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Surgical Technician Career Highlights
What is a Surgical Technician ?
What is a Surgical Technician?
Surgical technicians assist doctors and nurses during surgical procedures. They primarily work for hospitals, but may also work for physicians who perform minor surgeries, or in outpatient care centers. If you want to be part of the fast paced operating room crew becoming a surgical technician is the way to go.
Surgical technicians can get training from programs offered by community colleges, vocational schools, universities and hospitals. Programs can last anywhere from 9 to 24 months and graduates are given certificates, diplomas or associate’s degrees.
What do surgical technicians do?
Surgical technicians perform most of the support work for an operating room. They prepare the room for surgery including stocking supplies and tools and ensuring sanitary operating conditions. Surgical technicians also prepare the patient by washing and shaving the proper areas and transporting and placing the patient in the operating room.
During procedures surgical technicians:
- Pass instruments and sterile supplies to surgeons
- Hold retractors
- Cut sutures
- Help count sponges, needles, supplies and instrument
- Prepare and dispose of specimens
- Operate diagnostic equipment
- After the surgery, the technician may transport the patient to recovery areas and be responsible for operating room clean up and restocking.
Surgical Technician Salary Range
$ 34,830 - Annual Surgical Technician Degree Salary
$ 29,300 - Average U.S. Salary
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ( 2005 )
Surgical Technician Job Outlook
In 2005 median annual earnings of surgical technologists were $34,830. In doctor’s offices and surgical hospitals median earnings are $36,570 annually.
The number of surgical procedures is expected to rise as the population grows and ages. Like many healthcare fields, the demand for surgical technicians is expected to grow much faster than the average for all jobs over the next decade. Surgical technician positions are supposed to grow approximately 28% by 2012, that’s an increase of over 20,000 jobs.