| Surgical Assistant or known as surgical technologist is a professional who supports the surgeons in different settings. They work under medical supervision to guarantee the protection of the patient and deliver quality service for them. They can be found in a hospital, clinic, dental or orthodontic offices, out-patient department, or even in delivery rooms.
Responsibilities are divided to which type of position you have. For a typical operating room setting, a scrub surgical assistant usually prepares the equipments for the procedure and drapes the patient. Putting gowns and gloves to surgeons is also part of their job including passing of the instruments. The circulating surgical assistant however, is obliged to handle things outside the sterile field. They have to assist the anesthesiologist and handle the proper sterile and unsterilized equipments needed. The last responsibility is called the second assisting technologist, who is frequently seen beside the surgeons. They are bound to carry out the technical tasks which include clamping, cutting, suctioning, suturing and applying dressing to the operated site. Thus, the team should work together to maintain the sterility of the field and anticipate the needs of the surgeon. Furthermore, ensuring the patient’s safety is the most crucial subject all through the procedure.
Becoming a surgical assistant is achieved when you get qualified by an accredited program of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. The American College of Surgeons strongly approves necessary education and training of all surgical assistants before getting hired. The general rule requires surgical assistants to obtain professional certification and maintain a membership in a professional organization which will promote high standards of performance and competency.
Employment opportunities increase as the population develop and ages. As the technology era meets the growing community, there would be a lot of new discovery and innovative procedures that will exclusively call for a lot of competitive and certified surgical assistant to sustain on the operations.
At present, there are a lot of States who need surgical assistants. Not to mention, the huge number of hospitals in United States of America. Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee and Pennsylvania are some of the examples of the states who need surgical assistants. In addition, according to the Mayo Clinic’s School of Health Sciences, the normal earnings of surgical assistants a year in 2006 were $44,077. Salaries ranged from $34,410 to $54,204. Not bad for an average earning.
The patients are the most important thing in this job. Quality and efficient care is always given to them. No matter what happen life is much more important than anything else. |
