I'm in the Surgical tech program at my school and I can't say I'm really happy. I didn't realize it would be so much attention to detail. Everything has to remain sterile. Even if you drop your hands, you're contaminated. Instructor makes everyone regown and close glove over the simplest of errors. Besides, the instructor is a very arrogant and have a proud spirit. Listening to him speak, he sounds as if he's a neurosurgeon or something. He always tells stories about how he was working in the OR and some surgeon or first asst. messed something up and wah lah, he to the rescue.
I kind of wish now that I would have gone into either the ultrasound or radiation therapy because it would've been so much easier. We have to sit in class all day long, instead of them having the schedule broken up in sections a little more especially for those of us who work. Instead of keeping students in class 8 hours straight, why not do 3 hours today, 3 tomorrow and 2 the next day. I looked at the schedule in the soft cover catalogue the schools gives out, but the teacher changed the schedule.
Then there is so much to learn in such a short period of time. I feel like I'm in medical school. Not only do you have the lab component, but you have to learn more than 100 different instruments, 100 different types of surgical procedures and the foundations of surgical technology for a total of 4 components. You stand on your feet all day when you start working, and worse yet all the jobs available where I live are part time and must have 5+ years of exp. which I have no experience.
Then I had to go thru all this rigamarole to get in. I had to have all my vaccines done again as I had no immunity to them despite having hundreds of shots as a kid. I have to have a $150 background check done, $200 for books, $$ for profession membership, $$ for student malpractice insurance etc all for a total of around $1500.
Plus I have to drive so far to the campus, which wouldn't be so bad if construction was not going on all the time that I have to get there. I was stuck in traffic really bad one day and got yelled at in class for being 2 minutes late. I have myself 1.5 hours to get there where it normally takes 40 minutes if traffic is not that busy. Then he says, I must give myself more time, when I had. Others come in late to class and he says nothing to them. Geez. I don't know what i'm going to do other than stick it out and get my $1500 worth. btw, surgical tech at this school does not even have it's own lab or room, we have to share with other health departments. I figure, this school has had this program in existence for ages and yet have no room for them. They treat it like an after thought program whereas nursing, ultrasound, resp. therapy and such get treated better with better equipment and facilities.
I know I'm venting, but maybe this will help someone out there contemplating going into surgical tech. I wouldn't do it again. I have to wake up early to get there, and I'm not getting any sleep. The pay only starts at $16-$19 an hour for all the sacrifice and hard work. I wish I had made other plans.
(i just have to get in the groove of things, and I have health problems like high testosterone levels, sleep apnea, depression, low cortisol, super high crp levels, porphyria, and hypertension, and i require a certain amt of sleep everyday. and like i stated earlier, the teacher had changed the schedule from what the catalog showed the hours would be. thanks for understanding though.
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(don't we all? do we get it? NO)
My goodness,
I really am at a loss for words.
While I can understand your frustration, this post and the original (where you complain about the traffic etc) sound to me like Excuses for not applying yourself and doing some hard work--not vents.
THe health care field is not for the faint of heart...it is very hard work, grueling hours and can be a daily challange. If you can't hack the school, HOW on earth will you be able to work??? THe hours, call time, I just don't know.
When I went to nursing school, I worked 3 days a week (as a Dental Hygienist), had an 8 year old daughter to care for, a house I had just bought, had just gone through a messy divorce and moved to a new town, and I had to take 19 credit hours...(and I also had several Drill sargent instructors along the way)
and I also have health problems..Rheumatoid Arthritis ( I have had both knees and hips replaced)
It wasn't easy, GOD knows, but I strapped on my "big girl" boots and did it.
It flew by.
It was also very good training for the "real world" of hospital work/health care.
I would advise that you really take a long hard look at this and get honest with yourself. If it really is too much, fine, find something else you can do...you are very young. (I was 38 when I started nursing school)
But don't blame everyone ( your instructor) and everything (like construction) for your unhappiness.
Just sayin'
once i get into the field after school i will be just fine as long as i know and feel confident on what i'm doing. it is so much harder to not be getting much rest and trying to study for pressue driven exams than to not be getting enough sleep and already working in a field that you know how to do. when you are studying and preparing for exams, it adds a certain element to the equation. once i graduate, i won't have overtime and on call issues because i can be what they call an "overtime u know what" (i can't use the word, but many of you know what i mean). just as long as i find the time to sleep, i can work longer hours and be on call no problem. but it seems to me that working long hours will not be an issue for awhile; with this economy it is difficult to find fulltime work.
btw why did you quit Dental Hygiene? I hear the pay and hours are great.
Well, frustration is inevitable in any healthcare program. Your instructor changing the class schedule..not so cool. However, having you re-gown b/c you dropped your hands...a definite yes. You breaking the sterile can lead to the patient getting sepsis (major life threatening infection) and dying...they'll trace it back to you and fire your butt and someone's death will be on your hands. And it can definitely happen. So like the previous pp said, sterility is king in the OR. All those instruments..you have to know them. When the physicians says he wants an instrument, he wants it right then and there...and he'll chew your head off if you don't know what you're doing. Your instructor is going to seem like your fairy godmother or father in this case after you've met some of these doctors. I do feel for you. However, if you're unhappy doing this program, chances are you'll be unhappy when you start working. You might want to look into a different field. Healthcare isn't for the faint of heart. Best of luck to you.
PS. You're a grown up which means you can show up on time for class despite construction...leave early.
yes, i am a grown up. i did leave early and have not been late since. it was a situation in the metropolitan area that i've never had to go down that hwy at that time in the morning before so i had no way of knowing it would be that bad at 5 in the morning. when you read my original post, you would have noticed that i said it takes 40 minutes to get there, i gave myself and hour and a half to get there, so i think i did give myself time. please read my post correctly. now that i know what that traffic is like, i can give myself even more time to get there. anyway, i am not buying a house, so whenever i graduate and get a job in the field, one of my first priorities will be to move closer to my employment. just like now, i live less than 10 minutes from my job and do not have to put up with traffic. this is the good thing about renting apts. you are flexible.
i am not a faint hearted person, but i do get a little annoyed at times. though i will have to work in the field first to see how it works instead of listening to others tell me to get out. i have found over the years that listening to people can lead you astray. you know yourself better than others, and public opinion sometimes can be unreliable. btw i understand i could get fired for not being sterile, but i doubt that will happen to me. i love to wash my hands and like to stay clean. if the patient has sepsis, it is usually the whole team being irresponsible. i know it only takes one, but usually it's the team dynamics at fault.
i know a lady who's relative became very sick (near death) from sepsis at a hospital. all the people working his case and who were pointed out are still working there and she has had a hard time even trying to get them prosecuted, so it depends on where you work. she told me the hospital was filthy and they acted as if they didn't care. but i'm not that kind of person anyway, so.
Congratulations on getting advice about quitting a program before you do. If that’s the way your leaning.
I was a CST for a few years and then choose a profession with the airlines. Now, I’m going back to school for my Nursing Degree. For me the Surg Tech program was exciting, exhausting, and shocking. We had classes from 5:00am-9:00pm some days. We were required to be at the O.R. for early morning surgeries, and learn all types of instruments, drapes, stands, and machines. I had to maintain a 90% on all test which included written, oral, and practical. It was exhausting, and I know what your going though. However, DON’T give up. Its worth it in the end. I wish I would never have left.
If there is one piece of advice I can give you is the that Operating Room has plenty of people. You will be working with some real characters. You might be working with your instructor one day. Don’t let some instructor get under your skin. Instructors teach many different ways just as my Nursing professors. I’m guessing that you don’t prefer this instructors teaching methods, style, and lectures. However, Its all worth it when you pass your test and get a job.
I’m not sure how far along in the program you are. If you feel that its not for you pick something else. Its not worth being unhappy in the O.R. If you choose the Surgical Tech program and had your heart set on Radiology, or PT, or something of that nature follow your heart. If you don’t enjoy standing, paying attention, holding retractors (for a V.E.R.Y. long time), putting things together (Orthopedics - knees, hips, facial restorations) , or building things it might not be for you. When working as a Surgical Tech you need to be able to predict what that surgeon will need. That’s the best tool you will have. It takes 110% of effort while working with the Nurses, Doctors, and staff. To be able to hand the surgeon a instrument that he/she needs without asking for it is Golden.
If the Surgical Tech program is not what your heart is set on. Change before its too late. No amount of money will make you happy. I’ve seen plenty of Nurses, Techs, and Staff who would rather be some where else. And trust me would you do not want to be in the O.R. if some of the staff would rather be somewhere else? It happens to all of us.
Sorry for interupting here, gymnut said, "The first thing I did before applying for the program at my local hospital was call all the hospitals and surgical centers in the area and find out if they use surgical techs, what the pay rate was, the hours and what school they would favor hiring from."
Did they answer graciously? I've been tempted to do this or to make an appointment and go in to talk to them. I can't decide if it would be a normal part of their job or if it would be a bothersome interuption for them.
this is probably a bothersome interruption for them. first of all, the pay differs from hospital and locale, so you can't go by that. i already mentioned the range of pay for surg. techs. here where i'm at. now go to Cali and they may start at 21 or 22 dollars an hour. you can't go by hours either because many offer pt only and others offer fulltime. hospitals get really busy and may not return your calls. the best thing to do is get into it, get your hands dirty (no pun intended) to find out if it's really for you. you can listen to people, but you may miss out this way.
Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
I beg to differ. Hospitals have aggressive recruiters that would be only too happy to have someone inquire and meet with them about current open positions. In my hospital alone, there is a $5,000 referral bonus offered to employees that ENCOURAGE rising graduates to apply, accept and complete the first year of employment.
Yes, hospitals are busy. But hospitals also have entire departments designated to do nothing BUT recruit.
Where are you getting the notion that it would be bothersome?
Welcome to the wonderful world of healthcare. Any program you get into is going to include long days and a lot of boot camp instructors. The real world of healthcare can be very boot camp-ish. It's hard work and you meet up with a lot of hot headed people. Which I hear is even more true in the OR.
You need to give a little and go with the flow. Those who resist tend to never make it.
It took me some time to sort out where I got the notion. I'm at the stage of asking which local schools they prefer but I'm too old to be a kid they are helping. It feels like something I should be able to pick up through keeping my eyes and ears open. It doesn't usually show when I interact with them but I tend to feel intimidated by people in corporate-world-mode.
johnnydogood, you are right, I need the info from my area. Also, I think nothing can take the place of volunteering (or working) in the environment. Thank you.
Johnny, I don't think the medical field is for you. According to your interests, you "watch tv, crack jokes, play pranks, prank calls, sleeping and being lazy." Not hardly someone who would be successful being responsible for other people's lives.
You want to work in the medical field because you are a "white male, looking to get into nursing so i can get out of parents house. parents tired of me eating up all of their food and running up their telephone bill. nursing will provide me the money and skills i need to make it on my own."
You might want to keep looking for another career. Good luck to you.
I looked @ your profile and you stated you were born December 1984. How did you take prereqs in 1996; you would have been 12 years old! Please, straighten out your life before other people entrust their lives with you...
first, i never put any of my real personal information like bday, social security, mothers maiden name, telephone number, current/previous residences, bank account numbers etc... so someone like yourself can do research on me, find me in the white pages and then show up at my home unannounced. i can't have that. i have to protect myself and personal information. if it askes for a birthday, then i have to put something, but if i feel uncomfortable putting my pertinent information, i am entitled not to. i cannot be pressured into giving out personal information just because someone asks for it.
i never understood why certain people did this (look into your profile) like what you have just done. it's rude and intrusive to me. it kind of reminds me how people violate hippa laws and peek into patients files when they are not supposed to.
Congratulations on getting advice about quitting a program before you do. If that’s the way your leaning.
I was a CST for a few years and then choose a profession with the airlines. Now, I’m going back to school for my Nursing Degree. For me the Surg Tech program was exciting, exhausting, and shocking. We had classes from 5:00am-9:00pm some days. We were required to be at the O.R. for early morning surgeries, and learn all types of instruments, drapes, stands, and machines. I had to maintain a 90% on all test which included written, oral, and practical. It was exhausting, and I know what your going though. However, DON’T give up. Its worth it in the end. I wish I would never have left.
If there is one piece of advice I can give you is the that Operating Room has plenty of people. You will be working with some real characters. You might be working with your instructor one day. Don’t let some instructor get under your skin. Instructors teach many different ways just as my Nursing professors. I’m guessing that you don’t prefer this instructors teaching methods, style, and lectures. However, Its all worth it when you pass your test and get a job.
I’m not sure how far along in the program you are. If you feel that its not for you pick something else. Its not worth being unhappy in the O.R. If you choose the Surgical Tech program and had your heart set on Radiology, or PT, or something of that nature follow your heart. If you don’t enjoy standing, paying attention, holding retractors (for a V.E.R.Y. long time), putting things together (Orthopedics - knees, hips, facial restorations) , or building things it might not be for you. When working as a Surgical Tech you need to be able to predict what that surgeon will need. That’s the best tool you will have. It takes 110% of effort while working with the Nurses, Doctors, and staff. To be able to hand the surgeon a instrument that he/she needs without asking for it is Golden.
If the Surgical Tech program is not what your heart is set on. Change before its too late. No amount of money will make you happy. I’ve seen plenty of Nurses, Techs, and Staff who would rather be some where else. And trust me would you do not want to be in the O.R. if some of the staff would rather be somewhere else? It happens to all of us.
I just think you might be venting a bit.
Good luck and let us know how things turn out.
-Crew2Nursing.
i really liked your post. it was very encouraging. and i was told before that being able to hand the doc an instrument before he asks is Golden, so i know you know what you are talking about. you can still go back into surg. tech can't you? then you were saying that you've seen plenty of nurses, techs that would rather be somewhere else. wow!!!! that is sooooo telling!
first, i never put any of my real personal information so someone like yourself can do research on me, find me in the white pages and then show up at my home unannounced. i can't have that. i have to protect myself and personal information.
i never understood why certain people did this. it's rude and intrusive. it kind of reminds me how people violate hippa laws and peek into patients files when they are not supposed to.
How is it intrusive? You supplied the information. You were warned in the disclosures for this site that any information you do supply is available to the viewing public. It's natural for people to wish to get a frame of reference on certain matters or details if something in a post doesn't add up. Unfortunately, there are trolls everywhere online, and details from someone's profile can sometimes alert readers to the presence of such an individual. If you don't want people to have the information, either don't supply it or make it unviewable to other site users. That's an option many members use, and it's perfectly reasonable. I respect your wish for privacy, but supplying false data on a professional forum seems a little rude in my book. Just change your profile if you're worried about people identifying you in some way!
And certainly there is no correlation between looking at a poster's publicly available data on a site any joe or jill schmoe may legally visit at any time and sneaking into a patient's medical file to peruse personal data that is explicitly protected from such violations by law. My goodness, to make that sort of comparison is more than a touch histrionic!
DCtraumarn
90 Posts
Sounds as if you need to take a long hard look at yourself - nothing in life is really easy.
We have all worked through hard times but what remains is our desire and committment to our patients and our profession.