The Surgical Technologist I is an entry level professional who works under supervision to provide technical assistance in an operating room, labor and delivery, or other unit performing surgical or invasive procedures.
Essential Responsibilities:
Responsibilities listed in this section are core to the position. Inability to perform these responsibilities with or without an accommodation may result in disqualification from the position.
Utilizes physician’s preference cards to assist in preparing the operating room for the surgical procedure.
Assists in maintaining and updating preference cards.
Maintains an adequate supply of instruments and supplies to meet the patient’s changing needs.
Scrubs in and sets up instruments and supplies prior to procedure.
Prepares sterile field by obtaining, opening, and arranging instruments and supplies anticipated for the procedure.
Ensures continuous monitoring of sterile field once established.
Assists in draping the patient and operative area.
With nurse, opens and prepares the sterile field.
Assists the nurse in correct identification of operative specimens for laboratory analysis.
Remains attentive during surgery and provides additional instruments, supplies, or other items as needed.
Remains attentive to sterile field and recognizes and corrects breaks in sterile technique.
Delivers medications to the surgeon.
Participates in sponge, needle, and instrument counts as directed by policy.
Reports all drains, packs, implants, etc. to the circulating nurse and assists with application of dressings.
Informs appropriate personnel of any potential problems regarding patient or procedure.
Takes emergency action as required.
Assists with post-operative processing of instruments and equipment.
Cleans operating room areas and disposes of sharps from sterile field according to policy.
Participates in evaluation of new products, methods, or equipment to determine quality.
Acts as a liaison between physicians and management regarding instruments and supplies.
Assists with patient transport as needed.
General Responsibilities:
Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
Education: Graduation from an accredited school/program for Surgical Technology required.
Experience: No experience required. Previous hospital experience preferred.
Licensure/Certifications/Registrations Required:
Basic Life Support issued by the American Heart Association required.
Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) issued by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) or Tech in Surgery (TS-C) issued by the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) preferred.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of medical asepsis as it applies to the operating room.
Knowledge of various instruments used for each type of surgical procedure.
Knowledge of proper operating room setup.
Knowledge of proper method of handling and transferring instruments and supplies.
Knowledge of proper handling of tissue specimens, cultures, and smears.
Knowledge of inventory methods.
Skills in maintaining an effective working relationship with others.
Skills in following technical written and verbal instructions.
Skills in providing technical assistance in all specialty areas.
Understanding of the principles of growth and development over the lifespan and relevant ability to provide care appropriate to the patient's age-specific needs (neonate, pediatric, adolescent, adult, geriatric).
Proficient in basic computer functions and programs.
Based on 3,403 disclosed Healthcare salaries on RoleSuite, the role pays a median of $110K/year, with most offers between $87K and $166K (10th–90th percentile: $67K–$250K).
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