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