Perfusionist

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Perfusionist
In an operating room, surgeons perform different surgical procedures to save lives. Some of these procedures such as heart surgery are very complicated in that medical surgeons cannot do it alone. They require different specialists to perform different tasks in the operation room so that the operation can be successful. One person that bears one of the most vital roles is the perfusionist. The perfusionist is the medical professional responsible for running heart-lung machine during an open-heart surgery (Brown 114). They are responsible for managing the respiratory and circulatory system of the patient. The perfusionist is mostly instrumental during a heart or lungs surgery when the surgeon needs to stop the patient’s heart or lung temporarily. The machine operated by a perfusionist adds oxygen to the blood and then returns it to the body to make the patient stay alive during the surgery.
Perfusionists needs to undergo a number of training so that they can be able to handle the heart-lung machine effectively. Everyone who is aspiring to become a perfusionist must complete the necessary perfusionist program that takes a minimum of four years. There are two ways a student can undertake the training. First, a student can complete a bachelor degree that takes a minimum of four years. Second, the student can enroll in the master program in other related areas such as science or cardiovascular perfusion. Irrespective of the way used, the student must complete some relevant courses which include chemistry, math physiology, and anatomy.

During the program, the student will undergo some training that includes monitoring patients using a heart-lung machine, heart surgery, and heart-lung bypass. During the training, the student must complete at least 75 surgical procedures (Brown 123). This is necessary to enable them to be able to handle different situations that may emerge in the operation room.
Certification or licensing for perfusionist is not something that the State has put a lot of emphases, though it is slowly becoming a requirement. Today, more than seventy percent of perfusionist are licensed all over the nation. In the state of New Jersey, perfusionists need to be licensed before they can start operating. For a perfusionist to receive an operating license, he or she must complete two separate exams examined by the “American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP).” The first exam is known as the basic exam for perfusionists. The second one is known as the Clinical Applications in perfusion. For students to sit for these two examinations, they first need to have graduated or must have enrolled in a program known as accredited perfusion education. The student also needs to have already completed the 75 clinical procedures to sit for the first exam. To sit for the second examination, the student needs to complete 50 more procedures (Stephens-Lesser 357).
Once an individual has received certification to operate as a perfusionist, he or she is required to keep up with the ever changing technology in the field. Perfusionist also needs to continue practicing as a perfusionist after receiving their certification. Certification is renewed after every three years in the state of New Jersey (Plunkett 365). For license renewal, perfusionists must provide proof that they have completed a certain minimum number of procedures. They also must undertake continuous studies to keep themselves knowledgeable and improve their skills.
Perfusionists are mainly employed in hospitals to help surgeons during heart and lung operations. They can work on a contract basis where they can make themselves available in one or more hospitals. When they choose to work as independent contractors, it means that they will be entirely responsible for their affairs. This includes things like health insurance, liability insurance, and other things. Their working hours vary since they only make themselves available to the hospital when they are required. Perfusionists can also help in philanthropic cardiac surgery missions. Some perfusionist chooses to undertake different career path but still related to the field (Plunkett 360). Some undertake the necessary training to enable them to become supervisors in the field. Some can become educators and train those who are aspiring to become a perfusionist. Another career path a perfusionist can choose is to work with different companies manufacturing medical products meant to assist perfusionists in their work. They can also work in the marketing team for companies selling those products so that they can be instrumental in demonstrating the quality of their products.
In conclusion, the national professional organization for perfusionists is known as “American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP).” The main aim of this body is to regulate the perfusionist available in the U.S and ensure that they offer quality services to the patients. It does this by offering relevant examinations to perfusionist so that they can be certified and licensed. It also renews the license of each perfusionist who wishes to continue with the career after every three years. For these license renewal to be done, the organization must be certified that the perfusionist have been practicing during the period. Here is the URL for the organization http://www.abcp.org/
Work Cited
Brown, Benjamin. Informed Consent: The U.S. Medical Education System Explained. BookBaby, 2011.
Plunkett, Patrick F. “Review article: Perfusionist education in the United States: a future perspective.” Perfusion, vol. 8, no. 5, 1993, pp. 359-370.
Stephens-Lesser, Debi. Cardiac Surgery Manual for Nurses: Orientation, Policy, and Procedures. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2007.