With a growing healthcare sector fueled by an aging population and a rising number of surgeries, anesthesia technicians/technologists are in demand. Riverside City College (RCC) offers one of the few programs in the state to address the need.
Sarah Awad, a student in the RCC Anesthesia Technology program, knew she wanted to work in healthcare. “I wanted to advance my skills and job outlook,” she says. “I heard about the program through exploring technical careers. I thought helping with anesthesia would be impactful because you get to help patients through safe surgery in the OR.”
One of only two such programs offered in California Community Colleges, the RCC program prepares students to become Certified Anesthesia Technologists, teaching the clinical procedures to assist licensed anesthesia providers with the acquisition, preparation, and application of various equipment needed for anesthesia care. Students learn to collaborate with an anesthesia care team to develop a plan of care for patients, assist the anesthesia provider in a variety of current techniques, and use equipment.
“This is a hybrid program that offers classroom instruction completely online in an asynchronous mode,” says Michael Boytim, CRNA, Ed.D., Director of RCC’s Anesthesia Technology Program. “Students can view instructional material at their own pace and time. All lab and clinical instruction is completed face-to-face. We are the only program that offers a distance hybrid education, allowing students to be employed while matriculating through the program.”
Hands-on lab training is conducted in a simulation center at RCC each semester. Students practice skills on mannequins and various types of machinery, preparing them for further training in hospital settings. Students rotate through four medical centers for clinical training in a real-world environment, working with anesthesia and surgical teams involved in patient care.
“For me, a highlight of this program is having the ability to have hands-on experience in great hospitals like Riverside University Health System and Eisenhower Medical Center, where I am having a positive impact on patient outcomes and learning from skilled teams at both facilities,” program student Awad says. “I have learned to set up and troubleshoot anesthesia gas machines and monitors for vital signs, assisted CRNAs and anesthesiologists during intubations and emergence from anesthesia, placed IVs with nurses in pre-op for surgery, and prepared materials for blood transfusions and arterial lines.”
The Anesthesia Technology program was conceptualized in 2024 in response to labor market data outlining the need for certified anesthesia technologists in the Inland Empire. A report showed 44 open anesthesia technician positions in the Inland Empire over 2022, but no training programs offered for the specialty in the region (Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research).
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the employment rate for health technologists and technicians, including anesthesiology technicians, will increase 7 percent between 2021 and 2031 (bls.gov). Major employers in Riverside and San Bernardino counties include Kaiser Permanente, USC, UCI Medical Centers, Loma Linda University Medical Center, and Riverside University Health System.
Awad looks forward to a promising future: “I plan to get a job as an Anesthesia Technologist and then maybe advance into a leadership role in a hospital,” she says.
With the healthcare sector and surgery-related jobs continuing to grow, her future looks bright indeed.