Surgical Technology: It's Not Just For Nurses Anymore!

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Surgical Technology: It’s Not Just For Nurses Any More If you think that Florence Nightingale’s great, great grand nurse is standing beside the doctor while he removes your inflamed appendix, think again. Bodies aren’t the only things opening up in the OR. Jobs are too! Surgical Technology is one of the most rapidly growing careers in healthcare. Many technical schools and career colleges are now offering this specific training. Twelve to eighteen months of classroom instruction, coupled with hands-on clinical skill development can land you right in the middle of a very exciting place: The Operating Room—ala pass the scalpel please. Luis Melendez, CST, CSA, has been a surgical technologist for many years. He began his journey while in the military. Today he not only stands on-call for several local trauma centers, he serves as the surgical technologist program director for a career college in his locale. He offers the following to anyone contemplating a new direction. Take his Surg Tech test and see if it’s right for you. Five major benefits that a ST candidate/graduate may consider would be: (In my opinion) 1. If you are an adrenaline junkie….you [would be] in the right profession 2. If you like to get paid for carrying a pager and, in the middle of the night, go from being sound asleep to a crash c-section in the blink of an eye or less…… you [would be] in the right profession. 3. If you like a front "seat" (though you'll most likely be standing) to the wonders of the human body, with all its fluids and smells, you like it!.....you [would be] in the right profession. 4. If you would like the privilege to go through the doors that read "Authorized Personnel Only/ Surgical Attire Required"…you [would be] in the right profession. 5. If you want to develop the thickness of your skin and not take anything personal, because you may have been mistreated, but you know you made a difference in someone's life….you [have chosen] the right profession. So while you’re watching the commercials on TV while you’re getting ready to go to an unrewarding job, where you’re underpaid, underappreciated, think of how you’d look in surgical green. Take off the mask you’ve had to wear to get through the day and trade it for a surgical one. You’ll like what you see and will be helping people live. And you know, it doesn’t get much better than that!

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  • Patricia  V.
    Patricia  V. •
    That's right being a scrub tech is horrible! Everyone yells at you,the surgeons, nurses and your manager. The hours are rough, the pay stinks, and call hours are disgusting. I wouldn't trade my job as a SCRUB for any amount of money. I came into this job because I find the human body amazing. When a person becomes a tech they are supposed to go in with both eyes open. If your not sure about going to school for it get a job in the OR or volunteer at your local hospital. I'M A SURGICAL TECH AND PROUD OF IT!!!!!
  • SaraRN
    SaraRN •
    MizzSwinneyWhen I was in nursing school I was told repeatedly that nurses are in such high demand. I have been a nurse for 3 years, and for the past 2 years I have seen jobs dwindle. I have seen hospitals lay off 100s of nurses. And now that I have relocated to California, I have been unable to find employment. I have been searching for 2 months. When I graduated there were plenty of hospitals hiring new grads and were willing to train and orient them to the unit. Now I am looking at available hospital jobs and they mostly are in specialty areas and they are requiring the nurse to have experience. It appears hospitals are no longer willing to train nurses to specialties anymore. I have an acute care, step down, long-term care, and public health background, but all of these positions are either not open or want more experience than I have. I don't even have a chance to get my foot in the door before they close it. Are any other states having this problem? Are any other nurses experiencing this dilemma?vickielee1970So many postings about folks having trouble finding jobs. It is down right scary for me. I went back to school got my LPN and then went right back and am pursuing my Rn, ADN. I left a stable state job as a secretary to go into nursing. I am working part-time while in RN school. The thought that there will not be any good jobs for RNs when I get through with school is horrific. Of course I want to further my education to make myself more employable, but to keep reading of new graduates of Rn programs hunting for work for months on end does not make sleep come easyJhowannaSame situation here in NY. I've been looking for an RN job for almost 2 months now with more than 20 institutions which includes nursing homes, hospitals and doctor's office. I dont know what to do anymore! Most of the hospitals are either on freeze or will only hire nurses that has experience. In nursing homes, they will only hire RN for managerial positions. To be honest, it is really frustrating that they are doing this to us. We've studied hard to get our degrees and studied harder to pass the nclex. How can we gain our experience if they will not give us a chance.:(defensor86yes. so true..how can we gain experience if no one is willing to give us a chance...Im a new grad lvn and passed my nclex first try...its been 3 months since i received my license and ive looked at the reality of things and for now going to do some volunteer work and working a regular job for the meantime...and if anyone has any suggestions on how i can get experience even without pay im willing to do it...im in the bay areaalphamaleOne of the bad things about the nursing,,, dare I call it a profession... is... when the economy tanks,,, sport-wives who left the job to raise kids, drive them to soccer games...supervise the house cleaning crew.. etc etc.. all of a sudden return to the job... thus, not only driving down wages.. but decreasing the number of job available... It is the nature of a female dominated career.Nursing is not a profession.. its is a job and nothing more.cdnurseI have heard so many times that nursing is a recession proof job. What bad advice that is. There is no such thing as a recession proof job. I am still teaching part-time and I have many new grads telling me that they cannot find work. I work in a jail and the jail is not recession proof. Hospitals are closing all over the country and jails an prisons have state, county and federal budgets. The state prison here is speaking of staff cuts. They now have a mandatory one day a month unpaid furlough and speaking of making staff take two days a month
  • Sarah A.
    Sarah A. •
    After reading these posts I am even more discouraged than before. I will graduate in about 7 months from a Surgical Technology program. I will have a AAS degree when I am done. I have reading all of this and thinking about the thousands of dollars worth of debt that I am now in....that apparently the pay isn't even good enough to justify. I am worried that I am wasting my time and money on this. At this point there is nothing I can do but continue on and get the degree. I just wish I could be excited like I was in the beginning...but it just sounds so awful that I am just disgusted. I hope I get surprised and things are better than I am expecting. This really sucks. Don't go to private tech schools....they will rob you blind.
  • jeremy
    jeremy •
    WOW, super helpful, sooo experts, what other medical field would you recommend that only requires a one year certificate?? Surg tech seemed like a really good one, fast growing and decent pay but i guess not. Please let me know.
  • Mich
    Mich •
    I am a surgical tech and I love my job.  It's fun, hands on work. I don't feel like the low man on the totem pole at all.  I am completely respected by the Dr. and the RNs - its team work as it should be.  This is a tough job but if you can stand up for yourself and not take a situation personal you will be fine.  You have to understand when things go wrong people get stressed and its not really toward you.
  • Walter
    Walter •
    I just want to say this was great opinions that i take  to heart because a site like this is really hard to find so thank all of you for your posts
  • Jan
    Jan •
    I'm also in Maine, considering a career in Surgical Technology when my daughter goes to school.  Right now I'm home with my pre-schooler.  Are surgical tech's on call?  I was told most have a set schedule...   Thank you.  
  • kelly
    kelly •
    i have been a surgical tech for 13 years and i love what i do. i have read most of these posts and must say there are things about any job that are worthy of complaint and some of these things are true but if you love what you do, all these complaints are relatively small. this career is perfect for me and i love it. yes i have bad days and have worked in some terrible places but over all i still love what i do so dont get discouraged by the negativity. it all depends on what you love to do. dont sweat the small stuff.
  • Lynn Brown
    Lynn Brown •
    hey i was woundering what is the pay like as a ST and what other fields in healthcare are better to persue.
  • Shirley
    Shirley •
    Sounds like a rewarding career just the conditions aren't very good,  still thinking of it.
  • Barb
    Barb •
    Well I was thinking about ST but I guess I will look for something else, thanks for info
  • Melissa
    Melissa •
    Thanks, "R" and "Nate".  I was seriously thinking of going to school for ST.  I was just told by a director at my community college "not to do it".  He was married to one for twenty years and he heard all the horror stories.  He said that ST's are treated so horribly by the surgeons and everything is your fault.  Thank you, I have been looking for some honest information on this for quite some time.
  • K Bertrand  
    K Bertrand   •
    'A day in the Life'of a ST piece would help sell the specialty.  It's often difficult to get an informational interview with people in the industry, not only because they're busy but because they aren't always easily identified from a roster.  Many 'sales' articles from schools don't address the downsides or special attributes required or on the job stresses for fear of losing enrollees with the truth.  However, "A day in the life" will help prepare and provide focus for those individuals who are truly suited to the specialty.  kb
  • Nate
    Nate •
    Quite simply put, don't become a Surgical Technologist. 1- As an ST you are the lowest man on the totem pole, you are one rung higher than the people mopping the floors, and at times, you are made to do that job.2- Everyone is your boss. Yes, technically the OR manager is your boss, however, everyone else towers over you in their credentials giving them the power to essentially say, do, or tell you what to do.3- Pay is crap. For the amount of information you need to know, for each case, for each doctor, its really too much information that we are supposed to be on top of. Heaven forbid if you forget something, then you and your rear end will be sore. And its not like I can justify this job with a decent pay check, to put things in perspective, I work in Maine, I made better money working at a Water Park in New Hampshire than in an OR in Maine.4- Mandatory call. Its not an option, expect 3-4 call week days a month and a solid Friday - Monday morning call week end each month. Imagine working your 40 hour shift then working your call weekend and putting in another 25 hours OT and then not being able to go home and sleep modnay, because you have to start your shift... awesome?5- You are stuck there until the cases are over. Because we work with complaintive docs who run the department (when they want to do work, they will, there is no set boundaries.) So even if you have class at night you are forced to stay there, with no relief until the case is over.6- Ever try standing straight up on a concrete floor holding retractors while being sterile and having to pee? Ever done that for 8-10 hours? Ever cramp so bad that you want to sit, but you can't for your entire shift? Welcome to your reality as a Tech. OR nurses are a joke too, they sit down, fill out their paperwork, and play sudoku all day until they get bored and want to harass you. I would avoid this job at all costs. Vet Tech's, X-Ray Techs, Phlebotomists are all other options I would choose. You get better pay and better hours.
  • Jessica Wilson
    Jessica Wilson •
    I am in training to become a surgical technologist, and I can't imagine a more rewarding career with such little school time.  
  • r
    r •
    hi, i have read your articles and i agree with the first person if you are ready for all of that then the careers for you. i am a surgical tech and i hate it! you are mistreated, you are directly assisting the surgeon and you are the first person that they scream at when something goes wrong with their case and the r.n in the room depends where you qare but you find yourself doing their job for them as well. at least i do. the surgeons are whiny and are never happy. you may get one or two that you like to work with. it's very hard to please multiple personalities on a daily basis for crappy pay and are expected to know so much info and work long hours and miss out on family things cause you never know when your going to get to go home. i have only been in this 2 years and i regret going to school for it. i made the wrong choice, and now i am regretting it. i should have gone for something else and now i am trying to figure out how i can do that with my children and not being able to work so i can school full time. just being honest!  
  • Luis Melendez
    Luis Melendez •
    I am a program director in Surgical Technology. You can contact me if you have any questions.
  • johnathon
    johnathon •
    i have a few questions to ask for a school project about the job i want and i wanted to see if you can answer them
  • Larisa Maji
    Larisa Maji •
    OK Alane, it's been two years, please tell me what field you found "that pay us what we are worth with less stress, better hours, no 'on-call', gentler physical requirements, no ongoing licensing and educational expenses and that acknowledge our abilities and contributions."
  • d sager
    d sager •
    As someone looking into this field I found this article very informative. It gives a realistic picture of a career as a surgical tech. I have been doing research on many sites that give some information but not the "real picture">I also did some research on job availability in my area in California...reading the job descriptions for some give a general idea of what one would be expected to do in this role...many were very vague. Other than this article the only place I found that gave some details was on the MemorialCare Career site.
  • Jacob Frantz
    Jacob Frantz •
    I am considering a career as a surgery tech. As a mid life change..am looking for tips, or any other information..about what to expect..what should i expect to pay for training to get certificate and where are the best places to get it...
  • diondra sams
    diondra sams •
    This is a very good article; it has every answer for a question a surgical tech would ask.
  • Alane
    Alane •
    I've been in healthcare for almost 30 years and have BSN and a Masters in Healthcare Administration. I find less and less to recommend a healthcare related job, particularly in a hospital setting.  Between 1977 and 2006 wages have increased in the ER (a high risk area, said to pay better in comparison with floor nursing) from $8/hr to $28/hr on the average, which is well below the 30 year national average for other jobs with similar qualification, and the costs to acquire a nursing education are well over 300%+ higher.  There is little willingness by hospitals to staff adequately, leaving RNs high and dry in terms of completing almost every aspect of patient care with very little help. I don't know 1 RN with 5+ years experience that does not have back,neck or other skeleto-muscular problems due to few available ancillary personnel to assist with delivery of physical care. Call is more frequent, hours are now 12-14 hr shifts, not an 8 hr day--mandatory continuing education is very expensive and often not reimbursed. Even a 40 hour/week job barely produces a living wage for a family of 3 with someone that has my education and experience. Medical care is imploding and our healthcare 'system' in the US is in dire difficulty because people like me are leaving for positions that pay us what we are worth with less stress, better hours, no 'on-call', gentler physical requirements, no ongoing licensing and educational expenses and that acknowledge our abilities and contributions--which rarely occurs in any meaningful way in a hospital.  Medical professionals are also famous for 'eating their own' and staff are not very supportive of one another.  It's a dog eat dog world and in 30 years, I have had a variety of jobs, responsibilities, management positions and the experience to know of what I speak.  I still love many aspects of the work itself, but could never recommend the conditions in which I have to do it. I travel and find this is true from Hawaii to Florida.  Sorry for presenting an opinion that many will see as negative, and some will call it burn out, but that is not the case. I've taken breaks along the way specifically to avoid that issue.  It is the future of medicine, hospital and clinic care, private medicine, etc. that is the more important issue. I recommend everyone who reads this, return to the article by the author above and re-read Item #5 - because that will happen to you every day and the 'warm fuzzies' you get telling yourself you are making a difference don't help you lift an average 500-1000#/day over 13 hours, it doesnt give you a meal or bathroom break, it doesn't help you with tons of paper or computer work and and doesn't pay you when you go to a deposition when someone sues - and they do sue - despite our good intentions and best efforts in a very tightly wound, hard hitting, tough job. So strap on your armour ladies and gentlemen and get ready if you go into healthcare. And don't say you weren't given the skinny ahead of time.  This is my first blog EVER and that's because I feel it's important to give those who are thinking of healthcare an acurate picture of the condition of the profession in 2006.

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