Describe how you prepare and check anesthesia equipment and medications prior to a scheduled surgery.
Technical
Clinical Procedures
Equipment Handling
Attention To Detail
Accurate preparation and equipment checks are essential to patient safety and operating-room efficiency. For a junior anesthesia technician in France (e.g., in an AP-HP hospital), this demonstrates technical competence, attention to protocol, and knowledge of local standards like infection control and medication handling.
How to answer
- Outline a step-by-step routine you follow (equipment assembly, leak tests, gas checks, battery/monitor checks).
- Mention verification of consignment and expiry dates for medications and disposables, and double-checks with pharmacy protocols.
- Refer to local/national guidelines you follow (e.g., hospital standard operating procedures, hygiene/ASEPTIC rules).
- Describe communication with the anesthesiologist and surgical team about patient-specific requirements (difficult airway, allergies).
- Explain documentation practices (checklist completion, signature, logging any faults and corrective actions).
- If relevant, describe what you do when you discover a problem (escalation steps, replacing equipment, postponing anaesthesia until resolved).
What not to say
- Skipping routine checks or implying you rely entirely on others for final verification.
- Giving vague answers like 'I check everything' without specifics or order of operations.
- Claiming you would continue with faulty equipment rather than stop and escalate.
- Overlooking medication safety steps (no mention of expiry, concentration checks, or double-checks).
Sample answer
“Before each scheduled case, I follow the hospital anaesthesia checklist: I assemble the anaesthesia machine and perform a leak and ventilator test, confirm oxygen/air/nitrous oxide pressures, and check suction and backup ventilation devices. I prepare standard medications in labelled syringes and verify expiry dates and concentrations; for controlled drugs I follow the unit's logging procedure. I run through the checklist with the anaesthesiologist to confirm any patient-specific needs (e.g., known difficult airway or allergy). I document completion and notify the circulating nurse if any item needs replacement. If I encounter a malfunction, I replace the device or inform biomed immediately and only proceed after the anaesthesiologist accepts the mitigation plan.”
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