Description
Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.
Interests
- Realistic
- Conventional
- Social
Work Values
- Support
- Relationships
- Achievement
Work Styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Self-Control
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
Responsibilities
Tasks
- Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
- Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
- Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
- Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
- Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
Work Activities
- Getting Information
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Detailed Work Activities
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
T-A-S-K
Technology Skills
- Medical software
- Electronic mail software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Speech Recognition
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
Skills
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Operations Monitoring
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Education and Training
Education
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue for that career.
Certificates
Certificate name
Ophthalmic Surgical AssistingCertifying Organization
International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Perfusion Basic Science ExaminationCertifying Organization
American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Certified Surgical TechnologistCertifying Organization
National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting
Type
Core
Certificate name
Certified Surgical First AssistantCertifying Organization
National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting
Type
Core
Certificate name
Surgical Technician Online National CertificationCertifying Organization
American Allied Health
Type
Core
Certificate name
Surgical Technician Online National CertificationCertifying Organization
American Allied Health
Type
Core
Certificate name
Certified Surgical AssistantCertifying Organization
National Commission for the Certification of Surgical Assistants
Type
Core
Certificate name
Orthopaedic Technologist-Surgery CertifiedCertifying Organization
National Board for Certification of Orthopaedic Technololgists
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Certified Operating Room Surgical TechnicianCertifying Organization
National Healthcareer Association
Type
Core
Certificate name
Certified Surgical Instrument SpecialistCertifying Organization
Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution
Type
Core
Income & Employability
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
| Income Percentile | Annual Income |
|---|---|
| Low (10%) | $39,333 |
| Median (50%) | $54,273 |
| High (90%) | $78,627 |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–5 years), to senior level (6–8 years), to expert level (8+ years).
| Experience | Income |
|---|---|
Entry Level  | $55,619 |
| Mid Level | $58,384 |
| Senior Level | $56,590 |
| Expert Level | $70,800 |
Employability
There are currently 112,800 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 119,300 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 6%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of 6%
Video Resources
Related Careers
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services, Lightcast, CareerOneStop, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more details regarding the data sources and the specific information sourced, click here.
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