Senior Perfusionist

The Senior Perfusionist is a Board Certified and Licensed Practitioner who makes independent judgments concerning all aspects of extra-corporeal and perfusion care. S/he independently selects, sets-up, operates and manages the heart-lung machine, intra-aortic balloon pump, autologous blood salvage system, ECMO system, Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), and related life support equipment. The Senior Perfusionist participates in intra-operative implantation of and monitoring of ventricular assist devices.

S/he actively contributes to the development and application of new life support techniques.

S/he teaches and supervises other Sidra clinicians.

S/he provides on-call services on a regular and equitable basis and performs emergent life support in the OR, at the bedside or other clinical area. S/he actively contributes to the development and revising of departmental policies, procedures and guidelines.

S/he exemplifies the Sidra mission, vision and values and acts in accordance with Sidra policies and procedures at all times.

The Senior Perfusionist is also responsible for providing guidance to less experienced colleagues.

KEY ROLE ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Assists in supervising activities of junior staff and jointly assumes responsibility for patient care.
• Undertakes considerable independent judgment with direct impact on the patient’s health, well-being and satisfaction within authority and own job scope.
• Makes adjustments in procedures and processes and recommend improvements to Leadership.
• Functions independently to follow Departmental Policies, Procedures and Guidelines.
• Communicate with appropriate personnel regarding work activities.
• Reviews and evaluates patient charts prior to procedures in which they are involved.
• Independently selects, prepares and assembles the heart-lung machine for open-heart surgery including but not limited to, priming the system with appropriate fluid, medications, and blood products following departmental protocols.
• Independently controls, manages and manipulates blood flow rates and gas exchange during cardiopulmonary bypass, according to the procedure being performed.
• Safely initiates and terminates cardiopulmonary bypass independently, exercising his/her own judgement in the management of the patient.
• Uses either electronic perfusion data collection or a paper chart to correctly, accurately, timely and appropriately record all patient and non-patient related data following departmental guidelines to serve as the official legal record of perfusion for the patient.
• Independently provides and administers cardioplegia delivery by preparing the proper solutions, priming the system, and ensuring the mixture is delivered at the correct temperature, pressure, ratio and volume.
• Independently performs ultrafiltration and dialysis for removal of excess plasma water and electrolyte balance and decides when in the procedure to perform these therapies.
• Independently selects, manages and operates other extracorporeal and life support systems, including but not limited to adult, pediatric, and infant ECMO; portable CPB; veno-venous bypass; emergent cardiopulmonary resuscitation equipment, CO2 removal devices and ventricular assist devices.
• Independently selects sets-up, calibrates, manages and operates monitoring and diagnostic equipment used during surgery and the postoperative period.
• Independently requests, analyzes and interprets lab results, and decides upon course of action and treatment.
• Independently decides when to use and selects and operates analytical patient monitoring equipment for continuous analysis of arterial and venous oxygen and hemoglobin content and decides upon treatment based upon those findings.
• Independently assembles and operates intra-aortic balloon assist devices.

Independently adjusts the intra-aortic balloon assists interval to achieve maximum assist for the patient; consults with and advises physicians and other clinical staff on optimization of balloon pump therapy.

• Participates in implantation, monitoring, rounding on and troubleshooting ventricular assist devices.
• Keeps appropriate records of techniques and procedures performed and generate the appropriate charges.
• Maint…