded as follows:

TE Training and Educational

EX Examinations

PS Professional Standards

T Technical

POLICY–defined as ‘a course of action adopted and pursued by the College’.These are matters coming within the authority and control of the College.

RECOMMENDATIONS–defined as ‘advisable courses of action’.

GUIDELINES–defined as ‘a document offering advice’.These may be clinical (in which case they will eventually be evidence-based), or non-clinical.

STATEMENTS–defined as ‘a communication setting out information’.

This document has been prepared having regard to general circumstances, and it is the responsibility of the practitioner to have express regard to the particular circumstances of each case, and the application of this document in each case.

Professional documents are reviewed from time to time, and it is the responsibility of the practitioner to ensure that the practitioner has obtained the current version.Professional documents have been prepared having regard to the information available at the time of their preparation, and the practitioner should therefore have regard to any information, research or material which may have been published or become available subsequently.

Whilst the College endeavours to ensure that professional documents are as current as possible at the time of their preparation, it takes no responsibility for matters arising from changed circumstances or information or material which may have become available subsequently.

Promulgated: 1990

Reviewed: 1995, 2000, 2006

Interim Review: Apr 2010

Date of current document: Apr 2010

This document is copyright and cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without prior permission.

ANZCA Website: http://www.anzca.edu.au/