Surgical Technician

Surgical Technician Career Overview

The surgical technician's role is to provide assistance during surgical operations, and also to prepare patients for surgery before the operation. These are both challenging and rewarding careers that require the ability to correctly follow surgical protocols at all times, and the ability to work well in stressful situations.

Surgical technicians must have some important physical attributes, too. Manual dexterity, good hearing, and good vision are all important for these careers. Good attention to detail and the ability to work calmly and accurately are also very important.

Surgical Technician Training & Education

Surgical technicians can obtain the necessary training at community and junior colleges, vocational skills, and universities and hospitals. Surgical technicians should gain qualification in a program approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Following graduation and the completion of an examination, applications can obtain professional certification from the Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist or National Center for Competency Testing.

For surgeon assistants, the process of becoming qualified can vary, as many different types of people may act as the surgeon's assistant. The surgeon's assistant role can be carried out by medical students, registered nurses, a surgical technician, or even a GP. Additionally, surgical technicians can become a certified first assistant by obtaining certification from the Association of Surgical Technologists.

Surgical Technician Career Outlook & Salary

The outlook for Surgical Technician careers is excellent, according to the US Department of Labor. Employment in this field is expected to increase at a faster-than-average rate up until 2016, with approximately 24% growth predicted.

These careers have a broad salary range that depends largely on an individual's qualifications and level of experience. Surgical technicians can typically expect to earn between $25,000 and $50,000. The average Surgical Technician earns around $35,000 per year.

Career Fields/Specializations

Surgical Technician Career

Surgical technicians provide assistance in operating rooms, usually working under the direct supervision of a surgeon or surgical nurse. Their work involves not only providing assistance during surgery, but also preparing patients and surgical equipment prior to surgery.

Before an operation, a Surgical Technician assembles, checks and prepares the necessary equipment, including instruments, and sterile drapes and fluids. They may also help prepare patients for surgery and transfer them to the operating room. During surgery, they must ensure that surgeon's have ready access to necessary equipment, and assist with tasks such as cutting sutures, holding retractors, and preparing laboratory specimens. Once the operation has been completed they are responsible for cleaning instruments and equipment, and restocking the operating room with disposable supplies.

Surgical technicians should have good manual dexterity, be responsible and reliable, be able to work well in stressful situations, and must be able to follow necessary surgical protocols, such as sterilization of equipment. Good vision and hearing are also important, as well as the ability to take direction and work as a member of a team.

Surgeon's Assistant Career

The Surgeon's Assistant is sometimes called the First Assistant, or the First Assist. The role of the Surgeon's Assistant is, as their title suggests, to directly assist a surgeon during an operation. The Surgeon's Assistant is most often a medical student who is working towards becoming a surgeon, or may be a registered nurse, Surgical Technician, or a general practitioner with surgical experience.

The Surgeon's Assistant job can vary depending on the type of operations they assist with. They aid a surgeon by preparing the patient for operating, using retractors and other instruments to allow the surgeon to view and work in the operation site, closing the operation site under the surgeon's supervision, and applying dressings following the completion of the operation.

Surgeon's Assistants must be able to work to a high degree of accuracy, and must be able to concentrate for long periods of time. Manual dexterity, hearing and vision are important physical attributes for the Surgeon's Assistant. They should also be able to take direction well, and work well in a team. The ability to work calmly and accurately in stressful situations is also important.

Surgical Operating Room Tech Career

The main role of the operating room technician is to provide assistance during surgical procedures, while working under the direct supervision of a surgeon or surgical nurse. They will also often help prepare the operating room and the patient before surgery.

Prior to an operation, the operating room technician may be required to prepare instruments and equipment for use during surgery. This involves sterilizing equipment, and checking to ensure all equipment is working correctly. During surgery, they provide assistance to surgeons by ensuring the equipment they need is readily accessible, and by holding equipment such as retractors, to allow surgeons easy access to the operation site. They may also help prepare laboratory specimens for testing. Following the completion of an operation they may be responsible for cleaning and sterilizing instruments, and restocking disposable supplies for the next operation.

Operating room technicians should have good manual dexterity, good hearing and vision, be responsible and reliable, and be able to follow the necessary protocols at all times. The ability to take direction and work well as a member of a team is also important. Operating room technicians should also have good stress tolerance and be able to work calmly and accurately in stressful situations.