Hospital Surgical Technologist Job Description |
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Job Duties
Working as a surgical technologist can be an incredibly rewarding career in the medical field. Surgical techs are typically responsible for the majority of patient preparation prior to surgery and may assist with surgical procedures. Job duties include preparing and transporting patients to surgery, preparing the operating room, sterilizing equipment, operating machines used during surgery, handing tools to the surgeons, monitoring and stabilizing vital, and much more.
Surgical techs will spend a large amount of time working on their feet in a stressful and sterile environment. Due to these job factors, surgical technologists must be detail oriented, work well under pressure, and have above-average dexterity. Although some techs work on a part-time basis, most of these jobs are scheduled and full-time at a roughly consistent 40 hours per week. Their schedules will likely include work on nights, weekends, and holidays. As with other positions in the health profession, surgical technicians will also occasionally be exposed to disease. Hospitals are the largest employers of individuals with training as a surgical tech.
Job Qualifications and Compensation
To become a surgical technician, you must first become certified. These hospital jobs require a high school diploma and usually also require completion of a surgical technologist training program. Generally, these programs are two-year associate degrees and may also be available at your local hospital. Intimate knowledge of anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and a number of other medical subjects will be required. Since surgical techs may be with difficult or nervous patients and family members prior to surgery, it is also necessary to have good communication and interpersonal skills. Once an applicant possesses all of these skills, a drug and background test is generally the next stage of a hiring process.
Average pay rates for a surgical technologist tend to hover around $40,000 a year and may lead to advancement opportunities and higher salaries with further specialization. Benefits for these employment opportunities will vary from hospital to hospital, but typically include excellent healthcare, paid holiday time and sick leave, and retirement plan options.
Who’s Hiring?
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