What is a surgical technician? A surgical technician or technologist is said to be a surgeon’s right hand man or woman, in other words, an assistant to the surgeon. The job specifications of a surgical technician entails being responsible for transporting a patient to and from the operating room, prepping the operating room, standing next to the surgeon and handing him (the surgeon), the correct medical instruments at the correct time. He also has the job of retracting the patient’s tissues if need be, among other things.
Becoming a surgical technician requires certain fulfillments. The Aspirant has to undergo and complete specific surgical technology training courses. This training could last for as much as two years and can help one to become a competent professional in his chosen field of surgical technology.
In undergoing this training, one will offer courses like anatomy, sterilization and understanding of medical terminology. The applicant needs to be one who is fully prepared to carry out his duties, he or she must be one given to details as this will enable him or her carry out their duties well. Let us take the case of sterilization. It is a very important feature in the operating theater. All equipment and instruments need to be sterilized before and after every operation. Failure to carry out proper sterilization of hospital instruments always results in an infection and this could turn out to be life threatening.
One of the basic steps towards being a competent and successful surgical technologist is by obtaining a degree or certificate through any surgical tech program. The program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). This program could be done in as little as 9 months or as much as two years which is dependent upon the school one is doing the program with. The school could be a college, vocational school or the university.
For one to be a competent surgical tech, the person has to make inquiries and register with a genuine and accredited surgical technology programs which has the ability to make their graduates more competitive and indispensable in the job market through making provisions of solid medical background, giving them a thorough understanding and knowledge of surgical procedures and the technical skills that may be required in the operating.
Courses offered in pursuing a career in surgical tech include but not limited to anatomy, medical terminology and physiology. Just like in firefighting, they include a hands-on training especially in the areas of sterilization techniques, handling of equipment, procedures of surgery, caring for patients and ensuring their safety in the hospital environment. Supervised clinical practice is also provided and this really goes a long way in building the trainee’s portfolio or resume for job searching after graduation.
In the United States, employers tend to only employ surgical techs who have written and passed a national certification examination. This could be the exams from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). The exam of this board comes in the form of multiple choice test which is taken on a computer. Only those who passed CAAHEP or ABHES are eligible to apply and write this exam.
