Surgical Technologist I

About the role

Under direct supervision, serves as scrub person for basic and complex surgical procedures; prepares instruments and operating room for surgery; troubleshoots, reports, and removes from service faulty equipment; inventories and monitors instruments, sponges and needles on operative field; anticipates surgeons’ and patient care needs; performs or assists in sterile preps; maintains appropriate quantities of surgical supplies and equipment; assists with decontaminating and cleaning rooms, furniture, equipment according to established procedures.

Responsibilities

• Serves as scrub person for complex surgical procedures.
• Follows department procedures for scrub persons; assembles surgical packs, supplies and instruments; prepares operating room for surgery; verifies sterile package integrity and expiration dates before opening.
• Inspects instruments and power equipment prior to use; troubleshoots, reports, and removes faulty instruments and equipment from service.
• Ensures adequate amount of appropriate supplies and instrumentation are available per surgeon preference; counts all instruments, needles and sponges with Registered Nurse according to procedure.
• Inventories and monitors instruments, sponges and needles on operative field using department count procedures; adjusts instrumentation and supplies to changes in procedures and patient condition.
• Assists with monitoring and reporting blood and fluid loss during cases; with Registered Nurse, ascertains correctness of count prior to closure of body cavities and surgical wound.
• Assists circulating nurse with restocking the room at end of shift.
• Anticipates surgeons’ needs; assists surgeon by draping patients, holding/passing instruments, retractors, sutures and medications, applying surgical dressings, suctioning and sponging surgical wounds, holding extremities, and moving patients.
• Recognizes and reports emergency situations; under direction of surgeon or nurse, adjusts priorities and participates in resolving problems as appropriate.
• Assists in identification, labeling and proper specimen disposition using departmental procedures.
• Performs or assists in sterile preps as needed/requested; monitors aseptic techniques of surgical team members at field; reports and corrects breaks in sterile technique immediately; controls location of contaminated instruments and supplies.
• Maintains appropriate quantities of surgical supplies and equipment; restocks room with necessary equipment and supplies; apprises supervisor of special requests for surgical supplies and equipment.
• Assists with decontamination of all equipment, instruments and supplies as necessary; assists with cleaning rooms, furniture, and equipment according to established procedures.
• Orients and trains Surgical Technologist IIs and IIIs as needed; provides feedback to Supervisor; reviews, recommends and assists in updating department policies, procedures and protocols for surgical technologists.
• Serves as resource/reference to surgical technologists and other staff members with regards to surgical instrumentation; provides and conducts in-services as needed.

Requirements

• Minimum two (2) years as Surgical Technologist.
• Full competency evidenced by ability to scrub for ALL of the following cases: general surgery, orthopedics, gynecology, eyes, ENT, plastics, neurosurgery, vascular, thoracic and genito-urinary.
• Completion of an accredited Surgical Technology training program; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Basic Life Support from American Heart Association.
• Knowledge of medical terminology.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience scrubbing in an acute hospital setting.
• Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) by the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST).
• Post High School or training course work.