Will “Surgical Technician (Surgical Tech)” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔
Unknown Chance of Automation
Sadly, the research paper did not provide any information about this occupation. Maybe have a look at our directory?
Job Description
Assist surgeons during surgery by performing duties such as tissue retraction, insertion of tubes and intravenous lines, or closure of surgical wounds. Perform preoperative and postoperative duties to facilitate patient care.
Job Details
- The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 29-2099.07
☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Surgical Assistants”.
Also Known As…
- Surgical Assistants
- Surgical Technician (Surgical Tech)
- Surgical Scrub Technician (Surgical Scrub Tech)
- Surgical First Assistant
- Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA)
- Gastrointestinal Technician (GI Technician)
- Certified Surgical Technician
- Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA)
- Certified Surgical Assistant (CSA)
- Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant (CRNFA)
- Certified First Assistant (CFA)
- Surgical Services Assistant
- Surgical Assistant-Certified (SA-C)
- Surgical Assistant
- Surgery Technician
- Operating Room Technician
- Operating Room Assistant
- First Assistant
- Assistant-at-Surgery
Tasks for “Surgical Technician (Surgical Tech)”
- Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning.
- Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
- Adjust and maintain operating room temperature, humidity, or lighting, according to surgeon's specifications.
- Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
- Assist in applying casts, splints, braces, or similar devices.
- Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field.
- Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.
- Incise tissue layers in lower extremities to harvest veins.
- Discuss with surgeon the nature of the surgical procedure, including operative consent, methods of operative exposure, diagnostic or laboratory data, or patient-advanced directives or other needs.
- Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving.
- Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment.
- Coordinate or participate in the positioning of patients, using body stabilizing equipment or protective padding to provide appropriate exposure for the procedure or to protect against nerve damage or circulation impairment.
- Operate sterilizing devices.
- Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies.
- Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events.
- Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
- Assist in volume replacement or autotransfusion techniques.
- Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.
- Gather, arrange, or assemble instruments or supplies.
- Postoperatively inject a subcutaneous local anesthetic agent to reduce pain.
- Insert or remove urinary bladder catheters.
- Transport patients to operating room.
- Monitor patient intra-operative status, including patient position, vital signs, or volume and color of blood.
- Coordinate with anesthesia personnel to maintain patient temperature.
- Assist in the insertion, positioning, or suturing of closed-wound drainage systems.
- Pass instruments or supplies to surgeon during procedure.
- Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
- Remove patient hair or disinfect incision sites to prepare patient for surgery.
Related Technology & Tools
- Blood warming equipment
- Heart pacemakers
- Desktop computers
- Vascular clamps
- Cardiac monitoring equipment
- Anesthesia carts
- Medical image processing printers
- Cell savers
- Argon beam coagulators
- Mayo stands
- Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Nd:YAG lasers
- Cauterizing equipment
- Urinary catheters
- Intravenous IV sets
- Hypothermia units
- Pagers
- Pneumatic tourniquets
- Personal computers
- Automated external defibrillators AED
- Cast cutting saws
- Surgical robots
- Sterile drapes
- Hospital intercom equipment
- Powered surgical drills
- Body stabilizers
- Carbon dioxide CO2 lasers
- Endoscopic camera/video systems
- Wound drains
- Laptop computers
- Surgical retractors
- Surgical masks
- Flash sterilizers
- Sterile gowns
- Fluid warmers
- Head stabilizers
- Hemostat clamps
- Telethermometers
- Multi-line telephone systems
- Blanket warmer cabinets
- C-arm tables
- Pressure steam autoclaves
- Ethylene Oxide sterilizers
- Surgical gloves
- Suture kits
- Surgical dermatomes
- Specimen collection containers
- Subcutaneous injection syringes
- Surgical protective goggles
- Surgical trocars
- Fiberoptic endoscopes
- Suction machines
- Surgical clamps
- Surgical fracture tables
- Patient positioning devices
- Laparoscopes
- Surgical scalpels
- Surgical razors
- Nerve stimulators
- Angiocaths
- Medical staple kits
- Eye lasers
- Eye magnets
- Patient transport stretchers
- Patient scheduling software
- Surgery workflow communication software
- MEDITECH software
- Nursing documentation software
- Microsoft Excel
- Patient tracking software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Supply documentation software