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Surgical Technologists
Occupation Source: ONET
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About This Occupation
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 surgeon's assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.
Surgical Technology Certificates are available from Lord Fairfax Community College.
Competencies (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities)
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Click on a competency to search for related learning resources then choose from the results. The number of available resources are displayed in parentheses. You may not need to learn every resource associated with a competency to achieve the competency.Click on a section below to view associated competencies.
Occupation Competencies
Applied Knowledge
Critical Thinking
Mathematics
Reading
Writing
Clarifying Roles & Objectives
Communication
Monitoring Work
People Skills
Communication
Teamwork
Personal Skills
Adaptability
Dependability & Reliability
Initiative
Professionalism
Problem Solving
Professionalism
Teamwork
Workplace Skills
Customer Focus
Decision Making
Planning & Organizing
Problem Solving
Common Job Titles
You may find open job opportunities using one or more of these common job titles, relating to this occupation.
- Anesthesia Technician
- Certified Surgical Tech/First Assistant
- Certified Surgical Technician
- Certified Surgical Technologist (CST)
- Operating Room Surgical Technician (OR St)
- Operating Room Surgical Technologist
- Operating Room Technician (OR Tech)
- Operating Room Technologist (OR Tech)
- Scrub Technician
- Surgeon's Assistant
- Surgery Technician (Surgery Tech)
- Surgical Orderly
- Surgical Scrub Technician
- Surgical Scrub Technologist (Surgical Scrub Tech)
- Surgical Technician
- Surgical Technologist (Surgical Tech)
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Software, Tools, or Technology
You may encounter the software, tools, or technology items listed here. They are related to this occupation. 
Indicates a hot item.
Indicates a hot item.- Adjustable height instrument tables
- Air driver drills
- Anesthesia machines
- Argon beam coagulators
- Autoclaves
- Autologous blood recovery systems
- Autotransfusion systems
- Blood/fluid warmers
- Carbon dioxide CO2 lasers
- Cardiac leg wedges
- Cardiovascular stents
- Cavitrons
- Cell savers
- Central venous catheters
- Chest drains
- Cholangiocath catheters
- Continuous suction machines
- Coronary bypass pumps
- Craniotome drills
- Cryo units
- Cryo-ophthalmic units
- Database software
- Defibrillators
- Dermatome blades
- Dermatomes
- Desktop computers
- Digital electrosurgical units
- Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine DICOM diagnostic medical printers
- Doppler ultrasound equipment
- Electrocautery equipment
- Electronic blood pressure cuffs
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Electrosurgical grounding pads
- Electrosurgical monitors
- Electrosurgical units
- Email software
- Endoscopic camera/video systems
- Endoscopic vein harvesting equipment
- Endoscopy equipment
- Ethylene oxide sterilizers
- Eye lasers
- Eye magnets
- Fiber optic luminators
- Flash autoclaves
- Fluoroscopy equipment
- Foot-operated suction units
- Fracture tables
- Graphics software
- Graspers
- Hemorrhoidal circular staplers
- Hyper/hypothermia units
- Instrument positioning equipment
- Instrument tables
- Insufflators
- Internal mammary artery IMA retractors
- Internet browser software
- Intestinal stapling devices
- Intraluminal staplers
- Kleinert-Kutz elevators
- Lab specimen containers
- Laparoscopes
- Linear staplers
- Lithotripters
- Loupes
- Manual blood pressure units
- Master control units or manipulators
- Mayo stands
- Medical image database systems
- Medical imagining laser printers
- MEDITECH software
- Microscopes
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Word
- Minidriver drills
- Motorized lift tables
- Needle holders
- Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Nd:YAG lasers
- Nerve stimulators
- Neurotome drills
- Notebook computers
- Nursing documentation software
- Ohio suction units
- Orthopedic arm boards with drains
- Orthopedic drills
- Patient scheduling software
- Patient tracking software
- Personal computers
- Pneumatic tourniquets
- Portable suction units
- Positioning equipment
- Pulmonary resuscitators
- Remote manipulation robots
- Retractors
- Ring stands
- Robotic arms
- Robotic manipulators
- Scalpels
- Skin staplers
- Slow suction units
- Smoke evacuators
- Spark-gap electrosurgical units
- Sterad machines
- Steri-vac aeration cabinets
- Sternal saws
- Stretchers
- Suction machines
- Supply documentation software
- Surgery workflow communication software
- Surgical aspirators
- Surgical clamps
- Surgical dilators
- Surgical dissectors
- Surgical drains
- Surgical drapes
- Surgical drills
- Surgical elevators
- Surgical forceps
- Surgical lasers
- Surgical navigation systems
- Surgical pneumatic drills
- Surgical probes
- Surgical retractors
- Surgical robotics equipment
- Surgical robots
- Surgical stapling equipment
- Surgical tubing or irrigation tubing
- Suture needles
- Suturing kits
- Suturing needle forceps
- Syringes
- Tablet computers
- Thermal cautery units
- Tourniquets
- Tracheostomy tubes
- Ultrasonic cleaners
- Vacuum extractors
- Venodynes
- Video cassette recorders VCR
- Voice activated surgical systems
- Warm air blankets
- Washer sanitizers
- Washer sterilizers
- Wheelchairs
- Word processing software
- Wound drains
- X ray machines
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Related Educational Goals
Knowledge to Work supports other educational goals related to Surgical Technologists. You may also be interested in something below. Each have multiple competencies mapped to learning resources.
(ONET) Occupation
Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.
(Urban Institute) Apprenticeship
Sterile supply technicians prepare, sterilize, install, and clean laboratory and health care equipment, and they perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.
These technicians work in hospitals, surgical centers, dental offices, outpatient clinics, and treatment centers to clean and prepare medical instruments and equipment. They also assist in infection control and ensure that care providers have ample access to clean, functional, and sterile equipment. Exposure to disease agents and hazardous materials is possible.
(Urban Institute) Apprenticeship
Surgical technologists (also referred to as “Operating Room Specialists,” but will be referenced as Surgical Technologist in this document and aligning materials) work as members of a healthcare team alongside physicians and surgeons, registered nurses, and other healthcare workers.
Before an operation, surgical technologists prepare the operating room by setting up surgical instruments and equipment. They also prepare patients for surgery by washing and disinfecting incision sites, positioning the patients on the operating table, covering them with sterile drapes, and taking them to and from the operating room. Surgical technologists prepare sterile solutions and medications used in surgery and check that all surgical equipment is working properly. They help the surgical team put on sterile gowns and gloves.
During an operation, surgical technologists pass instruments and supplies to surgeons and first assistants. They also hold retractors, hold internal organs in place during the procedure, or set up robotic surgical equipment. Technologists also may handle specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
Once the operation is complete, surgical technologists may apply bandages and other dressings to the incision site. They may also help transfer patients to recovery rooms and restock operating rooms after a procedure.
More Information with Video
You can learn more about this occupation by visiting the U.S. Department of Labor's MyNextMove.org website using the button below. They provide helpful information about technology skills, knowledge, skill statements, abilities, work activities, and resources for finding certifications, licenses, and apprenticeships.
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This workforce product was funded in part by a TAACCCT grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Pathways to the American Dream
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KnowledgeToWork.com, LFCC, 173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645-1745
This workforce product was funded in part by a TAACCCT grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Pathways to the American Dream is an $7,500,000 project. $6,000,000 (75%) is provided through a Federal grant from the United States Department of Labor – Employment and Training Administration. $1,500,000 (25%) is provided through other sources, including leveraged state and local funds. This product does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. Unless otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
KnowledgeToWork.com, LFCC, 173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645-1745
This workforce product was funded in part by a TAACCCT grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Pathways to the American Dream is an $7,500,000 project. $6,000,000 (75%) is provided through a Federal grant from the United States Department of Labor – Employment and Training Administration. $1,500,000 (25%) is provided through other sources, including leveraged state and local funds. This product does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. Unless otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.