The primary duties of a surgical technologist entail providing assistance during surgical operations. They will typically help prepare operating rooms, arrange the necessary equipment, and help doctors during surgeries. The surgical technician's tasks may include prepping for surgery, stocking and sterilizing surgery supplies and equipment, prepping patients for surgery, passing instruments to surgeons throughout operations, counting supplies, and maintaining a sterile environment.

New Hampshire Surgical Technologist Schools

Surgical technologists typically must earn some type of postsecondary award, whether it's an associate degree or a certification from an accredited program. If you're interested in this career path, you may consider some of the following surgical tech schools in New Hampshire:

  • Great Bay Community College: Founded in 1945, Great Bay Community College has almost 1,500 full time equivalents, and, in 2016, enrolled 2184 students. It offers a 10-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio and has a variety of programs of study from which students can choose.

  • Salter School of Nursing and Allied Health: Focusing on career-oriented training for Nurses, Nursing Assistants, and Patient Care Technicians, the Salter School of Nursing and Allied health provides learning opportunities through classroom presentations, hands-on laboratory experience, as well as on-the-job training in clinical settings.

What to Expect from New Hampshire Surgical Tech Programs

Typical surgical tech programs in New Hampshire involve a combination of general skills building and technical knowledge coursework, and some require a set amount of in-field education. Surgical tech programs can take anywhere from several months to 2 years to complete. While coursework varies from program to program, some of the general skills you can expect to develop include:

  • Being detail-oriented
  • Dexterity
  • Integrity
  • Physical stamina
  • Stress-management skills

These skills might provide a critical edge in your career as a surgical technician.

As far as technical knowledge coursework goes, surgical technology education will likely include courses in anatomy, biology, medical terminology, pharmacology, and other topics. Specific training focuses may include guaranteeing the care and safety of patients, methods for sterilizing equipment, setting up technical or robotic equipment, as well as preventing and controlling infections should they occur.

New Hampshire Surgical Technician Certification

Certification for a surgical technologist is not mandatory in the state of New Hampshire, but is required in the states of Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Since it can show an advanced understanding of the various job responsibilities involved in this career, many employers may be more likely to employ applicants holding any certification.

In order to obtain certification on the national level, surgical technicians have a few options. The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting offers the title "Certified Surgical Technologist (CST)." It requires completing an accredited program as well as passing an exam.

Surgical technologists can also gain certification through the National Center for Competency Testing, which grants the title of "Tech in Surgery - Certified (NCCT)." Applicants looking to qualify for certification through work experience, military training, as well as other paths should choose certification path as it does not necessarily require completing an accredited formal education program. It does however involve passing an exam in addition to testing necessary skills.

Both the CST and NCCT certifications do however require continuing education to maintain certification.

It should be noted however that surgical technologists may encounter many jobs which require technicians to be certified in CPR or basic life support - or possibly both.

Resources for Surgical Technicians in New Hampshire

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Metro Areas Rated for Popularity for:
Surgical Technologists

Listed below are metro areas ranked by the popularity of jobs for Surgical Technologists relative to the population of the city. Salary data was obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov

Metro Area
Jobs
Annual Median Salary
Manchester90$54,250

Sources:

  1. Surgical Technologists, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2016-17 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/surgical-technologists.htm accessed October 19, 2016

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