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 surgeons' assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.
Work Activities
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Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
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Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation.
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Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing.
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Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists.
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Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure.
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Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation.
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Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis.
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Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
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Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation.
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Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery.
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Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card.
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Order surgical supplies.
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Maintain supply of fluids, such as plasma, saline, blood, or glucose, for use during operations.
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Observe patients' vital signs to assess physical condition.
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Maintain files and records of surgical procedures.
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Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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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.
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Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
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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.
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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.
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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 Postsecondary certificate
- Work Experience No work experience
- Training No on-the-job training
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Looking for technical training programs?
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Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
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Attention to Detail
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Dependability
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Self Control
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Integrity
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Stress Tolerance
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Adaptability/Flexibility
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Surgical suction machine or vacuum extractor or ultrasonic surgical aspirator
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Surgical pneumatic or battery or electric saws or drills or pin drivers
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Surgical lasers
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Medical staplers for internal use
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Electrosurgical or electrocautery equipment
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Word processing software
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Medical software
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Electronic mail software
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Data base user interface and query software
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Cloud-based data access and sharing software
