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Discussion

Surgical Tech

Hi! I am currently a student who is looking to get into nursing school. I probably won't be able to get into it for the fall, but was told that I might be able to get into the surgical tech program. I was just wondering if it would help me at all later in my career? What is the demand like? Are the hours and pay any good? (I don't really care about the pay, but just curious). Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

~Emery

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I suppose it would be useful in the event you want to be a perioperative nurse (one who works in the OR). I don't know much about the demand or the pay or the hours. Perhaps you can do a search on google and find out more. Good Luck to you.

I just finished a contract at a hospital where I worked with a new grad who had been a surgical tech for several years before she became a nurse. She had also made a pretty good living as a Surgical Tech...So, I think it could only help, not hurt.

Even if you never work in the OR as an RN being a surg tech will be a great assest. Maybe more so than CNA. You will get the best education in anatomy and pathology and once you get the procedures and instrument passing, etc down pat you can start asking doctors questions about the disease processes... "what were the sypmtoms?" "how will you continue to treat?" "what else did you try first?" "what would you have done if..." Many surgeons and residents will be happy to teach (especially residents who will be glad to be the ones "in the know" for a change!) You'll learn some meds, too... not just lidocaine and sensorcaine but antibiotics, eye drops, steroids, narcotics... Pay attention and try to help out the anesth. givers, too, whenever possible and you'll learn all you ever wanted to know about cardio-respiratory monitoring and care!

Good Luck no matter what!

Being an OR Tech first will be good training if you become an OR RN. However, it was not much help (to me) in nursing school. I thought I would breeze through since I had been a tech for so long. Boy was I wrong!

I encourage all the techs I work with to go back to school for something. Most go fro nursing. If you want to work in the OR as an RN, but may not get into a program right away I suggest to train & work as a tech first and then go back to school. Your employer will probably pay for you to go back to school ( at least part of it) and you will have an easier time getting a job in the OR. I went to nursing school and had to move 600 miles away to find a hospital that would train a new grad in the OR.

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