What makes a good surgical technologist?

Few places have more natural drama than a hospital room. While it can be stressful and scary to be a surgical patient, the experience is different on the opposite side of the operating table.

If you're the kind of person who loves the excitement and never wants to have a boring day at work, a surgical technologist degree might put you on the path to get your dream job.

Job Duties of a Surgical Technician

The health care field is growing at a fast rate, aided in part by the aging population and the fact that the Affordable Care Act has allowed more people to get access to health care.

There are many possible roles in the health care field, from working behind the scenes with billing and insurance to direct patient care. If you love a fast-paced environment that challenges you to work quickly as part of a team, you might like training to become a surgical tech.

A surgery technician works to set up the operating room before the procedure, making sure all the supplies are sterile and ready, taking the patient to recovery after the procedure, then cleaning up the operating room before beginning the process again.

Important Qualities of a Surgical Technician

Working in an operating room takes a special kind of person as the environment is not for everyone. Although many people think working in an operating room will expose you to a lot of "blood and guts," seeing gore in the operating room is usually a sign that something has gone wrong.

Part of your training for a surgical technologist degree is learning how to function as a team so that those complications are less likely to occur. However, even though blood and guts shouldn't be a common occurrence in the operating room, it doesn't mean you'll never see it. While you might be a little surprised the first time you see something a little gory, you should be the type of person who isn't likely to be traumatized by it.

If you're more fascinated than scared by the human body, being a surgical technician could be the right role in the health care field. You would be working behind the scenes to make sure the patient gets the help that they need, but would have less responsibility for hands-on patient care than you would in other roles like nursing. Curiosity and a willingness to learn and help wherever you're needed are great qualities for a successful surgery technician.

If you are the kind of person who thrives on excitement and wants a sense of unpredictability from your days at work, the pace of working as part of the team in the operating room might suit you well.

Interested but not in the area? Concorde also offers a surgical technology degree online.

Opportunities after the Surgical Technologist Degree

The surgery technician role is the best way to get your foot in the door of an operating room. If you discover that you thrive on the excitement, you can work toward future opportunities like surgical supply sales, supply management, or even hospital administration online.

Some of those jobs would require more education, but your journey starts with the first important step at Concorde.