Certified Surgical Technologist

NORWALK HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION SURGICAL TECHNICIAN

Northwell is the largest not-for-profit health system in the Northeast, serving residents of New York and Connecticut with 28 hospitals, more than 1,000 outpatient facilities, 22,000 nurses and over 20,000 physicians. Northwell cares for more than three million people annually in the New York metro area, including Long Island, the Hudson Valley, Connecticut and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Northwell is New York State's largest private employer with over 104,000 employees — including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners — who are working to change health care for the better.

Summary: Works under the direct supervision of a registered nurse while delivering safe and effective care to the patient during the intra-operative period. Provides technical care to the surgical patient through the role of the scrub assistant. Effectively interacts with patients of all ages and health care team members, while maintaining the surgical department standards.

Responsibilities:

Maintains a sterile environment and practices the principles of aseptic technique. Maintains appropriate sterile/unsterile boundaries during surgery while functioning within a sterile field. Ensures integrity of sterile packages before dispensing onto a sterile field to include looking at expiration dates. Identifies breaks in sterile technique and reports to the Circulating RN.

Demonstrates the proper selection of instrumentation based on the scheduled procedure. Checks case cart prior to the patient entering the room for appropriate instruments/supplies. Prepares the surgical room with the Circulator utilizing the physicians preference card and ensures all jackets are buttoned prior to dispensing items onto the sterile field to ensure sterility. Assures that special supplies/instruments are available prior to the patient entering the room. Communicates to the Circulating RN in a timely manner any outliers preventing the scheduled case from moving forward. Utilizes correct methods of cleaning and disinfection for different types of instruments. Prepares opened trays and instruments for decontamination by spraying & wiping down gross soil, ensuring instrument jaws are kept opened and instruments with lumens are irrigated before going to decontamination. Cleans, tags and removes from all broken instrument and or equipment from circulation. Disassembles used loaner instruments and wipes gross soil and inventories tray for completion prior to transporting to decontamination area. Communicates to SPD in a timely manner any instrument trays needed for next cases.

Assists with positioning of the patient maintaining correct patient body alignment based on the scheduled procedure. Has appropriate positioning devices, OR bed and padding readily available prior to the patient entering the room. Maintains the patient's body in correct anatomical alignment. Maintains proper body mechanics when transporting, moving, lifting or positioning of the patient. Communicates to the surgical team any immediate patient safety concerns / outliers such as body piercing, medication patches, broken hardware.

Accurately performs surgical counts according to established standards for preventing retained surgical items. Performs initial base line counts of instruments, sponges and sharps according to hospital policy by separating each piece during count and making counts audible and visible. Dispenses appropriate radiopaque surgical soft goods on to the sterile field for use during the procedure (sponges, towels, pushers, laps). Takes caution to ensure all soft goods are return in their entirety. Communicates immediately to the Circulating RN when sponges and towels used in the procedure are not radiopaque.

Performs and follows the environment of care practices according to standards for the perioperative setting. Assist with facilitating movement of the patient and personnel into, through and out of the defined areas within the surgical suite (unrestricted, semi restricted, restricted). Assists with high low dusting of the surgical rooms, wiping off all flat surfaces prior to the first case of the day and wiping down all equipment brought into the OR room (Lap towers, beach chair, positioning devices. Assist with OR room cabinet cleaning and dusting by removing all supplies and materials, taking into account replenishing established par levels and checking for outdates. Communicates to the Circulating RN and takes appropriate actions when breaks in the process occur.

Follows the Hospital Policy and AORN recommended practices for surgical attire. Changes into the facility approved freshly laundered surgical attire on a daily basis upon arrival to the department ensuring proper use of available protective equipment (PPE's:head covers, face shields, shoe covers). Removes all jewelry (watches, earrings, rings, necklaces) that can not be contained/confined within the surgical attire prior to starting a procedure. Removes undergarments (T-shirts) that extends above the scrub top neckline or below the sleeve of the surgical attire. Ensure scrub attire top is tucked in the scrub pant or if worn outside of the scrub pant it is close enough to the body to prevent top flapping and contaminating the sterile field.

Required: Graduate from an accredited Surgical Technology program. Minimum Experience: zero to six months Must have and maintain Certification as a Surgical Technologist.

Salary Range: 29.65 - 55.55