In the United States, a Surgical Technician is an allied health professional who is a part of the operating room team. These technicians work under the supervision of a registered nurse or an attending surgeon and assist in all surgical operations and also have the task of passing instruments to the surgeons.
Surgical Technician – History
The role of a surgical technician gained prominence during the World War I and World War II wherein the Army used the ‘Medics’ and the Navy used the ‘Corpsman’ who worked under the direct supervision of the surgeons. As the nurses were not allowed to be on the battlefield or on the combat ships during the war, a new post was created in the military which was termed as the ‘Operating Room Technicians’ (ORT). A nursing program with emphasis on operating room technology was set up as an on the job of nursing assistants who worked in the surgery department.
Right after the Korean War, there was a shortage of operating room nurses. Hence, the operating room supervisors began recruiting ex-medics and ex-corpsman to work in the civilian hospitals. By 1965, these ex-military men were serving the role of an ‘instrument nurse’. In 1967, the Association of Operating Room Technicians was formed. This Association in turn formed two committees in 1969 which were the Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist and the Joint Committee on Education. The first certification examination was conducted in 1970 and the people who passed this certification examination were given the title of ‘Certified Operating Room Technician’ (CORT). In 1973 the title was changed to a ‘Surgical Technologist’.
Surgical Technician – Career Prospects
It has been estimated that the number of surgical technician jobs will grow faster than the average of all other occupations through the year 2010 because the number of surgeries will increase dramatically. In a survey conducted in 2006, it was estimated that the salaries of the surgical technicians ranged between $ 34,000 and $ 54,000. Further, surgical technicians who get certified can earn nearly $10,000 per annum more than their counterparts who are not certified. Hospitals are and will continue to remain the primary employer of surgical technologists but over a period of time, it is expected that the employment will grow in offices and clinics of physicians.
Surgical technicians can further advance their career prospect by specializing in a particular area of surgery like heart surgery or neurosurgery. Also, with additional training, the technicians can advance to first assistants who are responsible for retracting, sponging, suturing, closing and treating wounds and cauterizing bleeders. There is also the option of managing central supply departments in hospitals or taking up employment in an insurance firm, sterile supply services or surgical equipment firms.
Surgical Technician – Responsibilities
Some of the responsibilities of a Surgical Technician are as follows:
- Getting a patient ready for surgery which usually includes cleaning, shaving and positioning the patient on the operating room table.
- Preparing and sterilizing all surgical instruments before the operation.
- Keeping a count of all surgical instruments with the help of a registered nurse or circulator.
- Monitor all members belonging to a surgical team to ensure that a sterile field is maintained during each procedure.
- Passing the instruments and retracting the tissues to help visualize the area of the patient where the surgeons are working.
- Operating the suction machines and all diagnostic and sterilizing equipment.
- Learning the operating of new instrumentation depending on the specialty of the technician, for example orthopedics, cosmetics.
Surgical Technician – Training
Surgical technicians are trained in formal programs that are offered by junior colleges, vocational schools, universities, a few hospitals and the military. They surgical technician training program is a combination of academic and hands on education and include courses in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, medical terminology, surgical instrumentation, microbiology and sterilization techniques.
The students aspiring to become a surgical technician can receive certification by completing a CAAHEP accredited program along with passing a national certification exam. The students who have obtained a certification are known as Certified Surgical Technicians (CST) and need to renew their certification every 4 years by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA).
