Surgical Tech Technical Standards
Technical Standards and Occupational Hazards
Students interested in the Surgical Technology and Pre-Surgical Concentration Program are responsible for determining their own eligibility in light of these qualifications, for informing the College of any potential problem areas and for identifying to the Surgical Technology Department any particular accommodations they may need.
Students with disabilities are encouraged to register with the Disability Resource Center and may utilize these services to determine appropriate accommodations.
Students with disabilities who enter the program do so with the understanding that they will be expected to meet course requirements with any reasonable accommodation that may be provided by the College.
Occupational Hazards
Surgical technologists may be exposed to communicable diseases, unpleasant sights and odors. The student should be aware that they will be participating in real surgical interventions during their clinical rotations and there is an inherent risk of being exposed to airborne or blood-borne pathogens.
Not all patients are aware of an illness or disease that they may have, nor are they required to disclose that information according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of Privacy (HIPAA).
While we prepare the student for an entry-level position as a Certified Surgical Technologist, the risk of contracting a disease or illness is understood to be a hazard of the profession, but the safety of the student in the learning environment is a priority for the faculty and instructors.
Technical Requirements
The surgical technologist must be able to:
- Stand, bend, stoop and/or sit for long periods of time in one location with minimal/no breaks.
- Lift and hold waist high a minimum of 20 pounds such as an instrument tray prior to placing on sterile field while packaging is checked for integrity.
- Refrain from nourishment or restroom breaks for periods up to the duration of your shift.
- Demonstrate sufficient visual and tactile ability to load a fine (10-0, finer than a strand of hair) suture onto needles and needle holders with/without corrective lenses while wearing safety glasses.
- Demonstrate sufficient peripheral vision to anticipate and function while in the sterile surgical environment.
- Hear and understand muffled communication without visualization of the communicator’s mouth/lips within the operating room suite (an operating room suite can be up to 300 square feet).
- Hear activation/warning signals on equipment.
- Detect odors sufficient to maintain environmental safety and patient needs.
- Manipulate instruments, supplies and equipment with speed, dexterity and good eye-hand coordination.
- Ambulate/move around without assistive devices and within confined spaces.
- Assist with and/or lift, move, position and manipulate, with or without assistive devices, the patient who is unconscious.
- Communicate and understand fluent English both verbally and in writing.
- Be free of reportable communicable diseases and chemical abuse.
- Demonstrate immunity to rubella, rubeola, tuberculosis, varicella, mumps and hepatitis B or be vaccinated against these diseases.
- Possess short- and long-term memory sufficient to perform tasks such as, but not limited to mentally tracking surgical supplies and performing anticipation skills intraoperatively.
- Make appropriate judgments and decisions.
- Demonstrate the use of positive coping skills under stress.
- Demonstrate calm and effective responses, especially in emergency situations.
- Exhibit positive interpersonal skills in patient, staff and faculty interactions.
- Demonstrate confidentiality by not sharing “world of the OR” with others including family members.
- Take “call” leaving family and friends at inconvenient times and within a geographic area that allows a 20-30 minute response according to policies.
- Must be able to wear a surgical face mask or toga for the duration of your shift.
Adapted from the Association of Surgical Technologists.