Scrub tech school first or straight to nursing school?

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Hey everyone!!!

I'm currently a sterile processing tech with multiple certs at a new, smaller hospital in west Houston (Katy). I was looking at the possibility of nursing school in the next year or so. My dept is located in the OR, that's where I'd like to remain. I have no intentions on being a floor nurse. Of course that may change over time. My question is...my dept is in the OR(Surgical Services) but not actually in the OR. In other words, I have my own dept that I work in and never go into one of the rooms. I have no clue how to scrub in, etc. So I have actually no knowledge or experience in the OR room. Would it be beneficial for me to go to scrub tech school first to gain valuable experience in the OR and scrub (making a bit more cash than my current position) while going to nursing school? That way, I'm already in the OR and have some idea of what's going on. I've also heard of internships, might have to do one anyway, but I'd be ahead of the game with my scrub tech school knowledge. Would this be a waste of a year or go directly into nursing school? My plan was surgical tech school at HCC in Houston as well as their ADN program. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Brandon

BTW, my ultimate goal is to be Sterile Processing or Materials manager.

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

If your ultimate aim is to be a sterile processing manager why would you even go to nursing school unless your facility only hires nurses as processing supervisors? Our sterile processing manager is not a nurse and I've never heard of that at the three facilities I have worked at previously. If your aim is to remain in processing, then I would go to tech school first and then get something like a management degree to get into the supervisory roles in the sterile processing department of the hospital.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
Hey everyone!!!

I'm currently a sterile processing tech with multiple certs at a new, smaller hospital in west Houston (Katy). I was looking at the possibility of nursing school in the next year or so. My dept is located in the OR, that's where I'd like to remain. I have no intentions on being a floor nurse. Of course that may change over time. My question is...my dept is in the OR(Surgical Services) but not actually in the OR. In other words, I have my own dept that I work in and never go into one of the rooms. I have no clue how to scrub in, etc. So I have actually no knowledge or experience in the OR room. Would it be beneficial for me to go to scrub tech school first to gain valuable experience in the OR and scrub (making a bit more cash than my current position) while going to nursing school? That way, I'm already in the OR and have some idea of what's going on. I've also heard of internships, might have to do one anyway, but I'd be ahead of the game with my scrub tech school knowledge. Would this be a waste of a year or go directly into nursing school? My plan was surgical tech school at HCC in Houston as well as their ADN program. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Brandon

BTW, my ultimate goal is to be Sterile Processing or Materials manager.

Yes, it would waste a year. It is not going to help you get into nursing school or make you more successful.

If you want to be a nurse, then go straight to nursing school and your current connections will help you get interships in the OR.

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If your ultimate aim is to be a sterile processing manager why would you even go to nursing school unless your facility only hires nurses as processing supervisors? Our sterile processing manager is not a nurse and I've never heard of that at the three facilities I have worked at previously. If your aim is to remain in processing, then I would go to tech school first and then get something like a management degree to get into the supervisory roles in the sterile processing department of the hospital.

I would like to circulate for a while but at the end, spd manager. I've been told by numerous folks here in Houston that they're leaning towards nurse managers for spd in the future.

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Specializes in OR.

Go for nursing school. The 3 facilities I've worked in all have RNs in charge of SPD, most of whom have an OR background.

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.

We have a CST as our SPD Manager.....IMHO now is not the time to go to nursing school, I'm sure the job market will pick up again but what if it doesn't in 2 years???

Good luck in whatever you decide...

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Is your surgical tech program one or two years? If you went to nursing school, ADN or BSN? Is there a wait list for either? I know two people who are on the waiting list for nursing school (about two years out) and went to tech school in the meantime.

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Specializes in CST in general surgery, LDRs, & podiatry.

Have you considered/investigated going to either Surgical Tech school or an ADN nursing program (Associate's Degree in either one) and then taking that 2 year degree to whatever college in your area that you can get a Bachelors Degree in Health Care Management in 2 more years? It's even possible to do that at some major online universities as well, and even brick and mortar campuses offer an ever-increasing catalog of online programs. If management is what your eventual goal is, then Health Care Management is a huge, booming program that should fit in well with your plans and their future needs. Surgical Tech school would give you an excellent technical background in what goes on in the OR and you'll get a full scale inside experience in what goes on there in a way that would suit remaining in SPD and going into management with a Health Care Management degree. Either way, you're going to spend about the same time in school, and IMHO, surgical technology would give you the focus you're after, since what you want to end up doing does not involve direct nursing patient care in the long run.

Best wishes on whatever you decide to do!

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Specializes in Military/OR/Med-Surg/PICC Nurse.

I will offer two comments,

1. I went to nursing school with some scrub techs, and their clinical experience was not recognized very much. They were frustrated they still had to "shadow," a circulator during a few clinical rotations in the same OR's they scrubbed in. Gotta play the game, ya know?

2. I am in the military and in the Army it is always an RN who commands SPD/CMS/Sterile processing.

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