General Description:

Under the direction of the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the Cardiothoracic Attending Surgeons and the Chief Perfusionist, the Clinical Cardiovascular Perfusionist is responsible for conducting extracorporeal circulation and ensuring the safe management of cardiorespiratory functions during any medical situation where it is necessary to support or replace the patients cardiopulmonary/circulation functions. Responsible for monitoring the necessary physiologic variables during cardiopulmonary bypass; administering blood byproducts; administering anesthetic agents and drugs through extracorporeal circuit, maintaining accurate records; following established protocols in accordance with hospital policy and directives from attending surgeon.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Prepares patient and equipment for extracorporeal support.
• Reviews the patients medical record, documents and all appropriate medical and laboratory information. This includes but is not limited to diagnosis, planned surgical procedure, current drug therapy, allergies, renal, hepatic, metabolic and coagulation data.
• Evaluates and prepares equipment for bypass. Ensures sterile assembly, degassing and priming of all cardiopulmonary bypass components. This includes, but is not limited, to the appropriate reservoir, filters, tubing, heat exchangers, oxygenator, cardioplegia delivery system, temperature monitoring equipment and heater-cooler.
• Assembles the intraoperative cell saver autotransfusion equipment. Understands autotransfusion (cell saver) technology and how to integrate it with the perfusion circuit.
• Oversees all aspects of the safe operation and monitoring of the bypass and cardioplegia delivery system. Must recognize, interpret and manage changes during perfusion.
• Performs administration of Blood Products per Hospital Policy.
• Maintains Point of Care equipment in working order to ensure reliability of tests according to departmental practices and procedures per Hospital Point of Care Policies.
• . Administers appropriate drugs per Attending Surgeon and Anesthesiologist orders.
• Determines appropriate fluid replacement, including crystalloid and colloid, based on hematocrit, blood loss, pump volume, and urine output.
• Performs various techniques of myocardial protection under the direct supervision of the Attending Surgeons.
• Performs other procedures related to intraoperative activities involving extracorporeal assist or circulation.
• Understands and is able to operate with assistance specialized perfusion circuits including: ascending arch aneurysms, left ventricular bypass, total circulatory arrest, femoral vein-femoral artery bypass, and percutaneous bypass.
• Operates LVAD, ECMO and other long term cardiopulmonary support, as well as assisting with organ retrieval on our new cardiac transplant program.
• Participates in clinical studies, ensuring data collection and verification as required, in accordance with protocol.
• Participates in laboratory studies, utilizing expertise to perform animal studies as required, in accordance with protocol.
• Attends mandatory in-service educational meetings according to departmental and hospital policy.
• Attends departmental, institutional and external meetings to ensure professional standards. Reads appropriate professional journals to maintain and enhance skills and clinical competencies. Makes presentations to other in-service programs within hospital, as required.
• Supervises students in perfusion training programs.
• Utilizes hospitals behavioral standards as the basis for decision making and to support the hospitals mission and goals.
• Follows established hospital infection control and safety procedures

General Responsibilities:

The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Requires a minimum of a Bachelors degree. Must have graduated from an accredited Perfusion Education program. Degree requirement may be waived for applicants who were admitted to the examination process before April 15, 1981, or have been previously certified by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP).

Experience: Cardiovascular Perfusionist experience in a fast-paced academic hospital is preferred.

License(s)/Certification(s)/Registration(s) Required: Certification in Cardiovascular Perfusion by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion or eligible to take the examination for certification. Current license issued by the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision as a Perfusionist. Out-of-state licensed perfusionists must obtain state licensure within 90 days of employment. Current Basic Life Support issued by the American Heart Association required upon hire.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Basic knowledge of Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Chemistry, Pathology and Mathematics.
Work requires knowledge of perfusion equipment and its operation; basic knowledge of the circuitry and operation of ventricular assist devices and of clinical physiology necessary to conduct the best possible perfusion for any given patient.
Must have the ability to exercise appropriate judgment to respond immediately to unexpected events, especially in crisis situations when preparation time is a factor in successful treatment.
Excellent interpersonal skills necessary to work smoothly and effectively as a member of a close functioning team; and to interact effectively with the medical staff, nursing staff and various departments throughout the hospital.
Ability to use considerable mental and visual strain during procedures when constant attention must be paid to monitoring signals and machine function.