Terminology varies between countries. In the United States, the term anesthesiologist refers to a physician who has completed an accredited residency program in anesthesiology after medical school training, while the term anesthetist is used for nurse anesthesia providers who have undergone specialized training in administering anesthesia under the supervision of a physician. By contrast, in the UK, most former Commonwealth countries and in Europe, the term anaesthetist refers only to physicians, who may be assisted by any of anaesthetic nurses, anaesthetic technicians, operating department practitioners or physician associates depending on local practice.
Anesthesiologists provide medical care to patients in a wide variety of (usually acute) situations, including preoperative evaluation, consultation with the surgical team, creation of a plan for the anesthesia tailored to each individual patient, airway management, intraoperative life support and provision of pain control, intraoperative diagnostic stabilisation, proper post-operative management of patients. Outside the operating room, anesthesiologists spectrum of action includes with …show more content…
In order to better serve the population, residency positions in anesthesiology for physicians have been steadily increasing the past several years. In addition, US physicians supervise ACTs, or Anesthesia Care Teams, which are composed of a supervising physician with several certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) or anesthesiologist assistants (AAs). In other areas of the USA, anesthesiologists work in what is deemed a "solo" or "MD/DO only" practice, during which they provide anesthesia in a "one on one" relationship with the patient. In many areas of the country CRNAs work independent of an