From start to finish of any surgical procedure, surgical technicians are the behind the scenes and main scene helpers. Most people do not realize just how important a part these unsung heroes play in a patient’s surgery. As one of the upcoming professions for the medical services field, becoming a surgical technologist can be a gratifying and promising career experience.

As with many medical professions, surgical technologists begin their career with studying at college, and sometimes field training. In order to become a surgical technologist, or ‘scrub’ as the common slang term, one must do the following:

• Study surgical fundamentals in college. Such studies include physical anatomy, medical terminology, and pathology
• Become familiar to surgical procedures – specializing in several fields, unlike nursing professionals or doctors who tend to specialize in one particular field. A scrub must understand the basic mechanics of many procedures in order to assist on a variety of operations
• Learn and familiarize themselves to technologies within the operating room. Monitoring systems, pressurized systems, and tools used for different procedures must be understood in order to perform an efficient operation
• Practical applications – practice under both faux and real circumstances. Rooms with equipment solely for training and testing are used to ensure technologists know and understand what to do in any situation.
• Work in the field – Technologists will work under the supervision of physicians and nurses to provide a safe and sterile surgical area.

Once finished, a surgical technologist is responsible for not only preparing the operating room, ensuring the proper instruments and tools are sterilized and ready for use, but they will provide several other duties as well. Prior to operating, the scrub will often prepare the patient for surgery, assisting nursing staff in shaving, monitoring and checking the patient for any problems or necessary clean-ups.

During surgery, a surgical technologist will assist surgical staff with the instrument handling and monitoring, helping to make sure the utmost care for the patient is being taken care of for the procedure. Because of the environment, a surgical technologist is subject to potential communicable diseases and dangers; however, if one is looking to be a part of an industry that is serving to help patients with the best quality care possible, one will find a career in surgical technology quite rewarding.

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