Please Help...Surg Tech Questions

[JHFaith]

Hello everyone! I know this is a message board for nurses but I was hoping you could answer my questions regarding surgical technologists. I have already visited the Association of Surgical Technologists website but I am unable to register to get access to their message boards. When I try, I get a prompt that reads, the administrator has denied access to the message boards. I often visit this site and I know how informative you all can be so I thought I would direct my questions to you all. :spin:

A little background on me. I'm 30 years old and have worked as a CNA for many years. I have been told by many of my co-workers that are nurses and even two doctors that I have worked for that I should be a nurse. I seriously thought about going to LPN school but after much consideration I have decided I do not want the responsibility/liability that the nurse has. I am interested in becoming a surgical technologist because I think it would be a good fit for me (although I think I need to develop a thicker skin).

1. Where I live the ST program requires Pharmacology for Surgical Technologists. How much math was involved in your pharm class? How much math is involved on the job in real life?

2. How much responsibility does the ST have over correct dosages of medications given to the surgeon? Does the RN/LPN hand over the correct dosage to the ST to give to the surgeon or is the tech required to take the med from the nurse and figure out the dose?

3. What is the ST responsibility during a code? Does he/she just stand back and/or hand off needed items or do they participate by doing CPR and other required duties?

4. Do ST perform foley catheterization on patients or is that the responsibility of the nurse?

5. Do ST learn how to stitch open wounds closed or are they only responsible to know the different types of sutures and hand them off to the surgeon?

6. As a new ST how do you anticipate what the surgeon needs next? Don't you basically need to know how to perform the procedure to know what is needed next??? Is this task mainly learned on the job?

Thanks in advance for your replies....and sorry for the length of the post.