surgical tech vs lpn

[rena911]

hello

I wanted to know the pros and cons

between becoming a surg tech and lpn

information on the job advancement,salary and work environments and also long term job outlook on both

I would love to become an lpn I know it is hard work and dedication I have looked into it a couple times before but my math is horrible

I have been bad at it since kindergarten=/and it really has gotten in my way I can do basic math kind of okay

but for the most part I can not grasp complex formulas, graphs and such

can you guys please list the pros and cons and possibly other healthcare jobs that might suit me

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

This is a topic that comes up every so often on the operating room forum. Here's a link to some of the search results:

Search Results for surgical tech vs. lpn

I think some of the biggest cons of becoming a surgical tech is the fact that surgical techs are pretty limited in where they can work: surgery (although that can include hospital, outpatient, and L&D for c sections, it's still only surgical departments). There are also no bridge programs for ST to LPN or RN; the only bridge programs that I am aware of are LPN to RN programs. One of the surgical techs I work with is currently in nursing school- she had to repeat pharmacology and physiology because the courses she had for ST school are different from the ones required for nursing school.

Job advancement is pretty limited too. There are some places that will hire STs as surgical specialty coordinators/supervisors, but there is a limited number of those jobs; many may require applicants to hold a bachelor's degree (my current specialty coordinator has been required to return to school for a bachelor's of health administration in order to keep his job).

However, there are some pretty good things about being an ST: you work in an environment where great teamwork can be built and you can sometimes see an immediate difference in the health of your patient.

But really, what it comes down to is what you want to do in your career. The AST site (Association of Surgical Technologists) is probably going to be a better wealth of information about being an ST than a nursing site.

Disclaimer: I have never worked as either an ST or an LPN. However, I spend more time with my ST coworkers than I do with my own family.