Surgical Technology
Surgical Technology Overview
If you are a person who wants a valued and rewarding career in the medical field, and if you want to be part of the important and dynamic action in today's surgical operating room teams, then a career in Surgical Technology might be right for you.
Surgical Technologists are also known as scrubs or surgical or operating room technicians. They assist in surgical operations under the direction of surgeons, registered nurses, physician's assistants, or other surgical personnel. A surgical technologist, working with their team, would:
- Prepare the OR by setting up surgical instruments, sterile drapes, equipment and solutions; assemble both sterile and non-sterile equipment, and check equipment for proper functioning
- Prepare patients for surgery, transporting them to the OR room, positioning them on the operating table, and draping patients
- During operations, hold and pass instruments and sterile supplies to surgeons, and assist with the operating process by holding retractors, cutting sutures, counting sponges, needles and supplies
- Operate lights, suction machines, and diagnostic equipment used during procedures
Join a profession that makes a major contribution to the success and effectiveness of modern surgeries!
What You Can Learn in Surgical Technology
The program's objectives prepare students to demonstrate:
- Knowledge of surgical technology’s place in the modern health care delivery system
- Understanding of basic surgical anatomy and physiology in the operating room
- Names and uses of all basic and advanced surgical instrumentation, aseptic techniques and sterile barriers
- Knowledge of the flow of a surgical procedure from beginning to end
- Preparedness for Certified Surgical Technologist qualifying exam
Core courses include a foundation in anatomy and physiology, surgical terminology, surgical theory and technology, microbiology and surgical pharmacology.
Where You Can Go in Surgical Technology
- Hospital operating and delivery rooms
- Outpatient care centers
- Ambulatory surgical centers
- Dentists and physicians offices
Surgical Technologists are in demand; according to the US Department of Labor, jobs in this field are expected to grow much faster than average due to the increases in surgical procedures.1
1Source: Versus all occupations U.S. Dept. of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition