Surgical Tech CST First Assistant Days

About the role

The Surgical Tech First Assistant position involves working as both a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) and a First Assistant. This role supports surgeons and surgical teams during major and complex procedures.

Responsibilities

• Ensures supplies, equipment, and instruments are available and working for each procedure.
• Updates surgeon preference cards for equipment, radiology, supplies, and notes.
• Pulls, opens, and sets up cases.
• Collaborates with surgeons on equipment and supply needs before procedures.
• Assembles specialty instrument trays.
• Prepares the operating room according to surgical procedure schedules.
• Arranges sterile setups of instrument table supplies and equipment for specific procedures.
• Wraps instruments for gas or steam sterilization.
• Performs quality control procedures on equipment and reports any issues.
• Ensures the OR is clean before and after surgery.
• Scrubbs for cases in major surgical services following established procedures and standards.
• Provides education and preparation for surgical teams according to procedure.
• Assists with or performs the positioning, prepping, and draping of the patient.
• Assists the surgeon during procedures by passing sterile supplies and equipment.
• Holds retractor devices and responds to the surgical team's needs.
• Ties off vessels and tissues, repairs incisions, and cuts and cauterizes tissues.
• Stabilizes drains and applies wound dressings as needed.
• Performs complex surgical techniques as directed by the physician and adheres to Texas scope of practice.
• Receives surgical specimens following protocol and notifies the circulating nurse.
• Delivers specimens to the appropriate location.
• Contacts the pharmacy for RX with Registered Nurse or circulating nurse partnership.
• Coordinates and works with system vetting vendors for the surgeon and department.
• Researches and gets quotes for capital purchases, new equipment, and supplies with specialty coordinators.
• Orders supplies.
• Stays updated on surgical equipment, trends, and techniques by attending in-service or internal education programs.
• Serves as a resource and preceptor for those learning the scrub role.
• Helps the department through in-services, precepting, and mentoring staff.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an Accredited Program
• 2 Years of Experience as a CST
• 2 Years of Experience as a First Assistant
• Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) or Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA) from NBSTA or NCCT
• Basic Life Support (BLS)