Clinical Perfusionist

Clinical Perfusionist Duties

Perform clinical perfusion practice independently and with varying levels of complexity and/or difficulty, utilizing perfusion principles and techniques to maintain best practices.

Assesses and creates a pre-surgical evaluation and plan, presents his/her findings and recommendations to the surgeon and/or the anesthesiologist of the patient before surgery to ensure proper quality and timeliness of care for the patient. This may require instant and continuous modification to limit and alleviate surgical side effects and complications.

Operates, manages, troubleshoots, and evaluates parameters of the heart lung machine to ensure best practices of perfusion for patient care.

Manages life support systems other than the heart lung machine, including, but not limited to LVAD, RVAD, and ECMO.

Instructs/aids other perfusionists, students, and other medical professionals on perfusion related equipment, perfusion principles and techniques by providing educational programs and material.

After concurrence with the plan by the cardiothoracic surgeon, initiation of the planned clinical perfusion support and technique(s) which may require instant and continuous modification to limit and alleviate surgical side effects and complications.

Induction of complete perfusion support ensuring circulatory and ventilator support are adequate.

Adjustment of anesthetic drugs, anticoagulation therapy, pressor support and techniques utilized during the cardiothoracic surgical procedure.

Manages emergence from complete circulatory support after discussion and concurrence from cardiothoracic surgeon and anesthesiologist.- May provide emergency perfusion case management throughout the facility, i.e. ER, Cath Lab, SICU.

Participation in staff meetings, cardiothoracic multi-disciplinary conferences and other committees as assigned by the Chief Cardiothoracic Surgeon or Chief Anesthesiologist.

Maintains perfusion equipment in constant readiness and cleans equipment in accordance with hospital guidelines, SOPs, manufacturer's recommendations and CDC guidelines.

Prepares pharmacologic agents properly for use in clinical perfusion casework administration.

Attends in-service and continuing education programs. Assists in in-service educational programs regarding perfusion care.

Precepts students

Adheres to OR/clinical perfusion safety regulations/procedures and infection control policies.

Complies with Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals- Fully complies with medical center Correct Site/Universal Protocol requirements, including pausing activities during pre-operative time-out.

Complies with VA and Joint Commission documentation requirements.

Performs all aspects of perfusion documentation, both paper and electronic, to include creation, update, implementation, and maintenance of perfusion records, charts, databases, policies/procedures, preference cards and storage of documents according to established guidelines, requirements and protocols.

Instructs/aids other perfusionists, students, and other medical professionals on perfusion related equipment, perfusion principles and techniques by providing educational programs and material.

Provide in-service and didactic teaching to ensure competency of staff.

Aptitude of operation of all perfusion equipment, including quality control and troubleshooting as needed.

Support, maintain and share evidence-based and goal directed perfusion to improve clinical practice and utilize pertinent medical literature to enhance patient care to the cardiothoracic team.

Expert level of knowledge of current perfusion best practices and familiar with standard of care in the perfusion field.

Perform quality control and internal reviews as required on all lab equipment utilized by the perfusion team.

Perform improvement studies on all perfusion equipment as needed. This shall be done by collecting metrics in databases and analysis with software for quality performance of perfusion devices.

Participation in staff meetings, cardiothoracic multi-disciplinary conferences and other committees as assigned by the Chief Cardiothoracic Surgeon.

Maintains perfusion equipment in constant readiness and cleans equipment in accordance with hospital guidelines, SOPs, manufacturer's recommendations and CDC guidelines.

Prepares pharmacologic agents properly for use in clinical perfusion casework administration.