Summary

SUMMARY: Under general supervision to perform sub-professional duties in the Surgery Department of Highland Hospital; to assist in the sterilization and maintenance of surgical supplies and equipment; and to do related work as required.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: NOTE: The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual in the classification.

1.  Prepares and sterilizes supplies and equipment used in the unit; drapes and covers operating and instrument tables; lays out supplies and equipment in appropriate fashion for scheduled or emergency cases; replaces used supplies with fresh supplies for the following cases: assures there is an adequate level of supplies; discards outdated drugs; orders and checks supplies that come from the Pharmacy and Central Supplies; stores and cleans cabinets periodically.

2.  Assists surgeons with instruments and putting on gowns and gloves; leaves operating room to get supplies or equipment that is being requested by a surgeon, registered nurses or anesthesiologist; assists registered nurses with sponge and needle counts as well as the other technical aspects, although the RN’s are legally accountable; gathers up contaminated instruments and places them for decontamination and sterile processing; mixes irrigation fluids; and assists surgeons, registered nurses, and Anestheologists in an assigned duties.

3.  Acts as a scrub technician for surgical procedures and checks aseptic technique of surgery personnel; assists with in-service training for new personnel in scrub and sterile techniques; assists in demonstrating new equipment; performs maintenance on equipment; sees that preventative maintenance and other necessary repairs are ordered and done on all equipment in the department.

4.  On occasion may perform housekeeping duties in the surgical areas when there are no housekeeping personnel on duty; may take messages at times for medical staff.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Either I Satisfactory completion of a course of instruction and clinical practice in Surgical Technology, OR II completion of training course in operating room technology from the military, OR III The equivalent of one-year full-time experience performing the duties of a Surgical Technician.