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Anaesthetist

Anaesthetists administer different forms of anaesthetics to make patients unaware and free of pain during and after surgical procedures.

Tasks & duties

Anaesthetists may do some or all of the following:

assess the patient's medical status and how that might affect the anaesthetic
assess the patient's pain management requirements before surgical operations
talk to other medical specialists about the treatments and procedures before, during and after an operation
discuss the anaesthetic process with the patient
decide on the anaesthetic drugs and techniques to be used before, during and after an operation
give local and general anaesthetics to patients
continually monitor the patient's vital signs, such as heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and breathing during surgery
observe and care for the patient before, during and after their operation and undertake measures to counteract adverse reactions or complications
record details of drugs given
resuscitate critically ill people such as trauma victims
teach medical staff and students about anaesthetics
carry out research on new drugs and treatments

Specialisations

Anaesthetists can work in:

clinical anaesthesia
intensive care medicine
pain medicine and related areas such as hyperbaric medicine (therapy that uses pure oxygen)

Skills & knowledge

Anaesthetists need to have:

knowledge of medicines and treatments and the effect these have on patients
understanding of the effects of anaesthetics and other drugs on the body, and how to treat allergic reactions
knowledge of different diseases and illnesses
knowledge of anatomy and how the human body works
communication and people skills to relate well to patients and colleagues
the ability to use anaesthetic monitoring equipment
an awareness and understanding of other cultures and their attitudes to medical treatment
knowledge of medical ethics and law
skill in reviving and resuscitating people
crisis management skills
diagnostic skills
decision-making and problem-solving skills
organisational and time management skills
analytical and interpreting skills
up-to-date knowledge of new research, treatments and practices
report writing skills

Entry requirements

To become an anaesthetist you need to complete a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) and spend at least two years as a junior house surgeon in a hospital. You must then complete another six to seven years of specialist training and examinations to become a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA).

Secondary education

To enter tertiary training you need to have Bursary or NCEA equivalent. Useful subjects include maths with calculus and/or statistics, chemistry, physics, biology and English.

Training on the job

Anaesthetists take part in continuing education courses through the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, which has a Maintenance of Professional Standards (MOPS) programme in place. The college also runs an Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), regular workshops and other professional development activities to keep anaesthetists up to date with new research and technology.

Registration

Anaesthetists need to be a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and have vocational registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand.

Useful experience

Useful experience for an anaesthetist includes work with the Red Cross, St John's Ambulance or in hospitals. Any other health-related work or work involving contact with other people can also be helpful.