OB Tech/LPN Scrub

ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN · Apr 28, 2017

I would apply. Most of our OB surg techs have little to no medical experience. They are trained on the job. A few are CSTs, but it's not a requirement. The biggest thing will be learning all of the instruments/sutures and being able to anticipate what the surgeon needs, especially in an emergency. Both of which just take practice. You will get a decent orientation (hopefully), so you should be fine.

Our scrub techs also function as PCAs in labor. Mostly setting delivery tables, stocking things, bagging up and sending specimens to the lab, throwing extra sutures on the table for a repair, and being a general runner during an emergency.

I say go for it. The worst that can happen is they say no!

racrenlew · May 3, 2017

So. I was an OB Tech for 9 years before becoming an RN in L&D. Not sure what requirements are for your hospital, but at mine we had to be an ST or CST and have graduated from an accredited school with a surgical technology certificate or degree. It's a teeny bit offensive (to me, anyway) that you think you can learn what CSTs go to school for (frequently for at least a year,) informally and over a weekend. No. We literally learned thousands of instruments- names, uses, classifications, etc. It's true, there is less instrumentation in the 4 or 5 L&D instrument sets than there is in the main OR, but you still need to know them... and passing them, and loading blades onto knife handles, and gowning/gloving yourself and others... and STERILE TECHNIQUE for Pete's sake! I think it's super-unsafe if someone hires people to work in an OR setting with NO formal training. Just my 2 cents. Good luck to you if you ever decide to go to surg tech school!

granolatrees · May 4, 2017

Being offended is useless and in no way productive. I had surgical rotations in school, not that I need to explain that. If they wanted a CST, they would have posted for it, not an LPN. Useless post is useless.