Mon, Nov 1st, 2010 @ 12:00 am

Surgical technologists, also called operating room technicians, surgical technicians or scrubs, assist in surgeries under the guidance of registered nurses and surgeons. Surgical technologists are an integral part of the operating room team, helping to ensure the operating room runs smoothly, and simple and complex procedures go well for the patient.

Job Responsibilities of a Surgical Technologist

Prior to an operation, a surgical technologist will aid in the preparation of the operating room by setting up equipment and surgical instruments, and sterilizing solutions and drapes. They assemble both non-sterile and sterile equipment to ensure that it is working correctly. Surgical technologists also are involved in the preparing patients before a surgery by disinfecting, washing, and shaving incision areas. They transfer patients to an operating room, help position the patients on the operating table, and cover them with a sterile surgical drape. Technologists, in addition, help the surgical team put on sterile gloves and gowns, check charts, and observe patients' vital signs.

Employment Outlook and Job Settings

According to US labor statistics, it is projected that the employment for a surgical technologists will grow faster than average through the year 2010 as the volume of surgery steadily increases. In 2000, surgical technologists held 71,000 jobs. Almost 75% of surgical technologists have employment in hospitals. Others have employment in surgical centers and clinics and in offices of dentists and physicians that perform outpatient surgery. There are also private scrubs that are employed by surgeons that have their own special surgical teams performing things such as organ transplantation.

In California, there are a range of opportunities for employment in hospitals, doctor's offices, cosmetic surgery offices, clinics, teaching hospitals, and children's hospitals. SJVC's surgical technology program can open many doors to graduates with the potential to earn upwards of $ 45,000 annually with two years of training, though there is no guarantee of income in the field. Students who attend a surgical technology school in California will benefit from a very exciting and rewarding career. Graduates of the SJVC California Surgical Technology program earn CPR certification, an Associate of Science degree, and are then eligible to apply to the NBSTA, also known as the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting to be able to sit for the Certified Surgical Technologist National Certification Exam.

Additional career opportunity settings for a surgical technologist include:

• Physicians offices
• Hospital operating rooms
• Delivery rooms
• Emergency departments
• Dental surgery offices
• Surgery centers

Contact SJVC today for more information on our program.