Surgical Services Support Technician

Surgical Services Support Technician

The Surgical Services Support Technician is responsible for safely transporting patients to and from the operating room (OR) or Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). This role includes organizing and restocking equipment, cleaning surgical suites, assisting with room turnover, maintaining sterile technique, supporting OR and anesthesia caregiver requests, and transporting specimens and blood following safe verification policies. The Surgical Services Support Technician is expected to be able to assist with prompt case turnovers prioritizing a clean and organized OR, SDS, PACU, or patient environment. Essential duties include working closely with the surgical team and adapting to dynamic situations. The technician may also need to respond to code situations and assist as required. Promoting the health organization's mission, vision, and values is also a key expectation. Expanded duties may include scrubbing into procedures and assisting by holding extremities, retractors, cameras, suction, or organs. Caregivers in this role are trained in Basic Aseptic Technique.

Essential Functions

• Transports patients safely to and from the OR holding area, PACU or patient rooms, utilizing proper patient handling techniques, and assists with lifting positioning, and transferring patients as needed.
• Consults with the anesthesiologist and registered nurse (RN) to determine equipment, setup, and supply needs prior to procedures. In time, anticipates procedural requirements and proactively prepares the room with the necessary equipment and supplies.
• Processes post-surgical case carts by safely discarding sharps, emptying suction canisters, redistributing unused supplies, and sending carts to the Sterile Processing Department for reprocessing.
• Sets up fluid warmers, invasive lines, and sterile supplies for anesthesia procedures, when assigned.
• Ensures timely turnover of operating rooms by cleaning all surfaces, removing trash and soiled linen, mopping beneath the OR bed, and preparing the room thoroughly for the next surgical case.
• Transports blood products and specimens to and from the blood bank, OR, SDS, PACU, and laboratory/pathology departments, ensuring strict adherence to all verification and safety protocols.
• When assigned, stocks supplies such as masks and surgical attire in the OR, as well as dietary and storeroom supplies in SDS and PACU, or other supplies as directed by the facility.
• Performs additional duties as assigned by the facility, which may include verifying and logging warmer temperatures, checking eyewash stations, maintaining the utility room, and other support tasks as needed.
• Maintains proper traffic patterns and adheres to sanitation protocols for surgical and anesthesia instruments and equipment.
• Expanded duties may include completing training in Basic Aseptic Technique, learning to scrub, gown, and glove independently, and attentively supporting the surgeon as directed, in accordance with the scope of practice for support personnel.

Skills

• Patient Transport & Transfers
• General Cleaning
• Cleaning Machinery Operations
• Patient Care Assistance
• Sterile Technique
• Multitasking & Time Management
• Medical Terminology
• Infection Control
• Inventory Management

Minimum Qualifications

• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification for Healthcare Providers, or completion within three (3) months of employment.
• Pass Basic Aseptic Technique class within 90 days of hire or transfer into role.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to fulfill on-call and weekend shift requirements and provide emergency staffing support as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• High School Diploma or Equivalent.
• Prior experience as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
• Prior experience or education in a health-related field or public service setting.

Physical Requirements

• Ongoing need for caregiver to see and read information, labels, assess patient needs, operate monitors, identify equipment and supplies.
• Frequent interactions with patient care providers, patients, and visitors that require caregiver to verbally communicate as well as hear and understand spoken information, alarms, needs, and issues quickly and accurately, particularly during emergency situations.
• Manual dexterity of hands and fingers to manipulate complex and delicate equipment with precision and accuracy. This includes frequent computer use and typing for documenting patient care, accessing needed information, medication preparation, etc.
• Expected to lift and utilize full range of movement to transfer patients. Will also bend to retrieve, lift, and carry supplies and equipment. Typically includes items of varying weights, up to and including heavy items.
• Need to walk and assist with transporting/ambulating patients and obtaining and distributing supplies and equipment. This includes pushing/pulling gurneys and portable equipment, including heavy items. Often required to navigate crowded and busy rooms (full of equipment, power cords on the floor, etc.)
• May be expected to stand in a stationary position for an extended period of time.
• For roles requiring driving: Expected to drive a vehicle which requires sitting, seeing and reading signs, traffic signals, and other vehicles.

Location: St. Marys Regional Hospital

Work City: Grand Junction

Work State: Colorado

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40

The hourly range for this position is listed below. Actual hourly rate dependent upon experience.

$17.86 - $23.21