What it takes to be in the Surgery room

Surgical Technicians, also known as scrubs, have an important responsibility to patients during surgery to maintain a clean and sterile environment while assisting nurses to prepare patients, and prevent diseases and infections.

The environment these professionals work in is fast paced and exiting. It can range from being in a delivery room with a family having their first child, to being in a packed emergency room after a multiple car accident.

Candidates interested in being surgical technicians must be able to respond well and think clearly in emergency situations, have manual dexterity to handle instruments properly and quickly, must be able to follow directions well, and must practice good hygienic standards. Proficiency in math and sciences especially referring to the human body is also required.

The job market for these professionals is expected to grow well in the coming years. According to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Statistics, growth is expected at 25 percent from 2008 through 2018.

Education and Beyond

Education programs for surgery technicians at public schools or vocational schools in Florida require 1,330 clock hours, usually between nine months and two years. The schools may award degrees or diplomas, but mostly focus on preparing the students to be eligible to take certification exams through other organizations if they choose to or to go directly into the career.

In Florida, most employers do not require a special certification as long as some related educational program was taken or as long as there is experience working as a surgical technician. Employers however do often give hiring preference to those who have attained certifications. Certifications are provided by a number of organizations, including the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, and the National Center for Competency Testing.

If you become a member of an association for professionals in your field such as the Association of Surgical Technologists, certification exams can be offered at discounted prices of $190 instead of $290.

Certifications for surgery technicians last four or five years. To renew them after that period, some agencies will require an additional course or study time to refresh the basics, or may offer it as an alternative to taking the test again. This option is usually cheaper.

Basic Life Support provider cards are required. The American Heart Association provides this certification to healthcare professionals, like surgical technicians, to teach them to recognize a health emergency and the proper way to respond to it. The course teaches CPR and the use of automatic external defibrillators. The course first requires an online cognitive test and later a skills test. The first part of the test costs $17.50. Courses of about four hours are also available through the American Heart Association.

According to the Association of Surgical Technologists, in Florida, surgical technicians can make an average hourly pay of $17.33. The Department of Labor said in 2008, median wages for surgical technologists were at $38,740, but some have earned more than $54,000. They also say that professionals who have been certified often are paid higher wages than those with out certifications.

View a list of schools in Florida offering surgical tech programs.