It’s Surgical Technologists Week, 3 Things They Do!

Monitoring Vitals and Ensuring Safety

In the hospital setting, patient safety is everyone’s responsibility. Surgical technologists help to ensure patient safety in a number of ways. One way they do this, for instance, is by checking patients’ charts prior to procedures to ensure that surgeons are aware of patient allergies and potential contraindications to surgery. They also do this to help ensure that the health information on record is complete and correct. During surgeries, surgical technologists often monitor patients’ vitals to ensure that they’re stable.

Of course, there are so many more things that surgical technologists do, but that brief overview should give you a general idea concerning their day-to-day routine. If this routine sounds like something you’d be able to handle, you might want to think about becoming a surgical technologist. Not only will you be a vital part of a team that saves and improves patients’ lives in a very hands-on manner, you’ll benefit in other ways as well. Here are a couple of the other reasons why you might want to consider pursuing a career in surgical technology:

Education Requirements

While it is necessary to take some classes in order to work as a surgical technologist, most employers don’t require prospective employees to have a degree. However, there are associate-degree programs available for surgical technology, and completing them shouldn’t take more than 2 years. If you do elect to complete one of these programs, you’ll have a much better chance of getting into the hospital of your choosing.

Job Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ page on surgical technologists, the job outlook for surgical technologists is very good. Between 2014—2024, the demand for surgical technologists is expected to grow by 15%, which is much faster than average. Once you meet the requirements for working as a surgical technologist, you should have very little trouble getting a stable job in any city with a large hospital. This is great for both people who want to stay close to home and those who are looking to start their career in a new location.

What do you think about starting a career in surgical technology? If you already work in the medical field, what’s your impression of the surgical technologists you’ve encountered? Please share your thoughts with us and our readers by leaving a comment in the section below!