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