Career Profile: Surgical Technologist

1022 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Surgical tech quize

Everyday life in a hospital is complete and absolute chaos. There are doctors and nurses running everywhere to treat patients, ambulances coming through every so often, children and patients crying, and surgeons telling a family that their loved one did not make it. However, outside of all that craziness is an operating room (OR). A place filled with pressure, intensity, high hopes, and stress. There to help control the environment is a surgical technologist. While preparing patients for surgery, surgical technologists manage the equipment and operating room, follow the instructions of the surgeon, and ensure the safety of the patient.

Surgical technologists are members of the surgical team who work in the operating room with surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and other personnel before, during and after surgery. Techs are basically considered the surgeons “right hand man”. They may prepare a patient for surgery by washing, shaving, and disinfecting where the incision may be. They arrange the equipment, instruments, and supplies in the operating room according to the preference of the surgeons and nurses (Ferguson 537). During the operation, they count all equipment used, and hold retractors and cut sutures as directed. Following the operation, they may clean and restock the OR and sterilize the used equipment (Ferguson 538).

Being a surgical technologist requires certain characteristics such as, patience, responsibility, stamina, stable temper, and a desire to help others. Surgical technologists must pay attention to details, have good organizational skills, and be very attentive during long surgeries (Hayes 842). Employment is expected to grow much faster than average. Job opportunities will be best for those how are cert...

... middle of paper ...

...amily that all is going to be okay. Just around the corner from a waiting room is an OR, a surgical techs “home away from home”, a place where miracles happen.

Works Cited

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Surgical Technologists. U.S. Department of Labor.

April 12, 2011. Web. 12 Jan 2012. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos.htm

Ferguson. “Surgical Technologists.” Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidances,

14th edition. New York: InfoBase Publishing 2008. Print.

Hayes, David. “Surgical Technologists”. Exploring Health Care Careers. Chicago.

Ferguson Publishing Company. 1998. Print.

Mayo School of Health Sciences. Surgical Technology Career Overview. 2012. Web.

12 Jan 2012. http://www.mayo.edu/mshs/surg-career.html

Terri. Email interview. 22 Jan 2012.

Tuition and Fees. 2012. Web. 29 Jan 2012.

Show More
Related

  • Surgical Technologist

    479 Words  | 1 Pages

    Surgical Technologist are allied health professionals, who are an integral part of the team of medical practitioners providing surgical care to patients in variety of methods. Surgical technologist works under medical supervision of a surgeon to maintain a safe and effective conduct of surgical procedures in the operating room, making sure equipments function properly, and that the operative procedure is conducted under conditions that maximize patients safety.

    Read More

  • Medicine in the Civil War

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most qualified surgeons started off as litter bearer and would carry men off the battlefield. If any of them showed interest in the medical field, they could become a Steward. A Steward's job was to take care of patients with minor wounds such as, scratches, and bumps. The other duties of a Steward were to pull teeth and take care of medicines for the surgeons. The Steward would also guard the medicinal stores, because often soldiers would try to break into the medicinal stores where the morphine, opium, and whisky were stored. If a Steward completed these duties, then he might be allowed to assist a surgeon in an operation, which could lead to becoming an assistant surgeon. He could then later on become an experienced and qualified surgeon.

    Read More

  • Surgical Technologist Personal Statement

    1158 Words  | 3 Pages

    My job contains a great deal of direct patient contact, to say the least. I assist the surgeon in whichever surgery the patient needs. I participate in helping cure, stabilize, comfort, and add to the patients' treatment. In order to be a good surgical tech, you must always be one step ahead of the surgeon, which inquires extensive knowledge of human anatomy and the symptoms that accompany an illness. Identifying anatomical landmarks and the normality of organs are also important qualities to have when assisting in surgery.

    Read More

  • My Nursing Philosophy

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    When I see a patient before they go into an operation, I like to speak to them to make sure they have an understanding of what surgery will be performed and what the process will be in regards to transporting them from the pre-operative area, to the operating room, and then to the recovery area. The environment of the operating room can be a scary place for patients, it is a cold, bright room with lots of equipment in it that patients have probably never seen before. I like to explain to my patients what the room will be like and let them know I will be with them the whole time if they need anything. The main topic is usually the temperature of the room, approximately 65 degrees, so I like to make sure the patients know we will have warm blankets waiting for them. Whether the surgery being performed is diagnostic or therapeutic, I like to be sure the patient has an understanding of what is being done for their health. I am very proud of being a nurse and do my best to be sure my actions prove it. I strive to do the best for my patients since one of the many responsibilities of being a nurse is to be their advocate, which I take very seriously as my patients cannot usually speak for themselves as they are under

    Read More

  • Nursing Diagnosis

    1434 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ignatavicius, D. D., & Workman, M. L. (2013). Care of Intraoperative Patients. Medical-surgical nursing: patient-centered collaborative care (7th ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier.

    Read More

  • How to Become a Surgeon Research Paper

    528 Words  | 2 Pages

    Attributes & Abilities – focus, hard – working, hand-eye coordination, enjoy helping people, you also need to know multiple languages if you go to another country. The program you can get into is ATLS in more than 60 countries worldwide. Duties • Take a patient’s medical records • Order tests for nurses before surgery • Help patients take their health by discussing what they can do better To become a surgeon in England you need to complete a five year degree course in medicine you might work up to 48 hours per week and you may want to enter the residency program that may last for 3 to 8 years this good if you want a better chance in getting a higher surgeon position and make more money than others. Undergraduate classes last 6 to 7 years • Make sure the family is under control • Carry out research • Tech medical students and trainee surgeons • Keep medical records and send final reports to general practitioners • Examine patients and tell what operations are needed • Perform and manage operations. Important qualities • Communications • Detail oriented • Dexterity • Empathy • Leadership skills • Patience • Physical stamina • Problem-solving skills • Basic Skills.

    Read More

  • A Career in Anesthesiology

    1345 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...le feel comfortable yet not feel any pain before, during, and after surgery requires much more responsibility than it sounds but in the end it is probably one of the most rewarding careers out there.

    Read More

  • Why I Want to Be an Anesthesiologist

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everyday, people go through surgery and require a specialist that will monitor their surgery as well as give them what they need to be able to persevere the pain, which is exactly what anesthesiologists do. In order for the patients to be able to get into surgery and deal with the agonizing aches after the abscission, anesthesiologists have to give the sufferer the proper treatment before and after the surgery. Overall, anesthesiologists must be highly educated in both medicine and communication, they need to be able to give the patient the right amount of medicine as well as speak with the family of patients and other doctors to inform them all with what will be done during the surgery, and they need to be able to properly assist the surgeons during operations.

    Read More

  • A Career as an Operating Department Practitioner

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    The ultimate goal for myself, and the initial reason for studying with the Distance Learning Centre, is to become an Operating Department Practitioner(ODP). The role will involve working within operating theatres inside hospitals to support patients throughout their time during certain operations, or ‘periopertive journey’ (Health Education England, 2014b). I came to the decision to focus on making this my chosen career in November 2012 through word of mouth and a significant amount of research. The profession carries an extensive list of positives and negatives, along with how well it fits my personality and previous experiences; despite never working within the health sector previously.

    Read More

  • The Positive Effects Of Music In The Operating Room

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    Surgery is a team sport, within this team everyone has a role to play and information to receive and give. If this information is taken wrong or misheard bad things could happen. Which is why the breakdown of communication is such a big concern

    Read More

  • Reflective Journal - A Nurse's Duty in the Surgical Ward

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although students were not allowed in the recovery unit, I was able to talk to one of the recovery nurses. I learned that a nurse’s duty of care includes monitoring the patient’s vital signs and level of consciousness, and maintaining airway patency. Assessing pain and the effectiveness of pain management is also necessary. Once patients are transferred to the surgical ward, the goal is to assist in the recovery process, as well as providing referral details and education on care required when the patient returns home (Hamlin, 2010).

    Read More

  • The Ethical Principles Of Professionalism In The Workplace

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sullivan, M. E., Trial, J., Baker, C., Inaba, K., Etcheverry, J., Nally, M., & Crookes, P. (2014). A framework for professionalism in surgery: What is important to medical students? The American Journal of Surgery, 207(2), 255-259. Retrieved from ProQuest.

    Read More

  • Operating Room Nursing: Credentialing Importance Of Surgical Nursing

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    Surgical nursing or operating room nursing is very important in health care since, they do not only work with the patients before surgery (preoperatively), besides, they also work with the patients in their recovery period (intraoperatively), as well as the post-operative period (postoperatively). Like all other nurses, surgical nurses need to graduate from a two or four degree program in nursing, and must pass a national licensing exam, qualifying them as a registered nurse. Besides, nurses are train and specialize in different capacity. Furthermore, a nurse can become certified in the medical-surgical care if they so desired. Offer by the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board and the American Nurses Credentialing

    Read More

  • Why I Want to Become a Surgeon

    1306 Words  | 3 Pages

    Surgeons have a lot on their plate when it comes to their work. Surgeons are doctors who are specialized in certain surgeries and operations. While being a surgeon there are many subspecialties that one surgeon could pursue (Field). Surgeons will diagnose and treat patients depending on their condition. They will perform a variety of surgeries on the every single part of the human body (“Surgeon”). It’s important for a surgeon to know everything about a patient’s medical history so they can perform their job to the best of their ability and also decide whether or not the patient needs surgery. They also ...

    Read More

  • Reflection Paper On Operating Room

    1012 Words  | 3 Pages

    I went to the operating room on March 23, 2016 for the Wilkes Community College Nursing Class of 2017 for observation. Another student and I were assigned to this unit from 7:30am-2:00pm. When we got their we changed into the operating room scrubs, placed a bonnet on our heads and placed booties over our shoes. I got to observe three different surgeries, two laparoscopic shoulder surgeries and one ankle surgery. While cleaning the surgical room for the next surgery, I got to communicate with the nurses and surgical team they explained the flow and equipment that was used in the operating room.

    Read More

More about Career Profile: Surgical Technologist

Open Document