Surgical Technology

This course is designed to introduce the student to the field of surgical technology. Topics will include the history of surgery and surgical technology, the surgical patient, death and dying, laws and ethics, health care facilities, communication, and teamwork. The knowledge gained during this course will provide the students with the necessary foundations to progress to the next level of courses.

A variety of topics pertaining to surgical asepsis and aseptic technique, including decontamination, sterilization, and disinfection will be introduced in this course. The students will be exposed to implementing aseptic technique in the operating room, wearing proper attire, how to perform a proper hand washing, surgical hand scrub, and donning and removal of surgical gown and gloves for the operating room (OR). Environmental hazards and risk factors associated with the hospital and OR environment are reviewed.

Students will learn the different types of sutures, needles and staplers used during surgery as well as the steps in wound healing and complications. Additional topics will include biomechanics and computer technology as well as the different types of energy sources students will encounter in surgery. Finally, students will be introduced to the common categories of surgical instruments and their functions.

Students will learn the steps of surgical case management to include preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative patient care, creation and maintenance of the sterile field, patient positioning, draping procedures, and surgical procedure progression. Lab instruction will be included to apply theory to practice. The knowledge gained during this course will provide the students with the necessary skills needed to progress to the next level of training.

Students will learn several diagnostic procedures as well as the benefits and challenges of endoscopic surgery to include robotic-assisted surgery. The students will learn the concepts that are integral to both general obstetric and gynecologic surgery. Topics will include patient positioning, skin preparation, draping, incisions, anatomy, instrumentation, special supplies and equipment, the scheme of the procedures and steps necessary to properly assist the surgeon in performing the most common procedures in these specialties.

Students will learn the concepts that are integral to ophthalmic, otorhinolaryngology, maxillofacial, and pediatric surgery. Topics will include patient positioning, skin preparation, draping, incisions, anatomy, instrumentation, special supplies and equipment, the scheme of the procedures, and steps necessary to properly assist the surgeon in performing the most common procedures in these specialties.

The students will learn the concepts that are integral to plastics, genitourinary, and orthopedic surgery. Topics will include patient positioning, skin preparation, draping incisions, anatomy, instrumentation, special supplies and equipment, the scheme of the procedures, and steps necessary to properly assist the surgeon in performing the most common procedures in these specialties.

Students will learn the concepts that are integral to cardiothoracic, peripheral vascular, and neurosurgery. Topics will include patient positioning, skin preparation, draping, incisions, anatomy, instrumentation, special supplies and equipment, scheme of the procedures, and steps necessary to properly assist the surgeon in performing the most common procedures in these specialties.

This course will provide an introduction to surgical pharmacology, the common types of medications, agents and drugs used for surgical procedures. Students will be exposed to properties, actions, and routes of administration, risks, and dosage calculations. The course will introduce students learning the appropriate procedures for handling drugs in the surgical setting, the functions of anesthesia care intraoperatively and postoperatively, the medications and drugs used to provide general, regional, and local anesthesia, patient monitoring, and the role of the surgical technologist in monitoring such drugs. Students will also learn about emergency situations and the function of the surgical technologist during emergencies.

This course places the student into a laboratory environment in which students will develop and reinforce the practices and principles of the surgical technologist in a simulated operating room environment. Students will be participating in a variety of simulated surgical procedures including diagnostic, endoscopic, general, genitourinary, and obstetric and gynecological surgery designed to simulate an actual working operating room complete with equipment, instrumentation, and simulated patients. The students will learn and perform the different roles of the sterile and non- sterile team members with a large concentration focused on the STSR position.

This course will continue the surgical simulation while building team skills and experience. The students will be assigned increasingly complex surgical procedures in ophthalmic, ENT, oral, maxillofacial, and plastic surgery. Students will be required to perform the pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative duties of care of the surgical patient performing the roles of all sterile and non-sterile team members. An emphasis will be placed on aseptic and sterile technique while building speed and skills necessary to function in the operating room.

This course will continue the surgical simulation while building team skills and experience. The students will be assigned increasingly complex surgical procedures in orthopedic, cardiothoracic, vascular, and neurosurgery and will be required to perform the pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative patient care of all sterile and non-sterile team members. A comprehensive skills assessment will be performed on students throughout this course to evaluate the student’s ability to provide safe and effective patient care prior to placement in the clinical setting.

This course is a review of the core surgical technology curriculum. The lecture and activities are designed to reinforce and review the program content from inception to completion with a focus on student performance, comprehension, and group information sessions. The students will sit for and be required to pass a practice certification exam as a precursor to the NBSTSA Certification Exam. A practice certification exam is the final exam for the course.

This course provides additional review of the core surgical technology curriculum. The lecture and activities are designed to reinforce and review the program content from inception to completion with a focus on student performance, comprehension, and group information sessions. In addition, the students will learn the necessary skills to create a professional resume, cover letter, and skills to interview effectively, and prepare to enter into the workforce during the Career Development section. The students will sit for and be required to pass a practice certification exam as a precursor to the NBSTSA Certification Exam. The final examination for the course will provide both the student and faculty with a benchmark of the student’s overall comprehension of the surgical technology curriculum and will be used as the precursor to the national certification exam. Students will be required to sit for the NBSTSA National Certification Examination in Surgical Technology at the conclusion of this course. The student is not required to pass the Certification exam to pass the course.

This course allows the student to apply what they have learned in the program curriculum to practical use in a healthcare facility under the supervision of a preceptor on the site. Through the externship experience, the student gain first-hand knowledge of the workplace and perform the assigned duties to meet the expectations in a professional setting. Students are expected to adapt to the work environment and reflect regularly on their learning and observations. The externship work performed is not to be paid.

This course allows the student to apply what they have learned in the program curriculum to practical use in a healthcare facility under the direct supervision of a preceptor on the site. Through the externship experience, the student gain first- hand knowledge of the workplace and perform the assigned duties to meet the expectations in a professional setting. Students are expected to adapt to the work environment and reflect regularly on their learning and observations. The externship work performed is not to be paid.