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.
- Tasks
- 16 tasks14 core, 2 supplemental
- Family
- Healthcare PractitionersOne of its 96 occupations
- Code
- 29-2055.00SOC 2018: 29-2055
What the work is made of
14 core tasks and 2 supplemental, each quoted as published, with the survey it came from.
Core: central to the jobSupplemental: done by some, not all
- Task 1. Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.Core taskTask 15242Rated by 93 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 2. Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.Core taskTask 1959Rated by 93 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 3. Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.Core taskTask 1961Rated by 92 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 4. Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.Core taskTask 1963Rated by 92 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 5. Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.Core taskTask 15243Rated by 93 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 6. Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.Core taskTask 1960Rated by 93 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 7. Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.Core taskTask 1965Rated by 92 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 8. Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.Core taskTask 1964Rated by 93 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 9. Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.Core taskTask 1969Rated by 93 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 10. Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation.Core taskTask 1968Rated by 92 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 11. Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery.Core taskTask 1967Rated by 93 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 12. Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card.Core taskTask 15244Rated by 93 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 13. Order surgical supplies.Core taskTask 15245Rated by 93 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 14. Observe patients' vital signs to assess physical condition.Core taskTask 1970Rated by 91 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 15. Maintain supply of fluids, such as plasma, saline, blood, or glucose, for use during operations.Supplemental taskTask 1971Rated by 92 people who do the job, July 2013
- Task 16. Maintain files and records of surgical procedures.Supplemental taskTask 1972Rated by 90 people who do the job, July 2013
Where this comes from
Quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor, and credited. Nothing on this page is written by us.
How we copy and credit sources- Published byO*NET 29.0, U.S. Department of LaborEmployment and Training Administration
- ClassificationStandard Occupational Classification 2018, 29-2055
- LicenseCC BY 4.0Free to copy and reuse, with credit
- Changed by usNothing.
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