What is a Scrub Technician?
A scrub technician goes by several different names: surgical technologist, surgical assistant, or operating room technician. But no matter what you call them, surgical technologists perform a variety of vital functions in the operating room.
Working as a surgical technologist can be a demanding job, requiring individuals who can perform well under pressure in a sometimes challenging environment. But if you've got what it takes in terms of dedication, stamina and focus, you may find a career in this growing field a rewarding choice.
What Do Scrub Technicians Do?
A scrub technician might be called to do a variety of jobs within the scope of their duties. Here are just a few of them.
- Prepares the patient and operating room for surgeries
- Sterilizes and sets up equipment, ensuring it's working properly
- Sterilizes and sets up surgical instruments
- Assists physician with putting on gloves and gown
- Assists physician by creating a sterile field on the operating table, setting up drapes on the patient; positions patient on the operating table
- Sets up solutions and medications
- Passes medical tools to surgeon during operations
- Holds organs in place or uses retractors during surgery
- Helps dress wounds
- Cuts sutures
- Counts sponges, needles, and other supplies to prevent anything being lost or left behind
- Transfers patients back to recovery
In some instances, a tech will assist in the transportation of patients to the operating room and shave and disinfect the sites on the body marked for incision. Surgical techs are generally supervised by the surgeon, and work with a team composed of a registered nurse, surgeon or physician, and anesthesiologist.
A graduate with a surgical technology degree might also work in a delivery room, a dentist's or doctor's office, in outpatient care centers, or in ambulatory surgical centers.
Qualities of a Good Scrub Technician
A surgical tech needs a certain amount of stamina to remain alert and ensure that procedures are unbroken during sometimes lengthy operations. Although the work environment is generally well lit, clean and cool, the operating room can be warm under surgical lights and while the tech is wearing a sterile gown and gloves.
At times, you may be exposed to communicable pathogens as well as unpleasant sights and odors associated with wounds, trauma, burns, and other conditions afflicting the human body. Needless to say, this job is not for the faint of heart. You will need to assess whether you're likely to grow accustomed to these conditions.
Accidents and emergencies may demand your presence as part of a surgical team, so be prepared to be on call when they occur. A good scrub technician also needs to be able to anticipate during an operation what the surgeon needs in terms of instruments and supplies, and be vigilant about counting instruments. Also, as the tech receives tissue specimens and passes them off to a circulator, they must maintain sterile techniques so the chances for infection are minimized.
Becoming a Scrub Technician
The most common path toward becoming a surgical technologist or scrub technician is to enroll in a program at a college and obtain an associate's degree. Your best preparation for this field will come from enrolling in a program with strong classroom curriculum, supported by a hands-on learning environment.
Graduates of a surgical tech program should have the knowledge and skills to assist with basic and advanced procedures during surgery. Educational program objectives should help the student absorb entry-level knowledge of surgical technology in the modern healthcare system, as well as the flow of surgical procedure from start to finish.
Among the core classes you should plan to study are:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Surgical terminology
- Surgical theory and technology
- Microbiology
- Surgical pharmacology
In addition, surgical technology students should expect to learn the following:
- Names and uses of basic and advanced surgical instruments
- Aseptic techniques
- Sterile barriers
- Basic surgical anatomy and physiology
- Surgical procedure flow
Students should expect to gain clinical experience in a hospital or outpatient facility.
Surgical tech students typically become certified after graduation. As they work toward their degrees, they should have an additional goal; preparing for the Certified Surgical Technologist qualifying exam.
Job Projections and Salary Information for Scrub Technicians
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in the surgical technology field are projected to grow 15 percent from 2014 to 2024 -- a much faster rate than the average for all occupations. One reason for that is that advances in medical technology have improved safety in the operating room, promoting more operations as treatment for injuries and illnesses.
Curious about what a scrub technician makes in salary? BLS also reports that as of May 2015, the median annual pay for surgical technologists was $44,330.
Is a Career in Surgical Technology for You?
If you think a career in surgical technology might be for you, consider ECPI University's Associate of Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology. With a focus on hands-on learning and an accelerated schedule, you could earn your degree in as little as 15 months. Contact an ECPI University admissions advisor to find out about your next step into this exciting career field.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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Gainful Employment Information – Surgical Technology - Associate’s
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