Will “Surgical Technician (Surgical Tech)” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔
Unknown Chance of Automation
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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)”
- Obtain or inspect sterile or non-sterile surgical equipment, instruments, or supplies.
- Assist in the insertion, positioning, or suturing of closed-wound drainage systems.
- Verify the identity of patient or operative site.
- Postoperatively inject a subcutaneous local anesthetic agent to reduce pain.
- Determine availability of necessary equipment or supplies for operative procedures.
- Adjust and maintain operating room temperature, humidity, or lighting, according to surgeon's specifications.
- Assess skin integrity or other body conditions upon completion of the procedure to determine if damage has occurred from body positioning.
- Apply sutures, staples, clips, or other materials to close skin, facia, or subcutaneous wound layers.
- Operate sterilizing devices.
- Monitor patient intra-operative status, including patient position, vital signs, or volume and color of blood.
- Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment.
- Assist in volume replacement or autotransfusion techniques.
- Assist in applying casts, splints, braces, or similar devices.
- Monitor and maintain aseptic technique throughout procedures.
- Assist members of surgical team with gowning or gloving.
- 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.
- Pass instruments or supplies to surgeon during procedure.
- Prepare and apply sterile wound dressings.
- Gather, arrange, or assemble instruments or supplies.
- Remove patient hair or disinfect incision sites to prepare patient for surgery.
- Assist with patient resuscitation during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events.
- Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
- Cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field.
- Insert or remove urinary bladder catheters.
- Incise tissue layers in lower extremities to harvest veins.
- Transport patients to operating room.
- Coordinate with anesthesia personnel to maintain patient temperature.
- 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.
Related Technology & Tools
- Hemostat clamps
- Surgical fracture tables
- Pagers
- Surgical clamps
- Fluid warmers
- Medical staple kits
- Desktop computers
- Eye lasers
- Specimen collection containers
- Surgical robots
- Surgical scalpels
- Medical image processing printers
- Pressure steam autoclaves
- Mayo stands
- Eye magnets
- Fiberoptic endoscopes
- Intravenous IV sets
- Ethylene Oxide sterilizers
- Nerve stimulators
- Surgical protective goggles
- Cast cutting saws
- Body stabilizers
- Sterile gowns
- Patient transport stretchers
- Surgical masks
- Wound drains
- Angiocaths
- Laptop computers
- Suction machines
- Flash sterilizers
- Anesthesia carts
- Cauterizing equipment
- Cardiac monitoring equipment
- Head stabilizers
- Urinary catheters
- Sterile drapes
- Surgical razors
- Subcutaneous injection syringes
- C-arm tables
- Suture kits
- Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Nd:YAG lasers
- Vascular clamps
- Patient positioning devices
- Pneumatic tourniquets
- Blood warming equipment
- Surgical retractors
- Multi-line telephone systems
- Cell savers
- Automated external defibrillators AED
- Personal computers
- Powered surgical drills
- Surgical dermatomes
- Heart pacemakers
- Surgical gloves
- Laparoscopes
- Endoscopic camera/video systems
- Surgical trocars
- Blanket warmer cabinets
- Telethermometers
- Argon beam coagulators
- Hospital intercom equipment
- Hypothermia units
- Carbon dioxide CO2 lasers
- Nursing documentation software
- Surgery workflow communication software
- Supply documentation software
- Patient tracking software
- Patient scheduling software
- Microsoft Excel
- MEDITECH software
- Electronic medical record EMR software