29-2055.00 Bright OutlookApprenticeship

Surgical Technologists

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.

Career Cluster:Healthcare & Human Services
Job Family:Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Job Zone:Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
STEM:Technologists and Technicians
Industry:Health Care and Social Assistance
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Technology Tools

MEDITECH softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Word

Key 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.
  • Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
  • Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
  • Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
  • Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
  • Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation.
  • Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery.
  • Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card.
  • Order surgical supplies.
  • Maintain supply of fluids, such as plasma, saline, blood, or glucose, for use during operations.
  • Observe patients' vital signs to assess physical condition.
  • Maintain files and records of surgical procedures.
  • Schedule surgical procedures for patients.
  • Transport patients to and from the operating room.

Skills

Monitoring
69%
Active Listening
60%
Operations Monitoring
56%
Coordination
53%
Time Management
53%
Speaking
53%
Critical Thinking
53%
Instructing
50%
Reading Comprehension
50%
Management of Material Resources
50%
Operation and Control
50%
Active Learning
50%
Social Perceptiveness
50%
Service Orientation
50%
Complex Problem Solving
50%
Equipment Maintenance
50%
Learning Strategies
50%
Judgment and Decision Making
50%
Management of Personnel Resources
47%
Writing
47%
Systems Evaluation
47%
Quality Control Analysis
47%
Troubleshooting
44%
Mathematics
41%
Persuasion
41%
Negotiation
41%
Repairing
38%
Systems Analysis
38%
Equipment Selection
35%
Science
31%
Operations Analysis
25%
Management of Financial Resources
25%
Technology Design
22%
Programming
3%
Installation
0%

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
68%
Medicine and Dentistry
68%
English Language
61%
Education and Training
53%
Psychology
47%
Public Safety and Security
47%
Biology
45%
Mathematics
43%
Computers and Electronics
42%
Administration and Management
39%
Chemistry
36%
Production and Processing
35%
Mechanical
34%
Personnel and Human Resources
31%
Law and Government
31%
Therapy and Counseling
31%
Sociology and Anthropology
29%
Administrative
28%
Engineering and Technology
25%
Communications and Media
25%
Telecommunications
19%
Economics and Accounting
18%
Physics
18%
Transportation
15%
Sales and Marketing
13%
Philosophy and Theology
12%
Design
11%
Foreign Language
8%
Building and Construction
8%
Geography
7%
History and Archeology
6%
Food Production
4%
Fine Arts
0%

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Abilities

Oral Comprehension
75%
Problem Sensitivity
69%
Near Vision
69%
Speech Recognition
66%
Arm-Hand Steadiness
63%
Selective Attention
60%
Manual Dexterity
60%
Perceptual Speed
56%
Oral Expression
56%
Information Ordering
56%
Number Facility
53%
Flexibility of Closure
53%
Speech Clarity
53%
Visual Color Discrimination
53%
Far Vision
50%
Deductive Reasoning
50%
Visualization
50%
Category Flexibility
50%
Finger Dexterity
50%
Multilimb Coordination
50%
Inductive Reasoning
50%
Control Precision
50%
Written Comprehension
50%
Trunk Strength
50%
Written Expression
50%
Hearing Sensitivity
47%
Auditory Attention
47%
Fluency of Ideas
47%
Time Sharing
47%
Extent Flexibility
44%
Depth Perception
44%
Static Strength
44%
Speed of Closure
44%
Memorization
44%
Mathematical Reasoning
38%
Originality
38%
Stamina
35%
Response Orientation
31%
Reaction Time
25%
Speed of Limb Movement
25%
Dynamic Strength
25%
Gross Body Equilibrium
25%
Wrist-Finger Speed
25%
Rate Control
25%
Gross Body Coordination
25%
Glare Sensitivity
13%
Sound Localization
3%
Spatial Orientation
3%
Night Vision
0%
Explosive Strength
0%
Peripheral Vision
0%
Dynamic Flexibility
0%

Work Activities

Getting Information
88%
Assisting and Caring for Others
87%
Handling and Moving Objects
86%
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
86%
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
85%
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
84%
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
84%
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
78%
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
77%
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
73%
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
73%
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
69%
Performing General Physical Activities
68%
Training and Teaching Others
68%
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
64%
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
61%
Developing and Building Teams
61%
Coaching and Developing Others
60%
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
59%
Processing Information
59%
Documenting/Recording Information
59%
Controlling Machines and Processes
55%
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
51%
Thinking Creatively
51%
Scheduling Work and Activities
50%
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
50%
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
50%
Developing Objectives and Strategies
47%
Analyzing Data or Information
46%
Working with Computers
46%
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
45%
Monitoring and Controlling Resources
44%
Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment
44%
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
43%
Providing Consultation and Advice to Others
41%
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
36%
Communicating with People Outside the Organization
35%
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
29%
Performing Administrative Activities
26%
Staffing Organizational Units
25%
Selling or Influencing Others
18%

Work Context

Physical Proximity

To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?

99%

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate

How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

97%

Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?

96%

Contact With Others

How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

92%

Frequency of Decision Making

How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

92%

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls

How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?

92%

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled

How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?

90%

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets

How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?

89%

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams

How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?

88%

Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results

What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?

88%

Health and Safety of Other Workers

How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?

84%

Consequence of Error

How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?

82%

Exposed to Disease or Infections

How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?

82%

Spend Time Standing

How much does this job require standing?

82%

Exposed to Contaminants

How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?

81%

Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals

How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?

78%

Deal With External Customers or the Public in General

How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?

76%

Importance of Repeating Same Tasks

How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?

75%

Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers

How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?

75%

Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities

How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?

74%

Telephone Conversations

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

74%

Time Pressure

How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?

71%

Freedom to Make Decisions

How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

70%

Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions

How much does this job require making repetitive motions?

67%

Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection

How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?

66%

Exposed to Hazardous Conditions

How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?

59%

Level of Competition

To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?

55%

Spend Time Walking or Running

How much does this job require walking or running?

54%

Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People

How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?

53%

E-Mail

How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?

53%

Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions

How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?

52%

Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body

How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?

51%

Conflict Situations

How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?

50%

Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings

How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?

50%

Duration of Typical Work Week

Number of hours typically worked in one week.

47%

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment

How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?

47%

Exposed to Radiation

How often does this job require exposure to radiation?

43%

Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable

How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?

41%

Written Letters and Memos

How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?

40%

Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions

How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?

36%

Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance

How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?

32%

Spend Time Sitting

How much does this job require sitting?

29%

Degree of Automation

How automated is the job?

22%

Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment

How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)

22%

Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling

How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?

20%

Public Speaking

How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?

14%

Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People

How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?

13%

Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures

How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?

12%

Work Schedules

How regular are the work schedules for this job?

5%

Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled

How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?

4%

Outdoors, Under Cover

How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?

3%

In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment

How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?

2%

Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles

How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?

1%

Exposed to High Places

How often does this job require exposure to high places?

0%

Exposed to Whole Body Vibration

How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?

0%

In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment

How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?

0%

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions

How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?

0%

Education

Associate's degree

41%

Post-secondary certificate

31%

Some college, no degree

23%

Interests

Realistic

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t

88

Conventional

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or hum

64

Social

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

47

Investigative

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f

37

Enterprising

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertis

10

Artistic

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,

0

Work Styles

Attention to Detail
100%
Dependability
88%
Cautiousness
87%
Cooperation
87%
Self-Control
83%
Stress Tolerance
81%
Integrity
74%
Perseverance
59%
Achievement Orientation
48%
Adaptability
45%
Sincerity
44%
Humility
38%
Self-Confidence
37%
Empathy
32%
Social Orientation
29%
Optimism
27%
Initiative
22%
Intellectual Curiosity
21%

Work Values

Relationships
83%
Support
83%
Achievement
61%
Working Conditions
56%
Recognition
50%
Independence
45%

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