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Executive Summary: A program providing opportunities to shadow anesthesiologists in the operating room, procedure areas, or clinic provides an invaluable experience for individuals to gain insight into the responsibilities, skills, and daily routines of anesthesiologists. This program is designed to provide structure and organization for shadowing experiences of attending anesthesiologists within the 黑料网 Department of Anesthesiology to facilitate ease and efficiency in scheduling, planning and facilitating those experiences. Shadowing is an important part of early clinical exposure and a way to better understand what anesthesiologists do and how other roles impact and support the work of anesthesiologists. Shadowing experiences are evaluated to assess effectiveness and benefits of the program and to facilitate continuous quality improvement.

Program Overview

• Goal: To expose learners, researchers, support staff members, and others to the role of anesthesiologists, particularly in the OR, including preoperative evaluation of patients, intraoperative management and postoperative care.
• Target Audience: Non-clinical support staff, researchers, medical students, pre-med students, visiting clinicians, or individuals interested in learning more about healthcare and anesthesiology.
• This program does not include those seeking shadowing experiences of CRNAs or AAs. Additionally, learners in the department (eg, residents and fellows) are restricted from hosting shadowers. Learners, however, can still serve as daily preceptors for medical students, residents, and other rotators in our department.
• Duration: Variable: One day is typical, depending on shadower鈥檚 goals and needs, and anesthesiologist availability. Maximum duration is 8 days.
  

  Pre-Shadowing Preparation

  Shadow Experience Day Arrangement: Shadowers are encouraged to directly email Director for Non-Clinician Education Amy Goetzinger, PhD, (amy_goetzinger@med.unc.edu) to arrange a shadow experience with an attending in the department.

• Non-clinical staff in the department may be offered shadowing experiences as a way to help provide valuable connections and to better understand how their roles support the overall mission and goals of the department.
• Adherence to 黑料网 Health Policies: Potential Shadowers must be approved by 黑料网 Medical Volunteer Services prior to scheduling a shadow experience: See steps and policies at this link: .
• Please note the steps for shadowing approval vary, depending on applicant type:
  1) Current approved 黑料网 Medical Center Volunteers (actively volunteering)
  2) 黑料网 employees
  3) 黑料网 Health employees
  4) All other individuals

  Also note that a shadower must email Volunteer Services once their application is submitted so the request can be processed. These policies are designed to adhere to infection control, safety protocols, and patient confidentiality (HIPAA).

  Shadowers MUST be approved by Volunteer Services prior to finalizing the schedule for a shadow day.

  Pre-Shadow Survey: Sent to shadower when the shadowing experience has been scheduled. The survey’s purpose is to assess goals, previous shadowing experience, career plans, etc.

Shadow Preparation (Preparing for the Day):

Host and Shadower arrange meeting time and place: may be arranged via email or phone, typically would be between 6:30-6:45 AM to prepare for first-start cases in the OR; may be later for procedure area or clinic shadowing.

Dress Code: For the OR – scrubs, closed-toe shoes, hair tied back, and minimal jewelry. 黑料网 approved scrubs must be worn and are available in the scrub machines outside the women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 locker rooms. The shadower should arrange with the attending they will shadow access to scrubs for the day. Please allow extra time for changing. Ensure scrub tops and bottoms are returned at the end of the day. If long sleeves are needed, a hospital-issued scrub jacket should be worn (long sleeves cannot be visible underneath OR scrubs).

Shadowing Experience (Day of Shadowing)

Meeting Up: Host and Shadower meet at designated time and place. Shadower changes into OR scrubs, if needed. Host and Shadower set an overview and plan for the day. Note that the shadowing experience may be variable, lasting from a few hours to an entire day, depending on scheduling and needs.

In the Preoperative Evaluation, Shadower will:

• Clearly disclose to patient and/or family his/her role.
• Observe the anesthesiologist’s assessment of the patient before surgery, including reviewing medical history, allergies, comorbidities, and anesthesia risk.
• Observe discussions regarding anesthesia plans, type of anesthesia, and monitoring requirements.

In Intraoperative Anesthesia Management,聽Shadower will:

• Observe induction of anesthesia, including patient monitoring (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels).
• Learn about the drugs and techniques used to maintain anesthesia during surgery (eg, inhaled anesthetics, IV medications).
• Monitor intraoperative adjustments in response to the patient鈥檚 condition (e.g., blood loss, vital signs).
• Witness the anesthesiologist鈥檚 role in managing emergencies (e.g., airway management, code blue situations).
• Shadower is completely 鈥渉ands-off鈥� and should not provide any level of patient care or contact.

Postoperative Care: Shadower will:

• Observe the anesthesiologist鈥檚 involvement in the recovery room.
• Discuss pain management and patient monitoring in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU).

Reflection and Debriefing

Post-Shadowing Discussion:

• This may occur throughout the day or could occur at the end of the day. Goal is to discuss the day鈥檚 experiences, clarify any questions, and offer insight into the professional responsibilities of anesthesiologists.
• Review ethical and professional considerations encountered during the shadowing experience.

Self-Reflection:

• Encourage shadowers to reflect on their experiences, skills observed, and interest in pursuing anesthesiology as a career or how their current work might support the needs of anesthesiologists, patient care, and add to the overall mission of education, clinical care and teaching.

Evaluation and Feedback (Post Shadow Survey)

Participants will be asked to provide feedback on the program for improvement, via a survey sent to their email.聽 Anesthesiologists may also provide evaluations on the participant’s engagement and understanding during the shadowing experience (via Qualtrics survey) to help improve the program. Feedback can also be given directly to Director for Non-Clinician Education Amy Goetzinger, PhD, or Vice Chair of Education Rob Isaak, DO.