Surgical Technologist
Surgical technologists are sometimes known as scrubs or operation room technicians. Along with surgeons, anesthesiologists, and circulating nurses, surgical technologists are part of an operating room team.Before an operation begins, a surgical technologist will help arrange surgical equipment and instruments, as well as sterile drapes and solutions. Technologists are in charge of assembling and checking equipment to make sure that it is functioning properly.
Surgical technologists also work with patients and prepare them for surgery by washing, shaving, and disinfecting incision sites.
Surgical technologists are present throughout surgery, often passing instruments and supplies to surgeons and other professionals in the operating room. Depending upon their experience, some technologists also operate sterilizers, lights, suction machines, and diagnostic equipment. After the operation, surgical technologists help apply dressings, gather any left-over supplies, and sterilize the surgical equipment again.
Although surgical technologists may work a 40-hour week, they are often on call at night and during weekends and holidays on a rotating basis. Training programs for surgical technologists generally last 9 to 24 months, during which time you can earn a certificate, a diploma, or an associate's degree.
In 2006, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs recognized over 400 accredited programs in the nation that offered proper training for surgical technologists. Most jobs are in the operating and delivery rooms of hospitals. It is anticipated that the occupation will grow in the future, particularly in the offices of physicians and in outpatient care centers. The middle 50 percent of surgical technologists earned between $30,300 and $43,560 a year in 2006. [Figures including job projections, reported median incomes, and salary estimates were revised to reflect data from 2006 on 2/20/08.]