Those who choose to enroll in surgical technician training become an important part of the medical profession. They work under the supervision of surgery personnel such as nurses and surgeons. They perform a variety of jobs in the hospital setting. Prior to surgery they work to set-up and ready operating rooms, make patients ready for surgery, and transport patients to the room where the procedure will be performed.
During procedures, they adjust equipment and illumination as needed, hand instruments and other supplies as needed by the operating team. They frequently are called on to cut sutures, hold retractors and help account for all the sponges, instruments, sponges and other operating supplies at the end of the procedure. If this important profession sounds attractive to you, enrolling in a surgical technician training program may be the right choice for you.
A lot of times, these technicians are referred to as “Scrubs”. If you have ever wondered about where the term scrubs came from, it comes from the fact that techs often help surgeons get ready to enter the sterile environment of the operating room. They assist the surgeon with their clothing, caps and gloves so that after scrubbing, the surgeon can remain totally sterile before going into the operating room.
A scrub’s role in the preparation of the operation room is very important. The techs are responsible for sanitizing the operating room. They do not literally clean the room; maintenance personnel do the actual cleaning. However, OR techs supervise the cleaning to assure that infection is minimized.
Scrubs ready the instruments by making sure they are in the correct order of use. They prepare patients for surgery by cleaning, shaving and disinfecting the surgical area. They also play a vital role in the operating room setting. Techs have many responsibilities and must be well trained and very skilled to carry out their tasks effectively.
During surgery procedures scrubs stand by to assist however necessary. They must be able to understand directions and act accordingly in a quick, careful manner. It is critical that they know the correct names of all the instruments the surgeon may need during an operation. It is also important that they are not influenced adversely when viewing an open surgery.
While surgery proceeds, techs are commonly responsible for removing instruments that have been used to prevent contamination and re-use. They also take charge of specimens, help with dressings and set-up medications.
After completing Surgical Technician training an individual will be knowledgeable and able to help in operating rooms by removing used instruments, making certain that all equipment receives proper care and setting up an instrument tray. After one surgery they may be in charge of repeating the whole procedure for the next surgery.
