Updated: Aug 7, 2024 - The Certified Surgical Technologist ensures compliance with materials management through precise record-keeping, updating inventory systems, and handling product expirations and recalls. This position effectively manages multiple priorities, organizes workflow, and maintains stringent standards for cleanliness and organization in work areas to ensure safety and efficiency. Additionally, this role adhere to infection control standards, promptly report workplace hazards, and are proficient in sterilizing instruments and equipment to support optimal patient care.
Tips for Certified Surgical Technologist Skills and Responsibilities on a Resume
1. Certified Surgical Technologist, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
Job Summary:
- Provide scrubbing, gowning, and gloving assistance to all members of the surgical team as entering the sterile environment.
- Plan and prepare for the needs of the patient and surgeon related to supplies, equipment, and instrumentation.
- Assure proper functioning of equipment prior to surgical cases and make necessary adjustments.
- Apply aseptic and sterile techniques at all times during the care of the surgical patient.
- Perform instrumentation in all specialty areas with expertise working under the direction of the surgeon.
- Assure all sponges, needles, instruments and other countable items are accounted for according to policy and procedure.
- Prepares the surgical suite before each case
- Gathers all necessary equipment and supplies in preparation for the case
- Passes proper instrumentation, equipment and supplies to the surgeon and surgical assistant
- Maintains the sterile field throughout the case and until the patient is transported out of the OR
- Maintains instruments, equipment and supplies
- Assists the surgeon during the case
Skills on Resume:
- Knowledge of Sterile Techniques (Hard Skills)
- Equipment Proficiency (Hard Skills)
- Preparation and Planning (Hard Skills)
- Attention to Detail (Soft Skills)
- Instrumentation Expertise (Hard Skills)
- Operational Coordination (Hard Skills)
- Maintenance Skills (Hard Skills)
- Team Collaboration and Communication (Soft Skills)
2. Certified Surgical Technologist, Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA
Job Summary:
- Prepare and organize the operating room equipment, instruments, and supplies for various orthopedic surgical procedures
- Anticipate surgeon and patient needs during surgery
- Set up and maintain a sterile field for all types of orthopaedic cases
- Utilize correct body mechanics in moving, transporting, and positioning patients, stretchers, and/or tables in order to prevent injury to patient and personnel
- Follow relevant guidelines, standards of care and infection prevention guidelines
- Participate in orientation and education of all operating room staff on an ongoing basis
- Participate in stocking and restocking medical supplies
- Inspect, replace, and sterilize medical instruments
- Stand shoulder-to-shoulder with great surgeons and a great team
- Loads autoclaves in the prescribed manner and set controls to specified time and temperature according to material and requirements of items being sterilized.
Skills on Resume:
- Operating Room Setup (Hard Skills)
- Anticipation Skills (Soft Skills)
- Sterile Field Management (Hard Skills)
- Patient Handling (Hard Skills)
- Adherence to Guidelines (Hard Skills)
- Education and Training (Soft Skills)
- Supply Management (Hard Skills)
- Autoclave Operation (Hard Skills)
3. Certified Surgical Technologist, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
Job Summary:
- Adhere to materials management compliance, including accurate record-keeping, reconciling invoices with purchase orders, updating inventory systems, and handling product expiration and recalls.
- Identify coverage strategies for obtaining supplies during backorders and emergency situations.
- Promptly communicate supply-related issues or stock-outs to OR staff, physicians, and the Administrative team.
- Maintained clean and organized work areas, including appropriately labeling storage bins and ensuring carts, racks, and shelves meet standards.
- Assist in monitoring and conducting various tests, such as generator, temperature, humidity, and medical gas testing, as well as replenishing medical air gas
- Organize workflow, problem-solve, and manage multiple priorities safely and efficiently with minimal supervision.
- Comply with the company's policies, procedures, and safety guidelines.
- Report accidents promptly and communicate hazards identified in the workplace to ensure a safe environment for work and patient care.
- Follow the standard for infection control such as hand washing, protective eyewear, mask, gown, gloves, head cover, and shoe cover, as appropriate.
- Proper disposal of contaminated items and the use of isolation.
- Sterilizes instruments, equipment, utensils, linen and supplies using various types of autoclaves and aerators.
Skills on Resume:
- Materials Management Compliance (Hard Skills)
- Supply Chain Management (Hard Skills)
- Communication Skills (Soft Skills)
- Organization and Maintenance (Hard Skills)
- Testing and Maintenance (Hard Skills)
- Workflow Management (Soft Skills)
- Adherence to Policies and Safety Guidelines (Hard Skills)
- Infection Control and Sterilization (Hard Skills)
4. Certified Surgical Technologist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Job Summary:
- Protects the patient’s rights of privacy, person, and property and maintains confidentiality at all times
- Demonstrates the ability to perform clinical/technical/service/administrative tasks
- Works safely and provides for the safety of patients and others
- Demonstrates understanding of operative procedures and skill in assisting the surgical team in the Scrub role
- Anticipates and meets needs of the surgical team, with demonstrated speed and manual dexterity
- Demonstrates careful handling and disposition of surgical specimens
- Maintains an organized sterile field and assists circulating nurse.
- Complies with policies regarding Implants, medication safety, counts and retained foreign bodies
- Selects, uses, decontaminates, reassembles, and sterilizes instruments and equipment, according to established departmental protocol
- Demonstrates ability to maintain and operate sterilizing apparatus
- Check that the equipment is in working order before the time-out process takes place
Skills on Resume:
- Patient Privacy and Confidentiality (Soft Skills)
- Clinical and Technical Proficiency (Hard Skills)
- Safety Awareness (Soft Skills)
- Surgical Assistance (Scrub Role) (Hard Skills)
- Speed and Manual Dexterity (Hard Skills)
- Specimen Handling (Hard Skills)
- Sterile Field Management (Hard Skills)
- Equipment Management (Hard Skills)
5. Certified Surgical Technologist, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Job Summary:
- Applies principles of aseptic technique in setting up/maintaining a sterile field, limiting area of contamination, detecting, reporting and correcting breaks in sterile technique
- Uses supplies appropriately, in a cost-effective manner
- Checks dates on supplies, restocks supplies and cleans cupboards
- Actively Participates in the TIME OUT process
- Uses technical skill in procedures such as skin preparation, draping, wound care, dressing and drains
- Assists in the safe transfer and positioning of patients according to accepted procedure.
- Make accurate and pertinent observations of the patient’s condition and reports to circulating RN/Charge RN
- Assists in maintenance of a safe, sanitary and orderly environment.
- Maintains correct flow of dirty and clean instruments in department , (sprays dirty instruments with enzymatic and places dirty trays in closed case carts and moves it to dirty elevator area )
- Uses knowledge of environmental hazards, such as anesthetic agents, mechanical, electrical, optical, and radiological equipment, to protect patients and prevent accidents
- Assists in preparation of the room for the next operation such as equipment, trays, soft and sharp supplies
Skills on Resume:
- Aseptic Technique (Hard Skills)
- Supply Management (Hard Skills)
- Technical Skills (Hard Skills)
- Patient Transfer and Positioning (Hard Skills)
- Patient Observation and Reporting (Hard Skills)
- Environmental Hazard Awareness (Hard Skills)
- Operating Room Preparation (Hard Skills)
6. Certified Surgical Technologist, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY
Job Summary:
- Assist in the cleaning and preparation of the operating room suite, as well as participating in the care and cleaning of operating room equipment.
- Perform in a sterile field and assist the surgeon by providing instrumentation appropriate for the task.
- Provide care for the operative patient before, during, and after surgery.
- Perform patient care within the scope of training of the operating room technician and under the direction of the Registered Nurse (RN)
- Prepare patients, equipment, and operating rooms for each procedure/surgery
- Maintain a clean and safe operating room suite for surgical patients
- Perform intra-operative management of assigned procedures and anticipate needs of the surgeon
- Assist the circulating nurse in maintaining correct instrument counts
- Supply and equipment management, including determining needs, ensuring availability, and maintaining equipment through proper sterilization
- Attend and participate in report to ensure an understanding of current surgical cases
- Select and prepare supplies and equipment for surgical procedures.
- Assist in preparing OR for surgical procedures, ensuring sterile environment at all times
Skills on Resume:
- Sterile Technique (Hard Skills)
- Patient Care (Hard Skills)
- Operating Room Preparation (Hard Skills)
- Instrumentation (Hard Skills)
- Equipment Management (Hard Skills)
- Safety and Cleanliness (Hard Skills)
- Intra-operative Assistance (Hard Skills)
- Team Collaboration (Soft Skills)
7. Certified Surgical Technologist, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Job Summary:
- Coordinate and execute cadaveric training labs and events
- Develop relationships with clients and arrange all needs for event, including but not limited to equipment, instrumentation, catering, presentations, and tissue.
- Schedule and provide facility tours
- Set up/break down of lab events, including all equipment, AV needs, instrumentation, positioning and draping of tissue, and proper repackaging and shipping of equipment and tissue.
- Act as customer liaison to clients throughout booking process, throughout the event, and post-op lab follow up.
- Proper handing and processing of tissue.
- Maintain databases of tissue inventory, instrument and equipment inventory, lab supplies, post-lab breakdowns, and calendar
- Maintain customer database and lab calendar
- Scheduling of events, equipment and tissue deliveries and outgoing shipments
- Maintaining equipment and service needs
- Day-to-day upkeep of instrumentation inventory, tissue inventory, lab supplies and general lab housekeeping
- Set up sterile field with instruments, sutures, blades, electrosurgical equipment, suction, prosthesis and solutions needed for procedures according to established procedures
- Continually maintain neat and orderly sterile field as dictated by the sequence of the procedure
Skills on Resume:
- Event Coordination (Hard Skills)
- Client Relationship Management (Soft Skills)
- Logistics Management (Hard Skills)
- Equipment Handling and Maintenance (Hard Skills)
- Sterile Field Management (Hard Skills)
- Inventory Management (Hard Skills)
- Customer Liaison (Soft Skills)
- Attention to Detail (Soft Skills)
8. Certified Surgical Technologist, University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor, MI
Job Summary:
- Promote the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
- Prepare the operating room with supplies and equipment needed for surgical procedures
- Participate in the time out to ensure that the patient’s procedure is performed on the correct site, side, and level
- Perform activities about the handling of sterile instruments, drapes, sutures, sponges, catheters, drains and dressings
- Perform accounting procedures to protect the patient from unintended retained surgical items
- Operate and troubleshoots lights, suction, diagnostic equipment, and electrosurgical instruments
- Maintain the sterile field
- Assist surgeon with the application of dressings, casts, holding retractors, and cutting sutures
- Clean and clears the operating room of used instruments and equipment after each case.
- Clean and reprocesse instruments in the absence of the sterile processing technician
Skills on Resume:
- Knowledge of Surgical Procedures and Protocols (Hard Skills)
- Attention to Detail (Soft Skills)
- Sterilization and Infection Control (Hard Skills)
- Surgical Instrument Management (Hard Skills)
- Equipment Operation and Troubleshooting (Hard Skills)
- Assisting Surgical Procedures (Hard Skills)
- Post-Operative Room Management (Hard Skills)
- Team Collaboration and Communication (Soft Skills)
9. Certified Surgical Technologist, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
Job Summary:
- Participate in the delivery of family-focused patient care
- Patient’s health status and outcomes by ensuring safe patient care during a surgical procedure.
- Communicate and collaborates with healthcare team members as appropriate to implement a seamless plan of care.
- Assist in lifting and transport of patients
- Demonstrate a commitment to patient safety
- Act as a patient advocate protects rights, and maintains privacy and confidentiality of all appropriate information
- Treat all patients and family members with respect, dignity and compassion
- Maintain a professional demeanor at all times
- Collaborate effectively with other disciplines as appropriate
- Participate in quality review and performance improvement projects
- Participate in the performance appraisal process
- Use problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills to foster effective work relationships with team members
- Maintain required competencies and pursue professional growth
Skills on Resume:
- Family-Focused Patient Care (Soft Skills)
- Safe Patient Care During Surgical Procedures (Hard Skills)
- Communication and Collaboration (Soft Skills)
- Patient Handling (Hard Skills)
- Commitment to Patient Safety (Soft Skills)
- Patient Advocacy (Soft Skills)
- Compassionate Patient Care (Soft Skills)
- Professionalism (Soft Skills)