Staff Perfusionist

About the role

The Clinical Perfusionist is responsible for the set-up and operation of extra-corporeal circulation equipment during medical situations where it is necessary to support or temporarily replace the patient’s circulatory and/or respiratory function.

Responsibilities

• Circuit Preparation: Uses sterile technique during set-up; constructs circuit onto pump; completely de-bubbles a primed circuit; labels with date of priming; understands the limitations of all devices used; promptly communicates design or function problems.
• Heart-Lung Machine Preparation: Uses all provided machine safety devices and patient monitoring devices; understands all aspects of the OR and pump Medical Gas systems; understands all aspects of the OR and pump Electrical systems; provides safe use of the Cooler/Heater machines for the patient.
• Patient (Data) Preparation: Reviews patient chart and gathers all relevant information; makes plans and decisions with surgeon and/or Anesthesia; selects proper cannula and other devices relevant to procedure; maintains completeness of Perfusion Record; is always present during “Time-Out” procedure.
• Case Conduct/Management: Provides safe transition to CPB; maintains blood pressure and responds appropriately to variances; maintains blood flows/volumes and responds appropriately to variances; maintains ABGs and ACTs, and responds appropriately to variances; provides safe transition from CPB.
• Clinical Awareness and Responses: Maintains pre-, peri-, and post-CPB patient situational awareness; promptly responds to patient situational variances; promptly communicates situational variances to surgeon or other appropriate team members; initiates “Incident Reports” in response to certain variances; requests assistance from other team members or other Perfusionists as needed.
• Personal Safety: Always follows universal precautions; creates a clutter-free, organized work space in the OR; immediately cleans fluid spills in the OR work space; disposes of waste with the safety of self and others in mind; wipes-down equipment after use.
• Intra-operative Autologous Blood Salvage (IABS): Determines therapeutical appropriateness of IABS (with surgeon); conforms to departmental procedures and policies for IABS; maintains proficiency in Platelet-Rich Plasma production/use; maintains proficiency in Platelet-Gel production/use; performs periodic Quality-Control on the IABS blood products.
• Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping (IABP): Properly constructs and primes pressure monitoring line; selects appropriate size IAB catheter; correctly performs initial IABP machine set-up; correctly establishes initial IABP therapy; provides transport and trouble-shooting assistance as needed.
• Left-Heart Bypass or Veno-Veno Bypass: Properly constructs and primes the circuit; properly conducts the bypass while allowing patient cardiac output; communicates with anesthesia throughout the bypass; continuously monitors and maintains the patient blood pressure; understands the capabilities and limits of the bypass procedure.
• Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD): Provides assistance to the scrub team in preparing the VAD; correctly establishes initial function of the VAD driver console; provides transport assistance and trouble-shooting as needed.
• ECMO: With the ECMO Specialist, participates in the initiation of ECMO by communicating with the team, helping to prime the circuit, helping to gather needed supplies, helping to establish bypass; answers questions the ECMO Specialist might have; provides trouble-shooting assistance to the ECMO Specialist; assists in decisions about circuit modifications; participates and/or instructs in the simulation lab.
• AngioVac procedures: With the company rep, assists in the operation of the pump/circuit; orders new supplies as needed.
• HIPEC procedure: Properly sets up the machine; follows surgeon directives; wears protective gear when handling chemotherapeutic agents; properly disposes of circuit.
• Temporary Pacemaker: Properly sets initial parameters; properly performs threshold testing as needed; performs routine battery changes/maintenance.
• Other Ancillary Duties (Associated with CPB): Knowledgeable in the function and use of Ultra-Filtration, Retrograde cardioplegia, Retrograde cerebral perfusion, Antegrade cerebral perfusion, Circulatory arrest, direct coronary perfusion, and vacuum-assisted venous return.
• On-Call Service: Provides periodic on-call service; responds to caller immediately after receiving a page or cell phone call; reports to worksite within 30–45 minutes of receiving page or cell phone call if requested; communicates appropriately with “second call” person; notifies the OR Desk when leaving and “On-Call”; communicates call schedule changes to OR Front Desk.
• Supply Management: Routinely checks for outdates and stocks the Cardiac Mini-Core, pump carts and pumproom, pharmacy/IV supplies, and POCT supplies; monitors the supply levels in the main storeroom and informs director of needs.
• Equipment and Process Evaluation: Provides continuous evaluations of devices and processes; immediately reports faulty equipment; follows Clin Eng “Tag-Out” procedure for electrical devices; retains faulty disposable products for manufacturer analysis; participates in new product evaluations and provides constructive feedback; introduces new devices or techniques for evaluation; discusses problems or “issues” with others to seek improvements and to share information; strives for cost-containment.
• Team Support and Education: Provides assistance to others as needed; participates in or initiates and conducts team-oriented in-services; participates in or initiates and conducts patient data quality-review.
• Education Requirements: Maintains Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) credential; performs all required TCH Healthstream Learning activities; maintains current BLS certification.

Qualifications

• Education: BS or BA preferred; graduate of CAAHEP/AC-PE accredited Perfusion School.
• Experience: None; “Graduate-Perfusionist” accepted.
• Required Skills and Knowledge: Knowledgeable in all aspects of Perfusion Technology including heart-lung machines, circuit function/design, special techniques, balloon pumping, ventricular assistance, blood salvage, and platelet processes, with specific college-level coursework/training in anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pharmacology, physics, ethics, computer applications, and research methodology.
• Licenses & Certifications: Minimum is “Certification-Eligible” by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP); must achieve ABCP certification (CCP) within three years of employment; failure to achieve CCP within the three-year frame will result in dismissal from the Perfusion Department; must maintain the CCP credential on an annual basis.