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