Surgical technologists work in the operating room to ensure a clean and safe environment. They can have specialized roles, such as scrub technologists, circulating surgery technologists, surgical first assistants, or private lab coats. Their duties vary based on their experience and education.
A surgical technologist, also known as an operating room technician, works primarily in the operating room performing tasks that make the surgical environment clean and safe. She is usually part of a surgical team and usually supports any doctor, nurse, or medical personnel who are part of the operation. Surgical technologist jobs are often associated with some specialized practices. Most surgical technologist jobs are found in hospitals – rarely would a surgical technologist be employed in outpatient surgical centers, work as a private technician, or teach other technologists as an instructor.
While there are many different genres of surgical technologist jobs, some are quite common, including scrub technologists, circulating surgery technologists, surgical first assistants, and private lab coats. These surgical technologist jobs vary based on their duties and the amount of experience or education they have received. The common denominator between each of these specialized jobs is that they all spend some time in the operating room.
A scrub technologist is a surgical technologist who performs tasks before and during an operative procedure. In general, she must anticipate what each surgeon and nurse needs, fully understand the operation being performed, and ensure that a sterile environment is preserved. As she prepares for surgery, she can check supplies and equipment, arrange sterile sheets, and arrange the sterile table to the surgeon’s liking with all essential surgical instruments and equipment. She can set up the sterile field and help surgeons and nurses in their surgical gowns and gloves. Once surgery is in progress, she may pass surgical instruments or other supplies to doctors and nurses, cut sutures, prepare sterile dressings, and monitor EKG machines and other electrical equipment.
Among the more interesting jobs of the surgical technologist is the circulating surgical technologist. She is almost always non-sterile, unlike the technologist who is sterile and works in a sterile environment. Their duties include gathering supplies, instruments, and equipment while the surgery is in progress. She can check the patient’s chart, take him into the operating room, move him to the operating table and position him so he is ready to start surgery. In some cases, she may prepare the incision site, apply electrosurgical pads, and count the surgical equipment before and after surgery to ensure that everything has been removed from the surgical site and nothing has been sewn back into the patient’s body.
One of the highest levels of surgical technologist jobs is first surgical assistant. She usually has additional levels of education and experience. In general, the surgical first assistant helps the surgeon with various technical tasks, such as hemostatics. Another level of surgical technologist is a private cleaning. A private cleaning technician is a surgical technologist who is hired directly by a particular surgeon. She would assist that surgeon during each of his operative procedures.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
