Surgical Technologists Go Back to List Assist in operations, under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeon's assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.

Technology used in this occupation:
	Data base user interface and query software

Tasks
	Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
	Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
	Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
	Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
	Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
	Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
	Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery.
	Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation.
	Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs.
	Observe patients' vital signs to assess physical condition.

Skills
	Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
	Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
	Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
	Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
	Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
	Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Knowledge
	Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
	Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
	English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
	Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
	Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
	Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
	Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
	Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
	Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
	Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

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Education & Training   Education:   Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.   Related Experience:   Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

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Wage Information
	Region Average Entry Level  Mid-Range  Annual  Hourly  Statewide $74,175.00 $35.66  $26.94  $31.36 - $40.15  Bridgeport/Stamford $75,338.00 $36.22  $27.01  $31.60 - $41.09  Danbury $77,893.00 $37.45  $31.82  $32.99 - $40.80  Hartford $74,061.00 $35.61  $26.71  $31.15 - $40.15  New Haven $74,113.00 $35.63  $26.95  $30.31 - $39.53  New London/Norwich $74,342.00 $35.74  $29.14  $30.32 - $39.50  Waterbury $72,379.00 $34.80  $26.59  $32.46 - $40.09

Occupation Outlook ( 2016 - 2026 ) Average Annual Job Openings:   87   Employment in this occupation is expected to grow more slowly than average, and the number of annual openings will offer good or favorable job opportunities.

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	Some of the occupational information on this page is formulated from O*NETTM v17.0 data. O*NETTM is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.