Surgical Technologist Job Description

What is a Surgical Technologist?

Surgical technologists, also referred to as surgical technicians, are health professionals whose primary duty is to assist the attending surgeon during operations and procedures. Their assistance can include everything from setting up trays and passing instruments to helping the surgeon with suturing and retraction of tissues.

A surgical tech (ST) must be able to work well under pressure, respond appropriately and quickly to emergency situations, and work with speed, accuracy and concentration.

Where Surgical Technologists Work

The vast majority of STs follow a 40-hour work week in a hospital setting, although there are other career options worth exploring. Private medical offices, in which a tech may focus on a particular area of interest—cardiology, pediatrics or orthopedics, for instance—are appealing to some surgical techs. If you're the type of person who resists the standard 9-to-5 work week, you could work as a surgical technology educator or consultant, or even a medical writer, illustrator or photographer.

What Surgical Technologists Do

The operating room, or OR, is where an ST spends most of his or her day. The OR is a brightly lit, relatively cool and quiet work environment in which concentration is a must. Those who excel in this profession are able to focus on details and complex procedures for extended periods of time. A successful surgical tech must also be able to anticipate the needs of the supervising surgeon by providing medical instruments and assistance before the surgeon asks for them. Because of the relatively long and complicated surgeries that are performed in the OR, STs can expect to stand for hours at a time.

During an operation, a surgical tech's duties are divided into three phases of patient and surgical care management: preoperative case management, intraoperative case management and postoperative case management.

• Preoperative case management includes duties such as preparing the OR, gathering the necessary tools and supplies, counting out the necessary items, and assisting the surgical team as they enter into the sterile field.
• During the intraoperative phase, the surgical tech passes instruments and equipment to the surgeon as needed, takes care of specimens, prepares medication and assists with dressings.
• Postoperative management involves maintaining the sterile field until the patient is transported, removing used instruments, caring for and maintaining the equipment, and preparing the OR for the next patient.

Rosy Career Outlook for Surgical Technologists

Employment for surgical technologists is expected to grow much faster than all occupations through the year 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of people requiring surgical procedures is expected to rise as aging baby boomers continue to make up a large portion of the population. In addition, the career path for STs will continue to evolve as technology advances, further increasing job possibilities. New developments in fields such as fiber optics and laser technology will allow technologists to assist with a greater number of procedures.

Although hospitals will continue to be the primary employer of STs, a rapid rate of growth is expected in physician offices and in outpatient care centers, making it likely that in the future this profession will provide even greater flexibility and options.

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