Surgical Technologist

Job Purpose:

The Surgical Technologist is responsible for ensuring all instrumentation is available and sterile for surgery.  The Surgical Technologist is responsible for creating a sterile workspace and ensuring the field maintains sterility throughout the case.  The Surgical Technologist will assist in surgery by anticipating the needs of the surgeon. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

·         Pulls case carts for surgeries

·         Maintains highest standard of sterile technique from the start of the case to the end of a case

·         Prepares operating room for surgery

·         Inspects instruments and power equipment prior to use to assure operational order and troubleshoots, reports, and removes faulty instrument and equipment from service

·         Assures adequate amount of appropriate supplies and instrumentation are available in accordance with surgeon’s preference

·         Serves as scrub person for basic surgical procedures and participates in complex surgical procedures as needed

·         Follows department procedures for scrub persons by assembling surgical packs, supplies and instruments for surgical cases

·         Anticipates surgeon’s needs and assists surgeon by draping patients, holding/passing instruments, retractors, sutures, medications, applying surgical dressings, suctioning and sponging surgical wounds, holding extremities, and moving patients

·         Inventories and monitors instruments, sponges and needles on operative field using department count procedures

·         Adjusts instrumentation and supplies to changes in procedures and patient condition

·         Ascertains correctness of count prior to closure of body cavities and surgical wound

·         Adjusts priorities and participates in resolving problems as appropriate

·         Assists in identification, labeling and proper specimen disposition using departmental procedures

·         Maintains appropriate quantities of surgical supplies and equipment by restocking room with necessary equipment and supplies

·         Checks for outdated supplies

·         Apprises supervisor of special requests for surgical supplies and equipment

·         Cleans and prepares instruments for terminal sterilization

·         Assists with terminal cleaning of operating room in between cases

·         Ensures each surgeon preference cards are up to date with the essential items needed

·         Recognizes and reports emergency situations

·         Maintain yearly required training including but not limited to:

o   Patient Safety

o   Infection Control/OSHA

o   TB Testing

o   Fire Safety

o   All codes

o   Location of SDS

o   BLS certification

Competencies:

·         Service:  We align our actions and decision making with the organization’s guiding platform keeping our patients at the center of all we do.

·         Change Agent:  We support and contribute to positive change in the organization.

·         Communication and Interpersonal Relations:  We communicate honestly and with compassion to build connections with our patients and each other.

·         Effectiveness:  We take ownership of work, doing the right thing for our customer and doing it well.

Organizational Culture:

All OrthoIllinois employees focus on service by putting the mission, vision, and value statements into practice and using the guiding principles of Compassion, Respect, Trust, Integrity, Innovation, Education Fiscal Responsibility, Practice Independence, Accountability, and Empowerment to direct their interactions and decision making.  Employees promote and model the service standards to create lasting impressions, extraordinary moments, exceptional on-stage experiences, and meaningful and compassionate connections.   

Education and Experience Requirements:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Successful completion of surgical tech program or equivalent commensurate experience
• BLS certification or within 30 days of hire
• Previous experience as a surgical technician preferred

Environmental/Working Conditions:

Work location is operating room, sterile supply room and dirty/clean utility room.  Exposure to biohazard materials such as blood, body fluids, ionizing radiation, and other conditions common to the operating room environment.  Requires use of own personal vehicle for delivery of surgical specimens and occasional business errands.

Physical/Mental Demands: 

·         Sit or stand for long periods of time, walk for periods of time, kneel, crawl, stoop and climb stairs.

·         Possess full range of motion in shoulders and arms, including reaching above or below the shoulder in order to operate power tools and medical equipment when needed.

·         Finger dexterity, the ability to twist hands/wrists repetitively.

·         Vision: Posses close, distant, peripheral and color vision and ability to adjust focus

·         Hearing: ability to detect high pitch, soft or distant sounds

This description is intended to provide only basic guidelines for meeting job requirements.  Responsibilities, knowledge, skills, abilities and working conditions may change as needs evolve.