Surgical Technologists

What the job really is

Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.

At a glance

• Sector: Healthcare Practitioners
• O*NET-SOC code: 29-2055
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
• Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
• Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
• Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
• Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
• Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
• Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
• Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
• Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
• Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation.
• Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery.
• Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card.

Tools and technology

MEDITECH software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Adjustable height instrument tables, Air driver drills, Anesthesia machines, Argon beam coagulators, Autoclaves, Autologous blood recovery systems, Autotransfusion systems

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Surgical Assistants
• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
• Endoscopy Technicians
• Medical Equipment Preparers
• Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
• Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
• Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Surgical Technologists — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.