The Surgical Technologist: A Personal PerspectiveI'm a scrub. That's what most people call me. Scrub, operation room technician, surgical technologist-the job duties are all the same, it's only the name that changes from area to area. One might think that someone in my position receives a decent salary, but the truth is that some full-time teachers earn more money than a person in my position. I'm not complaining about the $36,800 I earn per year, but those who feel surgical technologists earn as much as some nurses or doctors are sadly mistaken. Four years ago, I was fresh out of school. I soon discovered that finding a job as a surgical technologist was not going to be as easy as I thought. I found jobs, but most required at least two years of experience. Salaries were also not as high as I had originally thought. I finally managed to find a job in Austin, Texas, for a meager $28,000 per year. I had to work my way up to where I am now. People are fascinated by my job. At any social function or in a social setting, people want to know all about my job. What exactly is it like to be a surgical technologist for one day? Most of my job requires some lifting. Think of any surgical procedure. The patient moves from his or her hospital bed to a stretcher to the operating room and then back. I lift patients from the stretcher to the operating table and back. I transfer patients from their hospital beds to the stretchers. This, however, is only part of my job. Before a surgery, I have to make sure that all of the surgical tools are sterile and laid out in the proper order. I have to know exactly which tools will be needed for the surgical procedure. I also help the doctor get into his or her surgical scrubs and help pull on the latex gloves in some cases. During a surgery, I am the person that hands the surgeon the proper tool. At the end, I make sure all surgical supplies are accounted for and not stuck inside the body. I can also cut sutures after the surgeon has finished stitching the patient up. I say that the most important part of my job has to be counting up the surgical supplies afterwards. There are reported cases of patients developing infections because sponges were left inside. These horrifying mistakes should never happen. My job is largely about memorization. There are many different surgical procedures and each one requires different tools. A doctor creates a schedule of surgeries and then submits a list of supplies that he or she will need. I take that list and stock the operating room before the procedure. I must know which tools are needed, as well. If I see a doctor has forgotten to include something in their scheduling papers, I must verify the mistake with that specific doctor and make sure that he or she really doesn't need that tool. I also make sure that the doctor has estimated enough sponges, sutures, and other necessary surgical supplies. With my job, I have a really hard time meeting other people for social events. I work an eight-hour day, but the schedule can fluctuate. I may work a typical 9 to 5 day one day and then work the graveyard shift the next. Emergency surgeries occur at any time of the day or night. I also must work some weekends and that makes it hard to plan in advance. My benefits are good. I do have excellent health insurance coverage and even the dental is first rate. I receive eleven holidays per year, but I might not get all of them off on the exact holiday. Hospitals do not shut down just because a holiday has arrived. I also get two weeks of vacation, some sick leave, and personal time. In order to work for the Austin Hospital, I have to pass periodic drug checks. This is not an issue for me, but I've seen others who have struggled with the issue. The hospital takes their drug-free policy seriously and never warn when drug tests will be issued. To get this job, I had to graduate from an accredited surgical technology college and I had to become certified as a surgical technician. I am a whiz in math and chemistry, so that made me a prime candidate for this career. My college career included courses in:
School was tough, but keeping my grades above a C average proved to be the bigger challenge. I had to balance school with the job I needed in order to afford the bachelor's degree I needed to gain. After graduation, I found that most hospitals required you to have certification as a surgical technologist if you wanted to be considered for a job. To become a Certified Surgical Technician, I had to get a letter from the college and then pay a $300 fee. This was followed by a 250 question test that covered every aspect of a surgical technician's job. I had to know all about patient care, surgical procedures, post-operative care, patient monitoring, CPR procedures, lab testing, names and uses for surgical supplies and tools, surgical room preparation, required surgical gear, and even how to handle emergency situations such as chemical spills and the likes. The test took four very long and tedious hours, but it took me the full amount of time to complete the exam. To gain my certification, I had to pass this written test with a pre-selected score that was given to me only after I received my test results four weeks later. Today, I'm happy that I have passed certification and have my job. Knowing that I've played a part in saving people's lives is an incredible feeling. I highly recommend this job to anyone with an interest in medicine and humanity. View a list of surgical technology programs in Texas on our medical training schools page. |