Every healthcare professional can make a meaningful difference, but some can see their impact take shape in real time. This can be deeply rewarding, with clinical skills and empathy guiding patients through their most challenging moments.
These are just a few of the perks of a surgical technologist career. This fast-paced healthcare niche involves high-pressure settings and situations, with surgical techs offering crucial support throughout the surgical process.
Surgical techs allow surgeons to focus on the most precise and high-stakes elements of surgical procedures while also safeguarding patients against common concerns such as infection.[1] It takes considerable training to thrive in this demanding role, but today’s passionate surgical technologists are up to the challenge.
Do you feel called to support patients and surgeons in the operating room? Get ready for an exciting journey, complete with fascinating coursework and hands-on learning opportunities. We will help you get a strong start by revealing the most important OR tech skills, along with the overall function of the surgical tech in the operating room.
Preparing for a Dynamic Operating Room Career in Surgical Technology
Do you envision a high-impact healthcare career? Are you drawn to fast-paced environments? You could make a powerful difference as a surgical tech in the operating room 鈥� a highly skilled and trusted professional tasked with supporting surgeons while enhancing patient safety.[2]
Given the high-stakes nature of this role, there is no substitute for in-depth training. Choose your surgical tech program carefully to ensure that you gain a strong foundation via coursework emphasizing medical terminology, sterile techniques, and surgical case management.
Training and Certification
Training to become a surgical technologist begins with enrolling in an accredited program that blends theoretical coursework with immersive, career-focused training. Be prepared to pursue an associate of science degree, committing at least 15 months to in-depth career exploration so you can confidently translate your newly developed clinical skills to the real-world OR environment.
Certification is crucial, and, for surgical techs, this is secured through the (NBSTSA). The path to gaining the credential of (CST) involves a rigorous exam that covers a wide range of relevant topics: surgical equipment, sterile procedures, and perioperative care.[3]
Specialties and Work Environments
While the operating room forms the standard work environment for the ‘typical’ surgical technologist, these are more versatile than many people realize. Many ORs are designed to reflect specific types of procedures, using unique equipment or layouts to accommodate patients’ varying needs.
Examples could include orthopedic, cardiac, or neurosurgery ORs, with some surgical techs also working with specific populations such as children or seniors. Work environments can also vary more than anticipated; while many surgical techs work in hospitals, some may be employed within outpatient clinics or specialty centers.
The Role of a Surgical Technologist 鈥� From Start to Finish
Surgical technologists are heavily involved in every aspect of the surgical process. This role includes mastering the surgical technology operating room steps that ensure each surgery proceeds smoothly. They take critical steps before, during, and after surgeries to promote patient safety and comfort, all while maintaining a sterile and coordinated environment.[4]
Key responsibilities are often categorized as pre-op, intra-op, or post-op, describing when specific tasks are carried out and how they contribute to the big picture of optimal surgical outcomes.[5]
Pre-Op Responsibilities
Prior to procedures, surgical technologists focus on the overall hygiene of the operating room, including instruments and other equipment. Surgical techs may be responsible for implementing strict infection control protocols. In the operating room, preparation for surgery encompasses:
- Performing surgical scrubs
- Assembling sterile instruments
- Coordinating equipment such as positioning aids or compression devices
- Assisting with pre-op documentation, such as informed consent
- Helping to prepare the surgical site
Intra-Op Duties
During the actual procedure, surgical techs may play a supportive role, promoting seamless workflows while taking ongoing steps to maintain a sterile environment. Possible tasks could include:
- Helping with patient positioning
- Assembling specialized equipment such as laser or ultrasound technologies
- Preparing or passing materials for suturing
- Irrigating or sponging operative sites
- Keeping sterile fields uncontaminated at all times
Post-Op Tasks
Following operations, surgical techs shift their focus, moving away from active surgical support to documentation, coordination, and sterilization. They may take part in team debriefs, which highlight both successes and opportunities for improvement. Key post-op activities include:
- Removing equipment such as cautery devices
- Properly disposing of contaminated waste
- Assisting with the transition of the patient from the operating table to the stretcher
- Monitoring post-op concerns such as rashes or bleeding
Technical Skills Needed in the OR
Success in this role depends on a solid foundation of OR tech skills, including both technical and soft skills developed during training. To that end, aspiring surgical techs dedicate a great deal of time and effort to honing their technical skills, including hygiene-focused protocols that help them limit the spread of infection. Hard or technical skills expected from surgical technologists include:
Sterile Technique and Aseptic Protocols
Sterile techniques (also known as aseptic techniques) aim to eliminate pathogens in the OR, thereby limiting the spread of infection.[6] While many OR team members contribute to infection control, surgical techs take on an expanded role in maintaining a microbe-free sterile field. Key skills for achieving this include:
- Proper gowning, gloving, and surgical scrubs
- Managing drapes or barriers
- Sterilizing surfaces and equipment
- Using aseptic techniques while passing instruments
Instrument Knowledge and Equipment Handling
Surgical techs are expected to fully understand the wide range of surgical instruments used during procedures. This knowledge allows them to appropriately sterilize crucial instruments, and, when needed, pass them to surgeons or surgical assistants.
In addition to identifying instruments, surgical techs must understand proper protocols for handling diverse equipment, including not only instruments, but also specialized tools and technologies. Again, the aseptic technique is key, as this ensures that instruments remain sterile at all times.
Surgical Setup and OR Preparation
The proper setup can improve surgical outcomes, sparking greater efficiency within the OR while also helping surgical team members consistently implement sterile techniques. These are among the most critical surgical technology operating room steps, occupying a significant portion of the surgical tech’s everyday workflow. Proper operating room preparation for surgery is more than just a routine checklist. It lays the groundwork for a safe, efficient, and successful procedure. Key elements of surgical setup include:
- Instrument counts and verifications
- Sterile field preparation
- Equipment positioning to support access and visibility
Soft Skills That Set You Apart
Technical skills may appear to dominate the surgical tech’s daily responsibilities, but these are amplified by soft skills that ensure all tasks are carried out appropriately. Aspiring surgical technologists can develop these competencies through various lab and clinical experiences that help future surgical techs understand the intricacies of the OR. Crucial soft skills include:[7]
Attention to Detail
Detail-oriented surgical technologists can instantly spot deviations from standard protocols. This could involve anything from breaks in aseptic techniques or missing instruments during surgical counts. Surgical techs should call attention to these issues and, when authorized, take steps to address them.
Effective Communication and Teamwork
Surgical technology represents just one part of an overarching, team-based approach to navigating the fast-paced operating room. Many other healthcare professionals contribute to this effort.
Surgeons, for example, lead procedures and make difficult decisions under pressure, while anesthesiologists handle the complexities of pain management. Surgical assistants provide practical support for tasks involving suturing or patient positioning.
These various team members must continually communicate with one another to ensure that all patient needs are fully understood. This coordinated approach ultimately streamlines OR workflows, limiting delays so that all healthcare professionals remain in sync. Surgical techs can contribute to this by anticipating surgeons’ needs and by playing an active role in pre-op preparation.
Calm Under Pressure and Adaptability
There’s no denying that the OR can be a stressful environment. In this fast-paced setting, the stakes are incredibly high. Seemingly small errors or delays can prove devastating, so every moment really does matter.
Surgical techs must be aware of this urgency but must also remain calm and collected. Adaptability enables them to adjust their approach in response to changing conditions, remaining composed to prevent potentially hazardous disruptions.
Physical Stamina and Manual Dexterity
In addition to the emotional challenges that naturally emerge within a high-stakes clinical setting, surgical technologists must be prepared to navigate several physical obstacles. These professionals must be strong enough to assist with patient positioning and to help transfer patients to stretchers. Dexterity is also crucial, especially when sanitizing instruments or passing them to surgical team members.
Empathy and Professionalism
Surgical techs understand the stress and uncertainty patients face. They are also intimately familiar with the range of emotions experienced by fellow OR professionals. Their empathy enables them to connect with and build trust among patients, loved ones, and clinical professionals, while also shaping their approach to pre- and post-operative tasks.
Daily Realities and Workplace Challenges
Equipped with the right blend of soft and technical skills, surgical technologists can seamlessly navigate a variety of potentially difficult situations. Not all passionate professionals are prepared to tackle the rigors of the surgical environment. However, it is essential to fully understand these realities before entering this field.
Long Hours and Environmental Stressors
While many surgical techs work eight-hour shifts, twelve-hour rotations are not unheard of. Either way, shifts can feel long at times, especially when procedures run longer than expected. What’s more, surgical techs may be expected to work evenings, weekends, or even on holidays. No matter when their shifts are scheduled, surgical techs must remain alert and adaptable.
Emergency Response and Vigilance
Patients’ conditions can change rapidly during surgical procedures, with split-second decisions sometimes spelling the difference between life and death. While surgeons hold the bulk of the pressure of urgent decision-making, surgical techs must remain vigilant to ensure that they can promptly carry out key requests during high-pressure moments.
Early Start, Late Finish
The role of the surgical tech extends far beyond the procedure itself. We’ve already outlined the many pre- and post-op tasks that surgical techs handle, but it can sometimes be difficult to convey the scope of these tasks from a timing perspective.
Surgical techs make a dramatic difference long before the first incision and even after patients are transferred. They must know what to do and how to behave within diverse environments such as the sterile processing department, the pre-op holding area, the surgery department, and even the post-anesthesia care unit.
Tips to Excel in Your First OR Role
Surgical technologists may face considerable challenges, but these are offset by a strong sense of meaning and professional fulfillment. Through careful preparation, future surgical techs can amplify the benefits of this role while making considerable progress towards overcoming its greatest challenges.
Familiarize Yourself with Instruments Ahead of Time
Surgical instruments can be difficult for surgical tech students to differentiate. This is one of the core elements of surgical tech training, which offers not only a theoretical overview of instruments and their specific functions, but also opportunities to practice sterilization or handling skills via labs, simulations, and, eventually, clinical placements.
Cultivate Situational Awareness and Professional Composure
Situational awareness determines how surgical technologists respond to different situations or scenarios. They may need to adjust their approach considerably to reflect varying team dynamics or changes in each patient’s condition. This quality is best achieved through tangible practice, with simulations providing the chance to react in the moment to quickly changing scenarios.
Emerging Technology and the Future OR
Surgical technology is quickly becoming a tech-driven field, with advanced solutions promising to improve everything from surgical precision to clinical ergonomics. Moving forward, surgical technologists and other team members will be expected to embrace these cutting-edge systems, incorporating them into various aspects of pre-, intra-, and post-op care.
Robotic Surgery, AR, VR, and Smart Instruments
Many exciting technologies promise to improve surgical outcomes, potentially even allowing patients to avoid highly invasive procedures in favor of targeted alternatives that limit both complications and recovery time.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) support this tech-first approach by offering detailed visualizations that help surgical team members better understand patient anatomy while also pinpointing potential challenges.
Robotic arms can further enhance tasks involving suturing or tissue manipulation, while smart instruments support intra-op decision making by gathering and analyzing patient or environmental data.[8] AI can further enhance these technologies, helping to optimize workflows and guide decision-making 鈥� offering, as experts explain, 鈥渨ays to augment the surgeon鈥檚 cognition.鈥�[9]
The Hybrid OR and Advanced Imaging Integration
Surgical theaters increasingly blend traditional equipment with high-end imaging. This blend promotes a unique environment known as the “hybrid operating room,” where real-time imaging and catheter-based techniques enable minimally invasive procedures. These multi-functional spaces require seamless integrations, where advanced solutions support (rather than hinder) the surgical process.
Simulation and Advanced Training Tools
Advanced technologies promise dramatic improvements in surgical outcomes, but they can also have a profound impact on the contemporary surgical tech training experience. Through ongoing simulations, aspiring surgical techs can gain confidence long before they enter the clinical environment.
Incorporating AR/VR Simulations Into Surgical Training
In addition to improving precision and efficiency in the operating room, advanced technologies like AR and VR promise to expand training opportunities. The objective extends beyond simply acquainting surgical technologists with these technologies; it also aims to foster immersive, hands-on training.
AR and VR simulations support this by allowing surgical techs to explore high-pressure decision-making within controlled environments. This is where they learn to remain calm under pressure while developing soft skills like critical thinking and adaptability.
Take the First Step Towards a High-Impact Surgical Technologist Career
Step into the OR with confidence as a surgical technologist. This exciting journey begins with enrolling in 黑料不打烊’s Surgical Technology program. This is your chance to develop hands-on skills that enable you to make a positive difference. Explore how 黑料不打烊 can help launch your surgical technologist career with real-world training and academic support.
Sources:
[1] Association of Surgical Technologists. “Definition: Certified Surgical Technologist.”
[2] Association of Surgical Technologists. “Job Description: Surgical Technologist.”
[3] National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. “CST Exam Prep.”
[4] Association of Surgical Technologists. “AST Guidelines.”
[5] National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. “Certifying Examination Content Outline.”
[6] Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. “AORN Guideline in Focus: Sterile Technique in the OR.”
[7] Indeed. “Essential Surgical Technician Skills for Job Seekers.”
[8] American Hospital Association. 鈥�3 Ways Robotic Surgery Is Changing Health Care This Year.鈥�
[9] Hamilton, A. “The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Surgery.” Cureus.
