Surgical Technology is a medical career that involves working under the operating room surgeon. You will be working closely with everyone in the surgical room, including the nurses, anesthesiologist, and surgeon. The fun part is that you are not just there to help when needed. You are a vital part of the team; before, during, and after the surgery.
Have you ever wondered who ensures everything is sterile and ready before surgery? That is part of the job of a surgical technician. They are responsible for checking the orders and seeing what type of surgery is happening. Then they will use their knowledge of surgical supplies and the human anatomy to ensure everything that the surgery room group could ever need is ready. But the job does not stop there. Let’s go through a typical day for a Surgical Technology expert so you understand precisely what the job entails.
- Set Up The Surgical Room – One of the main roles you would have is to set up the surgical room to prepare for the impending surgery. This includes sterile equipment like tubing, scalpels, and anything else needed for the specific procedure. Plus, you would have to stock the room with gowns, masks, and all the other sterile clothes required by all the personnel who will be part of the team.
- Check The Equipment – The next step will be to ensure that all the equipment used is in working condition. If any adjustments need to be made, you will be doing it now. Everything must be in perfect working order before the team gets ready to enter the room.
- Patient Prep – Now, you would be responsible for getting the patient into the room and over to the operating table, ensuring they are comfortable and ready to go. Incision sites will then need to be prepped and prepared for the surgical team that will be coming in next.
- Dress The Surgeon – You would also be the person behind the scenes in the room’s dressing area. The surgeon must keep themselves sterile and clean, which means they cannot dress themselves before approaching the surgical table. The person that went through the Surgical Technology program to get their degree would be responsible for dressing the surgeon in a sterile and effective way.
- During The Surgery – This is where you are just the helper, doing anything that the surgical team needs you to do. This would include, but not be limited to, handing out sterile tools, getting any robotic equipment in place, holding organs when needed, and anything else that could assist with the procedure.
- After The Surgery – You may think your job is over now, but that is far from the case. You would now be responsible for the clean-up. This is after you transport the patient out of the room and into recovery, where the nurses are waiting. You would then be tasked to restock the room and prepare to do the process again.
The day in the life of a Surgical Technology technician is never dull, and there is no room for downtime. There is always surgery to prepare for and patients that need your help. They are putting their lives in your hands. Sure, the surgeon is the one that gets the big bucks, and they are the ones that take control of the actual procedure. Still, without you, the entire operation would be a disaster. Nothing would be clean and sterile, which would cause infections in the patient. Plus, the surgeons would not be able to get dressed in sterile clothes because they would have to touch the clothes while getting dressed.
The job of a Surgical Technician may not be in the limelight, but it is one of the most critical positions within the surgical team. Suppose you want to follow this as a career. In that case, you need to know that it is a position that will keep you busy. It will always give you a sense of joy and pride because you ensure that all your patients get the most sterile operation possible.