{"id":15057,"date":"2022-03-22T13:55:53","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T19:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/?p=15057"},"modified":"2022-03-22T13:55:53","modified_gmt":"2022-03-22T19:55:53","slug":"how-to-become-a-certified-surgical-technologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/how-to-become-a-certified-surgical-technologist\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become a Certified Surgical Technologist"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many careers in the medical profession will likely need four or more years of education before you can work in the healthcare field. Becoming a certified surgical technologist (CST) only requires a two-year commitment, which means less tuition and a shorter time to a degree.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Job Duties<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surgical technologists play a vital role in the operating room by ensuring a well-organized and sterile environment. They aid in surgeries and operations from beginning to end. Surgical techs start by preparing the operating room, arranging and sterilizing medical equipment, and assisting doctors throughout the operating process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other duties in and around the operating room include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preparing patients for their procedure, including washing and disinfecting incision sites<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sterilizing equipment and ensuring there are adequate supplies available for surgery<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assisting surgeons and other medical professionals during surgery by passing them instruments and other sterile supplies<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calculating medical supplies, such as surgical instruments, to ensure that no foreign objects are contained in patients<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managing a sterile environment to prevent patient infection<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most surgical technicians work in hospitals, physician offices, or outpatient surgery centers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surgical technologists have access to the latest technologies, including laser technology, fiber optics, and other robotic surgical procedure tools.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Education Requirements<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surgical technologists generally need a diploma, certificate, or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/search\/college?q=surgical+technologist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">associate\u2019s degree from an accredited surgical technology program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Surgical technologist students study anatomy, microbiology, physiology. They learn about the care and safety of patients, sterilization techniques, how to set up technical or robotic equipment, and preventing and controlling infections. Outside of the classroom, students gain hands-on experience in supervised clinical settings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effective 2020, the National Board for Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) requires surgical technologists to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbstsa.org\/renewals-recertification\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">renew their certification<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> every two years. You will also need to complete 30 hours of continuing education (CE) during each renewal cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attributes of a Good Surgical Technologist<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being a surgical tech can be a physically demanding job as they oftentimes work long hours on their feet. They\u2019re also subject to being on-call and working nights or weekend shifts. Having the following skills helps to ensure that you are well-equipped to handle the job:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stress-management skills and the ability to work in emergency situations and under pressure<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ability to act swiftly and accurately<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Works well with the surgical team\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excellent communication and listening skills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exhibits manual dexterity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Detail oriented<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Physical stamina since they are expected to stand for extended periods<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empathy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integrity, ethical, and honesty<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RELATED: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/you-have-a-cool-job-episode-13\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You Have a Cool Job: Surgical Technician\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Salary and Job Outlook<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surgical technologists earn a median annual wage of $49,710. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for surgical technologists is projected to grow nine percent from 2020 to 2030.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surgical technicians can accelerate their careers by becoming specialized in areas like organ transplants, tissue repair, or reconstructive surgery. Advancement to the role of first assistant is also possible after completing additional training.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RELATED: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/healthcare-jobs-2-4-years-school\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doctor Isn\u2019t Your Only Option: Healthcare Careers that Require Only 2 \u2013 4 Years of School<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preparing for the Exam<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peterson\u2019s helps you prepare for the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/testprep\/product\/certified-surgical-technologist-cst-exam-prep\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CST exam<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with three full-length practice tests. You will have four hours to answer 175 questions (150 if which are scored) on the CST exam. Practice tests prepare you for the content featured on the CST exam: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perioperative care (preoperative prep, intraoperative procedures, postoperative procedures)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ancillary duties (administrative and personnel, equipment sterilization and maintenance)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basic science (anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and surgical pharmacology)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get started with Peterson\u2019s <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/testprep\/product\/certified-surgical-technologist-cst-exam-prep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CST exam prep<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and take the test with confidence!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many careers in the medical profession will likely need four or more years of education before you can work in the healthcare field. Becoming a certified surgical technologist (CST) only requires a two-year commitment, which means less tuition and a shorter time to a degree.\u00a0 Job Duties Surgical technologists play a vital role in the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":15061,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3942,3,6],"tags":[6952,1487,1663,2856,1890,1670],"class_list":{"0":"post-15057","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-career-prep","8":"category-colleges","9":"category-test-prep","10":"tag-certified-surgical-technologist","11":"tag-healthcare-careers","12":"tag-medical-careers","13":"tag-medical-programs","14":"tag-surgical-tech","15":"tag-surgical-technologist"},"better_featured_image":{"id":15061,"alt_text":"","caption":"Medical team performing surgical 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Peterson&#039;s practice tests help you prepare for the CST exam!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/how-to-become-a-certified-surgical-technologist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Become a Certified Surgical Technologist | CST Exam Prep\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn the education and skills needed to become a Certified Surgical Technologist. 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