 |
|
|
|
Also known as surgical technicians, operating room technicians assist physicians and other medical personnel from pre-surgery through post-surgery and strive to provide exceptional patient care. Technicians prepare and maintain operating room equipment and supplies, shave and disinfect incision sites, move patients, monitor vital signs, assist in maintaining charts and clean surgical facilities and equipment.
Operating Room Technician Training Overview
Most training programs last from 9 to 24 months and graduates earn a certificate, diploma or associate's degree. Programs are typically offered in community colleges, universities, vocational schools, military institutions and hospitals. A high school diploma is usually required for admission into a surgical technician program. To successfully prepare for a technician program, high school students should study mathematics, biology, chemistry and health.
Operating Room Technician Training: Degrees and Coursework
In 2008, the Commission on Accreditation Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) formally recognized 450 accredited training programs in the United States. Schools and training programs must meet specified standards of training and supervised clinical experience in order to maintain accreditation.
Coursework in surgical technician training traditionally includes the following:
Supporting coursework and clinical experience trains students to prevent and control infection, ensure patient safety and learn how to use and sterilize surgical equipment.
Professional Certifications
The value of professional certifications is twofold: increased entry-level employment opportunities and increased chances for promotion or upward mobility within the field. Operating room technicians are finding growing job prospects across the nation and professional certifications can help job-seekers during the employment and promotion processes.
Professional certification is earned by graduating from a program accredited by the CAAHEP and successfully passing the national certification examination. The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) administers the examination. Once earned, the voluntary professional certification is maintained by completing 60 hours of continuing education over a 4-year period or passing the national certification test again at the end of the 4-year time span.
The National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) is a separate but equally valued professional certification. To qualify for NCCT certification the candidate must complete one of three requirements.
The NCCT bestows Tech in Surgery-Certified (TS-C) certification to successful candidates who pass the examination. The NCCT certification is maintained by either continuing education or retaking and passing the examination.
Operating Room Technician Career Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that employment prospects for surgical technologists could grow by as much as 25 percent between 2008 and 2018. This growth rate is significantly faster than the overall projected increase for all U.S. jobs during that decade. The reason for the phenomenal growth in the industry is that the U.S. population is aging and older Americans typically require more surgeries than younger people.
Hospitals continue to be the primary employers of surgical technicians. Rewarding careers are found in hospitals and advancement can take place within various hospital surgical departments or in specializations such as heart surgery and neurosurgery. Outside employers such as insurance companies, dentists' offices and hospital equipment providers offer lateral transfer opportunities and management positions. Growing medical technology is providing additional opportunities as surgeons perfect laser treatments and other less invasive surgical procedures.
Operating room technicians can expect to earn good wages. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for technicians in 2009 was $18.94 and the median annual income was $39,400. Technicians in the top 10 percent of the annual wage bracket that year earned $55,620 and those in the bottom 10 percent made $27,910.
Career opportunities for operating room technicians are growing fast. Now is the ideal time to enter a training program to enter this exciting and rewarding field of health care.
Resources for Operating Room Technicians
These schools offer particularly quick info upon request, and we have written detailed profiles for each (click school names to see the profiles).
Request info from multiple schools, by clicking the Get Info links.
Copyright © QuinStreet, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
