Surgical Technologist

Surgical Technologist

Join the Cleveland Clinic team, where you will work alongside passionate caregivers and provide patient-first healthcare. Cleveland Clinic is recognized as one of the top hospitals in the nation. At Cleveland Clinic, you will work alongside passionate and dedicated caregivers, receive endless support and appreciation, and build a rewarding career with one of the most respected healthcare organizations in the world.

Surgical Technologists, sometimes called "scrub techs", assist in surgical procedures under the supervision of surgeons and registered nurses and ensure quality patient care during the operative procedure and maintaining a sterile field. Surgical Technologists perform a variety of functions, such as checking supplies and equipment, setting up sterile tables, performing appropriate counts, draping the sterile field, passing instruments to the surgeon, assisting during the procedure, preparing sterile dressing and cleaning instruments for terminal sterilization. This is a great hands-on learning opportunity that will help you to advance your skill set and potentially move into other roles within the Operating Room.

A PRN caregiver in this position works varying days from 6:30AM 3:00PM.

A caregiver who excels in this role will:

• Provide quality, individualized patient care in the perioperative, intraoperative and postoperative phases.
• Follow guidelines for perioperative practices as established by AORN.
• Maintain the sterile field.
• Review daily assignments and ascertain surgeon-specific preferences and anesthesia.
• Identify and prioritize individual patient care needs taking into consideration age, physiological, cultural and physical status.
• Plan care based on contemplated procedure, standards of practice, admission assessment and MD preferences.
• Assemble, check and open sterile packs, sutures and more.
• Practice and assist others in maintaining aseptic technique and report and/or correct any breaks.
• Comply with required standards for patient positioning, skin preparation, counting and side-site verification.
• Remain with the sterile setup to assure maintenance of the sterile field.
• Assist with draping the sterile field.
• Prepare/edit surgeon's preference lists.
• Communicate pertinent information during procedure and during personnel changes, including status of surgical procedure.
• Collect specimens as directed by the surgeon and identify the origin of each specimen to the RN Circulator.
• Assist surgeons and assistants with retraction and suction as directed.
• Assure that all biohazard material is handled and disposed of properly using universal precautions.
• Keep accurate counts of all sutures, sharps, soft goods and instruments.
• Assist RN Circulator to ensure proper room utilization through decreased turnover time per CPT and scheduled procedural time review.
• Assure that all instrumentation is returned to decontamination with proper documentation count sheets.

Minimum qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

• Graduate of a Surgical Technology Program accredited through the CAAHEP or ABHES
• OR completion of a military surgical technology program
• OR certification as a Surgical Technologist (acceptable certifications for this route are TS-C (through the National Center for Competency Training) or CST (through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting)
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross

Preferred qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

• Certified Surgical Technologist
• Two years of experience in a multi-disciplined OR in an acute care hospital setting

Physical Requirements:

• Workload is heavy and requires constant lifting, moving of patients, equipment, instrument trays, and supplies.
• Able to lift items up to 50 pounds without assistance and greater than 50 pounds with assistance.
• Stooping, pushing and pulling required when moving patients or equipment into position for surgery.
• Ability to work at a fast pace and to prioritize multiple assignments/projects and respond to numerous requests; ability to resolve conflicts among staff and to work collaboratively with department director, physicians and other members of the Healthcare team; ability to ensure operational efficiency; ability to problem solve and make decisions; ability to exercise self-control and tolerate stress when dealing with multiple requests and/or conflicting demands from multiple customers.
• Needs minimal sustained direction in assessing work load, directing staff and carrying out departmental and professional responsibilities; self-starting and self-motivating; working hours may exceed eight (8) hours per day and is based on what is needed to accomplish completion of the daily surgical schedule.

Personal Protective Equipment:

• Follows Standard Precautions using personal protective equipment as required for procedures.

The policy of Cleveland Clinic Health System and its system hospitals (Cleveland Clinic Health System) is to provide equal opportunity to all of our caregivers and applicants for employment in our drug free environment. All offers of employment are followed by testing for controlled substances.

Cleveland Clinic Health System administers an influenza prevention program. You will be required to comply with this program, which will include obtaining an influenza vaccination on an annual basis or obtaining an approved exemption.

Decisions concerning employment, transfers and promotions are made upon the basis of the best qualified candidate without regard to color, race, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, status as a disabled or Vietnam era veteran or any other characteristic protected by law. Information provided on this application may be shared with any Cleveland Clinic Health System facility.

If applying for a Florida position, please see the following website for more information on the background screening requirements required by the Agency of Health Care Administration:

Please review the Equal Employment Opportunity poster.

Cleveland Clinic is pleased to be an equal employment opportunity employer.