


Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.A surgical technologist may also work at a dental clinic or a specialized medical facility, not necessary at a hospital.Īccording to O*NET OnLine, a surgical technologist must: In which case, a surgical technologist would need to be skilled in offering assistance to manage all kinds of medical equipment necessary for the procedure. For instance, a surgical technologist may assist surgeons in carrying out intensive surgeries of various parts of the body. The job description of a surgical technologist can be varied and shall depend on the specializations that one has. Job Description of a Surgical Technologist This is awarded by the National Center for Competency Testing or NCCT, for more information go to their website. There are other certification programs a surgical technologist can pursue as well such as Tech in Surgery, Certified (TS-C). This exam should not be taken lightly and only upon passing this exam are you certified. In 2015, the NBSTSA reported the national pass rate at 70% for those that took the paper version and 75% for the computer-based version. Exam content includes but is not limited to preoperative preparation, intraoperative procedures, postoperative procedures, administrative and personnel, equipment sterilization and maintenance, anatomy, microbiology, and surgical pharmacology.įifty percent of the exam focuses on peri-operative care followed by basic sciences, sterilization and administrative duties. However, only 175 are actually scored, the other 25 questions are placed throughout the assessment for pure analysis and statistical evaluation or as sample questions. The exam currently exists of 200 questions. Therefore, it is pertinent to check with your program upon enrolling or inquire with the licensing board in your state prior to starting your studies. According to the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) as of January 2017 all individuals that want to sit for this exam must graduate from a school accredited through the Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

The most common certification route is sitting for the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam. Once the relevant training and skills are acquired a surgical technologist must become certified to work in this occupational field. Most degrees or programs include training and coursework in anatomy, medical terminology, pharmacology, technology, and equipment used in this profession. If you want to attend college you can also earn an associate’s degree in as little as 2 years at a community college. There are also vocational training programs that are usually short courses that run for a few months to a year in surgical technology. You can attend a college or private institute that offers an accredited training program in surgical technology. There are diploma programs, associate degrees, and certifications pertaining to surgical technology. There are numerous pathways one can take to become a surgical technologist, however, you must become trained. They assist in the set up, during the surgery, and clean up after the surgery in a variety of different ways. Their primary responsibilities are confined to the operation room and during the surgical procedures. Surgical technologists report to the surgeons, doctors, or specialists who lead the operating or surgical teams. A surgical technologist (also known as an operating room tech, scrub tech, or Surg tech) assists during an operation.
