| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Clinical and Medical |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Head of Department (Clinical) |
| Direct reports | Anaesthesia Technician |
| Experience | 2 to 6 years as a consultant or senior resident in anaesthesiology after postgraduation |
Anaesthetist job description template
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Job title: Anaesthetist
Department: Clinical and Medical
Reports to: Head of Department (Clinical)
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An Anaesthetist keeps patients safe and free of pain before, during and after surgery. They assess fitness for anaesthesia in the pre-anaesthetic clinic, choose and give general, spinal or regional anaesthesia, manage the airway and vital signs through the operation, and hand patients over safely in recovery. Most also cover labour analgesia, ICU calls and emergency intubations. A good anaesthetist prevents cancellations on the day of surgery, keeps anaesthesia complications rare and keeps the OT list moving.
Key responsibilities
- See patients in the pre-anaesthetic clinic, review history, investigations and current medicines, and record fitness for surgery with a risk grade and anaesthesia plan.
- Explain the anaesthesia plan and its risks to the patient and family, and take anaesthesia consent separately from the surgical consent.
- Check the anaesthesia workstation, suction, airway trolley and emergency drugs with the anaesthesia technician before the first case of the day.
- Give general, spinal, epidural and nerve block anaesthesia, adjusting the technique to the operation and the patient's condition.
- Monitor vital signs, depth of anaesthesia, fluids and blood loss throughout surgery, and keep the anaesthesia record complete as the case runs.
- Manage difficult airways, anaesthesia emergencies and resuscitation in the OT, recovery room, wards and emergency department.
- Hand over each patient in recovery with the drugs given, fluids, pain plan and warning signs, and approve shifting to the ward.
- Provide labour analgesia and anaesthesia for caesarean sections, including emergency sections during night on-call.
- Run the acute pain service after major surgery, reviewing epidural infusions and patient-controlled analgesia on daily ward rounds.
- Report anaesthesia incidents and near misses, and join the department audit of cancellations, delays and complications.
Requirements
- MD, DNB or DA in Anaesthesiology
- Valid registration with the National Medical Commission or a State Medical Council
- ACLS certification, with a fellowship in cardiac, neuro or regional anaesthesia as an advantage
- 2 to 6 years as a consultant or senior resident in anaesthesiology after postgraduation
KRAs and KPIs for a Anaesthetist
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Pre-anaesthetic readiness | Pre-anaesthetic check completed at least 24 hours before 95 percent of elective surgeries |
| Day-of-surgery cancellations | Cancellations for anaesthesia reasons below 2 percent of scheduled elective cases each month |
| Anaesthesia safety | Every anaesthesia adverse event reported within 24 hours and discussed at the monthly audit |
| Documentation | Anaesthesia record and recovery handover note complete in 100 percent of audited cases |
| OT flow | Routine cases ready for incision within 20 minutes of entering the OT on 90 percent of days |
| Post-operative pain | At least 90 percent of acute pain service patients report pain of 3 or less out of 10 on day one |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Anaesthesia workstation, Multipara monitor, Video laryngoscope, Ultrasound machine for nerve blocks, Syringe and infusion pumps, Defibrillator.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Head of Department (Clinical), Intensivist, Clinical Director
Interview questions for a Anaesthetist
- A diabetic patient on insulin and aspirin is posted for hernia repair tomorrow. What do you advise?
- You cannot intubate or ventilate after induction. Take me through your next steps.
- When would you choose spinal over general anaesthesia for a lower limb fracture in an elderly patient?
- The surgeon wants to start although your assessment says the patient is not fit. How do you handle it?
- Two emergency caesareans arrive together at night while you run labour analgesia. What do you do?
- What do you include in your handover to the recovery nurse?
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What does an anaesthetist do?
An anaesthetist assesses patients before surgery, gives general, spinal or regional anaesthesia, watches breathing, heart rate and blood pressure during the operation, and manages pain and recovery afterwards. They also handle difficult airways, resuscitation and labour analgesia, and many cover ICU and emergency calls.
What is the difference between an anaesthetist and an anaesthesia technician?
An anaesthetist is a doctor with an MD, DNB or DA in anaesthesiology who decides the anaesthesia plan, gives the drugs and is responsible for the patient's safety. An anaesthesia technician prepares and checks machines, airway equipment and drugs and assists the doctor, but does not give anaesthesia independently.
How many years does it take to become an anaesthetist in India?
It takes about eight to nine years: five and a half years of MBBS including internship, then three years of MD or DNB in anaesthesiology. Many anaesthetists add a fellowship in cardiac, neuro, paediatric or regional anaesthesia, or in critical care, before consultant posts in larger hospitals.