Job Description Surgical Technician
The surgical technician is a critical member of the surgical team. Everyday duties of the surgical technician include preparing the operating room for surgery, sterilizing equipment, disinfecting incision sites and pass instruments and equipment to doctors and nurses during surgery. Because both the environment and duties of the surgical technician is specialized, proper training is necessary for carrying out the duties successfully.
Aptitudes
Because precision is a critical factor in caring for the patient during surgery, the candidate should be able to pay good attention to detail and have the ability to work in an intense environment with high stress.Manual dexterityis important for handling equipment and instruments. A high tolerance for blood and medical procedures is needed. An interest in anatomy and medicine is helpful. An ability to work with a team is also important.
Education
Surgical technicians are known by several different position designations including, surgical technologists, operating room technicians or scrubs. These often indicate different levels of training orcertification. Some hospitals offer their own training for operating room technicians. Other institutions only employ surgical techs that have been through an allied health training plan with certification at the end. Higher levels of the surgical technician position may require an associate’s degree from an accredited surgical technologist training program. These programs include classes in disinfection, sterilization, operating room procedures, anatomy, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and post-surgical patient care. More extensive surgical technician training ensures higher levels of responsibility and salary.
Employment
Surgical technicians and technologists are employed in a variety of different surgical environments, such as general hospitals, freestanding surgical clinics, doctors’ offices, dentists’ offices, substance abuse hospitals and psychiatric hospitals. Depending on training and experience, salaries for surgical technicians and technologists range between $19,000 and $44,000. Opportunities for employment are most numerous in states with large populations, such as New York, Ohio, Florida, Texas and California. Highest wages tend to be in the Northeast, West and Upper Midwest.
Prospects
The need for surgical technicians is expected to increase19 percentfrom 2010 to 2020 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This percentage is in alignment with the average rise in employment prospects for other occupations. The aging of the American population and expanded healthcare access may increase this need even further.
The surgical technician works in a fast-paced and intense environment that requires steady nerves and an analytical outlook. Job and salary prospects are good going into the future. It is a position worth considering for those with the right qualities.
