The field of surgical technology is home to a number of organizations and designations. This means that the people who work within the field are committed to making sure that surgical technology remains a great career choice. So as you consider becoming a surgical tech, it’s wise to understand the following points about surgical tech certification requirements. Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) In order to call yourself a Certified Surgical Technologist or CST, you will need to successfully pass the NBSTSA exam and maintain your certification status.
The Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) designation (awarded by the NBTSA) must be renewed every four years. In order to maintain this certification, you will be required to earn 60 hours of approved continuing education over each four-year period and retake and pass the NBSTSA exam at the end of each period. The best option for most people who want to know how to become a surgical technologist is to get a formal education from a school with a surgical tech program. In addition, you should consider the following points when selecting a school.
Keep your future ambitions in mind. If you think you might want to pursue a more advanced degree later on, then it’s wise to ask whether the credits you earn as part of your surgical technology program can count toward a higher degree. The clinical externship portion of your surgical tech education is very important. Many schools can place you in a hospital setting for your real-life training, which could give you the chance to scrub in on the widest variety of surgical cases possible.
(Plus, hospitals sometimes hire the best and most eager surgical tech students from among those performing clinical externships at their facilities. ) After you graduate the first priority is a good idea to get professionally certified. This will make you more marketable as you search for your first job. It can sometimes help to call the O. R. (operating room) departments of hospitals directly and ask to speak to the O. R. manager. Display a confident attitude and ask if there are any openings. State that you are a recent surgical tech graduate looking to break into the field.
(Hospitals and other employers don’t always advertise their job openings. ) Be flexible. Many new surgical techs find great employment opportunities by being willing to relocate. Tech in Surgery-Certified (TS-C) The National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) offers surgical tech certification, awarding the Tech in Surgery-Certified (TS-C) designation to those who pass its exam and meet certain education and/or experience requirements. The TS-C certification must be renewed every five years through either continuing education or reexamination. Licensure.
First Step is to graduate from a surgical technology program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Most of these programs take one to two years to complete. They combine classroom instruction in subjects such as anatomy, pharmacology and medical terminology with hands-on training in clinical settings. Second step is to take and pass the certification exam offered by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, which qualifies you as a Certified Surgical Technologist or CST.
Third step is to find a job in surgical technology, in a hospital or other health-care facility. Gain as much hands-on experience as you can, assisting during a broad range of procedures with multiple surgeons. Fourth step is to work your way up to the first assistant position. You’ll need to learn how to provide suction and retraction, how to stop bleeding with hemostats or sutures, and how to make incisions or suture tissues as directed by the surgeon. Fifth step is to apply to the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting for certification.
You’ll need to document 135 procedures in which you acted as first assistant, and provide two notarized verification letters from surgeons or surgical supervisors. Thirty-five of the procedures can be in general surgery, 50 in a single specialty, and the remaining 50 in any combination of other specialties. And the sixth step is to pass the certification examination, and you’ll be credentialed as a certified surgical first assistant, or CSFA. Registration In order to work as a surgical tech in certain states, you will need to meet their surgical technician requirements.
Here is how things break down for new surgical techs in those states: Indiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee all require new surgical technologists to hold and maintain professional certification from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA). The NBSTSA administers an exam that, if passed, results in being awarded the designation of Certified Surgical Technologist (CST). Texas requires new surgical technologists to have successfully completed an accredited surgical technology program and to hold and maintain professional certification from either the NBSTSA or the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT).
Idaho requires surgical technologists to have either certification from the NBSTSA or to have successfully completed, at minimum, a one-year surgical tech program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Colorado and Washington both require anyone practicing as a surgical technologist to be registered, which does not require certification. Legislation that would regulate surgical technologists in one of the above ways is pending in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin.
Detailing the Difference The main difference between a surgical technologist and a surgical assistant is that a surgical assistant must have more advanced, and training. Surgical assistants are more commonly known as “surgical first assistants. ” And with extra education, some surgical technologists can work their way up to become surgical first assistants. In addition to having the ability to do anything that a surgical tech can do, a surgical first assistant is trained to perform duties under a surgeon’s direction
that can include: providing aid in exposure (helping to ensure the incision site is ideally positioned), hemostasis (stopping the blood flow and controlling hemorrhaging, over technical function during the course of surgery that help provide the best possible outcome for the patient. Surgical first assistants can come from many backgrounds, not just surgical technology. They can be medical or surgical residents, physician’s assistants, or nurses. Four-Year Certification Cycle, CST’s Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) must earn (60 CE) credits before the four-year cycle expires to renew the credential. Four-Year Certification Cycle, CSFA’s, Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA) must earn (75 CE) credits before the four-year cycle expires to renew the credential.
References
- http://nbstsa. org/examinations-csfa. html
- http://www. caahep. org/ http://evolve. elsevier. con/Fuller/surgical
- http://www. sitelevel. com/query? crid=324504a4437070e5;query=surgical+technology;B1. x=0;B1. y=0
- http://www. arcstsa. org/index. php/students/students-surgical-technology/ Surgical Technology: Principles and Practice, Sixth Edition, 2013, by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier INC.