What is a surgical technician? A surgical technician is a trained professional whose
job is important to those having surgery. A surgical technician is considered as the surgeon’s
right hand, meaning he or she is the surgeon’s assistant. They are also a part of the operating
room team and works with the surgeon with the supervision of the registered nurses. The most
significant part in the job of the surgical technician is to find out how to put in order the
operating room until it is sterile. Sterility in the operating room is important since it lowers the
risk of infections in patients having surgery.

Though the cleaning up of the operating room is
done by the maintenance personnel, it is also important for surgical technicians to be aware like how keen the MRI technicians are.
These professionals also do the cleaning, preparation and the sterilization of surgical
instruments. Before the surgery, the surgical technicians are responsible in transporting the
patient to the operating table and position him or her. Surgical technicians assist the surgeon in
gowning and gloving. Then, it is still part of their responsibility to prepare the patient for surgery
from shaving and disinfecting the area to be incised. During the surgery, the responsibility of the
surgical technician is to hand the instruments to the surgeon. It is important for them to be
alert, quick and careful and be familiar with the names of different instruments. It is also
important for a surgical technician to be tolerant, patient and determined since they are staying
in that operation for hours. The surgical technician must also keep in mind that he or she should
always keep the field sterile.

Surgical technicians are also called as scrub nurses. Having this professional career
always begins with a surgical technician education. With this, he or she must be enrolled in a
school offering this course. They offer subjects like anatomy, medical terminology and
sterilization as preparatory subjects. They also teach the students the kinds of instruments and
its uses. One must be fully aware on all the duties and responsibilities of being a surgical
technician. To be a competent surgical technician, it is important for one to have a degree or
certification. Also take into consideration that a person must choose a school that is accredited.
These schools offer programs that can be completed for nine months to two years. Registering
or enrolling in an accredited school will equip a person with the ability, skills and knowledge
that will make them competitive and competent surgical technicians.

Most people looking for a job wanted to make a good income. For surgical
technicians, they must expect to receive a good pay depending on the location of their work.
The location makes a huge difference in the surgical technician’s salary. Those who live in big
cities or those who work in a facility with a big bed capacity will expect a much higher pay than
those working in small towns. The years of working experience also affects the salary.
Newcomers are paid in a lower rate while those who have a long experience are paid around
$15-$20 an hour.