Surg Tech Assistant Entry?

[HTmommy]

Hi all -

I am an LNA (working @LTC facility) & want to get a ft job as a surg tech asst. (Currently, I am attending college for nursing.) Can anyone give me advice to the steps I should take to get a position?

I see a few openings locally & have much interest in this (as well it will help me with classes) & feel confident I can do it however, the jobs state they prefer certification which I don"t have - how can I combat this? Aside of completing school (I am far from graduating) how does one gain experience in this? Any advice is much appreciated!

Thanks :)

[CIRQL8]

When I hear the term "Surg Tech Assistant," the first thing that comes to mind is ancillary personnel, with on-the-job-training. This means that you would not be scrubbing in or circulating, you would assist with setting up rooms (maybe), cleaning rooms (definately), and transferring patients. Perhaps a few other ancillary duties as well. If you are thinking about the scrub role, you are probably meaning "surgical technician." That usually does require that you take and pass a program at an accredited school. Some are Associates degress, some just a certificate. Some institutions want you to pass the certification exam, some don't care, and some give a wage differential if you are certified. Very few institutions provide on-the-job-training for scrubs anymore. Maybe even none.

If there is a pay-cut and you can afford it, and if you are willing to do some ancillary (sometimes not very appreciated) work in the OR, it will be a step in the door to get a circulating position after graduation. Just don't sink to the lowest common denominator. Keep your head high, and realize that ancillary work in the OR is extremely important. I appreciate the assistants here. They do ALOT of work to make my job easier to care for the patient. If you do well, you will get hired (assuming that there's a position), do poorly or act as if you don't care, they won't want you as a nurse.

[CIRQL8]

P.S. - What's an LNA? Licensed Nursing Assistant? Is that like a CNA?

[ewattsjt]

as cirql8 stated, it really depends on the facility on the certification preferred part. you should talk to the surgery manager at the facility you are talking about. they will generally know more about what they want than what hr knows.

more and more facilities are going to certified surgical technologists (csts). if this is what they want, there is no way around taking a caahep approved program and sitting for certification through the national board of surgical technology and surgical assisting (nbstsa). it takes about 9mths for a diploma or two to two and a half years for an associates degree and it is full time classes.

we have "surgical attendants" that transports patients, help with turn over, help stock rooms, and sometimes help open. it is ancillary work but as stated before it is a great help and it gets you in the door for when you do graduate.