Surgical Technology Program
The Associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology program at the Baptist Health System School of Health Professions prepares you for the role of surgical technologist. Students will learn to prepare the operating room and the instruments, equipment and supplies needed; positioning and preparing the patients for surgery; and passing instruments, sponges and sutures to the surgeon.
What is a Surgical Technologist?
The surgical technologist is an operating room specialist who performs specific duties for pre-, intra- and postoperative case management. Surgical technologists must be knowledgeable in asepsis and sterile technique, and must be able to properly care for instrumentation, equipment and supplies. Education includes the following: basic sciences: microbiology, anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, and surgical pharmacology. Additionally, this education includes surgical procedures, case management, wound care and closure, surgical patient care and safety.
Preoperative case management duties include operating room preparation, gathering of supplies and equipment, case set-up and preparation of the operative site with sterile drapes. Intraoperative case management duties include maintenance of the sterile field, passing instruments and medications to the surgeon and assistant, specimen care and application of wound dressings. Postoperative case management duties include care and maintenance of equipment and instruments after use and preparation of the operating room for the next procedure.
Surgical Technologist Employment Outlook
Surgical technologists' employment includes hospital operating rooms, central sterile processing departments, outpatient surgical units, medical companies as sales representatives, physicians in private practice, cardiac catheterization units or endoscopic departments.
Overall employment of surgical assistants and technologists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2021 to 2031. The median annual wage for surgical technologists was $48,530 in May 2021. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses).
Actual salaries and employment opportunities may vary depending upon geographic location, market employment trends by local area, employer size, employee experience and employee credentials. Prospective students should research the local employment opportunities as a part of their decision-making processes.
