Position Function: The Certified Surgical Technologist is a member of the Surgical Team in the Surgical Suite who works with the Surgeon, Anesthesiologist, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Certified Surgical First Assistant, and Registered Nurse to deliver direct patient care before, during and after surgery. Essential Functions and Responsibilities include:
Utilizes appropriate physician preference cards; anticipates supplies and equipment needed for the assigned case.
Prepares room supplies according to operative procedure.
Assists with moving, positioning, preparing and draping patients.
Applies and utilizes special equipment safely.
Maintains aseptic technique.
Assists with obtaining specimens and ensures proper preparation and handling.
Performs correct counts according to hospital policies and procedures.
Anticipates and adjusts rapidly to the instrument needs of the surgeon.
Assists in the maintenance of instruments and supplies by proper maintenance, care, cleaning and sterilization.
Maintains good interpersonal skills.
Performs all of the above in a safe and efficient manner according to hospital policies and procedures.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
Unit Based Essential Functions and Responsibilities
Core Values: Service, Integrity, Compassion
1. Demonstrates service excellence and patient and family centered care by showing respect, honesty, fairness, and a positive attitude toward all customers.
2. Maintains confidentiality.
3. Demonstrates dependability, to include attendance and punctuality.
4. Is accountable - takes initiative and ownership of issues.
5. Displays a professional demeanor. Represents hospital in a positive way. Has a compassionate working relationship with patients and families.
6. Assumes personal responsibility for 2-way communication. Communicates and listens effectively with patients, families, coworkers, other departments, physicians/providers, and community.
7. Supports coworkers, initiatives and a patient and family centered philosophy; pitches in; does own part and helps others.
8. Works to continuously improve work environment/processes (Performance Improvement). Demonstrates a patient and family centered focus when considering/developing improvement solutions.
9. Represents willingness/enthusiasm to create, embrace and facilitate change.
10. Develops self and others; supports a learning environment; leads by example. Encourages patients and families to give feedback and suggestions for improvement.
11. Develops working relationships critical to the organization including patients, families, coworkers, other departments, physicians/providers, and community.
12. Encourages others by providing recognition and support.
Technical Excellence
1. Thinks critically; utilizes sound judgment; promptly reports potential risks.
2. Maintains state of art knowledge of area of specialty, healthcare trends and practice, and populations served.
3. Maintains a level of computer literacy appropriate to their role.
4. Meets and maintains current all unit specific and organizational skills/competencies, certifications/licensures, as required.
5. Completes hospital-required reviews, e.g. HIPAA, safety, health screening, care concerns, and others as assigned.
6. Adheres to National Patient Safety Goals.
Job Class Specifics
1. Demonstrates involvement in unit by attending 50% of staff/committee meetings and in-services in area.
2. Actively supports and participates in new employee orientation.
3. Assists in maintaining a neat, safe, and clean environment.
4. Performs duties accurately, recognizing their importance and relationship to patient care and patient safety.
5. Uses supplies and equipment with discretion, being mindful of costs and avoiding waste.
6. Adapts to changes in workload or procedure assignment.
7. Responds appropriately to emergency situations.
8. Plans, prioritizes, and organizes the day effectively related to patient care and workload.
9. Accurately swipes in and out. Maintains time in accordance with department specifics.
10. Utilizes proper body mechanics to prevent injury to self or others. Safely positions, transfers & transports patients.
11. Maintains aseptic technique.
12. Performs correct counts and time out as part of the surgical team.
13. Assists in proper specimen collection and hand off.
14. Assists in maintenance of instruments and equipment. Removes defective equipment immediately and troubleshoots to finish case, reporting issues to appropriate department for repair.
15. Accurately prepares and labels all medications with nurse and surgeon on sterile field.
16. Knows own role in case of surgical fire, codes and emergency situations and responds appropriately.
17. Demonstrates ability to communicate pertinent information to the RN and surgical team.
18. Maintains appropriate safety measures in surgical areas, i.e. strict compliance with all surgical initiatives including but not limited to all steps of Universal Protocol process, parallel processing, sharps safety, no pass zone, PPE protection in the surgical area, medication labeling and specimen handling.
19. Maintain competency with common positions related to the surgical procedure and assist with patient positioning in accordance with surgeon-s instructions to provide the best exposure for the surgical procedure considering the patients comfort and safety.
Points of pressure requiring additional padding, such as; elbows, heels, knees, eyes, face, and axillary region.
Circulation shall not be impaired. (A tourniquet may be required for some procedures.)
Nerve damage shall be guarded against.
Maintain competency with common positions related to the surgical procedure and can use the equipment necessary to provide safe positioning for surgical cases.
Competencies will include the following: Fracture tables, head stabilizers, and any other equipment needed.
20. Manual dexterity and flexibility adequate for cleaning, processing, and sterilizing instruments (according to CDC, OSHA, and hospital policies and procedures) and maintains aseptic technique.
21. Acquires operational knowledge of autoclaves and sterilizers; programs, packs and troubleshoots as appropriate.
22. Sets up and processes specified trays.
23. Picks instruments and supplies for upcoming cases.
24. Participates in cross-training as assigned.
25. Processes incoming implant instruments/trays from vendors and distributes for scheduled cases. Reprocesses same after completion of case and makes ready for shipment/pick up.
26. Holds retractors, increases tension, adds counter traction, at the direction of the surgeon; manipulates uterus for retraction after manipulator is placed.
27. Packing with sponges.
28. Suctioning, irrigating, or sponging.
29. Safely handles sutures.
30. Utilizing appropriate techniques to assist with hemostasis/prevent hemorrhage.
31. Applying direct digital pressure.
32. Picks up and holds tissue with instruments under direct supervision of surgeon.
33. Holds cameras.
34. Selecting and applying appropriate wound dressings, including:
Liquid or spray occlusive materials.
Absorbent material affixed with tape or circumferential wrapping.
Immobilizing dressing (soft or rigid).
Administer dyes contrast media under direct supervision of surgeon.
35. Providing assistance in securing drainage systems to tissue.
36. Passes instrumentation through robotic arms/laparoscopic trocars. May reinsert trocars that have popped out of abdomen under direct supervision of the surgeon.
General Requirements
The following requirements are expected of all employees:
Core Values: Integrity, Compassion, Excellence, Service
Annual Health Screening with Infection Control and Blood Borne Pathogens Education
Safety Awareness: Hospital Fire, Safety, and Disaster procedures
Confidentiality: Maintains employee and patient confidentiality.
Attendance: Regular attendance is an essential function of the position
Leadership Standards:
Character: Attitude, Integrity, Role Modeling
Job Performance: Results orientation, Customer focus, Decision making, Awareness
Interpersonal Skills: Communication, Relationship-building, Team player, Celebration
Innovation: Breakthrough Thinking, Knowledge-Building/Sharing, Coaching/Empowering, System Vision & Management
Physical and Mental Requirements: Physical Standards and Abilities: Classified as heavy work by the Dictionary of Occupational Titles: May exert 50 to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 25 to 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or 10 to 20 pounds of force constantly in order to move objects.
- General good health as reflected in attendance.
- Stands constantly on tile or linoleum floor (often in the same position for long periods of time without interruption).
- Sits occasionally on a hard or cushioned chair/stool.
- Lifts up to 50 pounds laterally to and from waist level on a frequent basis.
- Carries instruments and supplies weighing up to 30 pounds frequently for distances of up to 100 feet
- Pushes/pulls up to 125 pounds frequently.
- Occasionally bends and squats from an upright position to lower levels.
- Frequently twists and stretches from the upper torso.
- Constantly reaches from side to side and from higher to lower levels in order to operate equipment.
- Ability to move, position and transport/transfer patients (weighing up to 300 pounds) to and from stretchers and OR tables frequently during a normal shift (with assistance if needed).
- Constant ability to move rapidly (particularly during emergencies that could happen two or more times per shift).
- Manual dexterity, digital sensitivity and flexibility adequate for handling fine and bulky instruments; programming and manipulating equipment; retracting and manipulating delicate tissue as well as major joints/muscle groups; and cleaning, sterilizing, wrapping, flashing and setting up instrument trays and supplies.
- Good eye/hand coordination.
- Near-visual acuity for seeing fine needles, distinguishing colors, sizes and shapes of sutures and instruments, deciphering fine print and viewing computer screens.
- Auditory acuity adequate for hearing normal voice tones when not facing the individual and/or when muffled behind a surgical mask, equipment alarms, call bells, telephone conversations, intercom, overhead pager, fire alarm, etc.
Mental Demands: Possesses good general mental health; ability to work under pressure while setting priorities and relating to patients and hospital staff; ability to communicate effectively in both written and verbal form with surgeons and other team members; ability to speak, read and write the English language; simple mathematical ability necessary (counting, addition and subtraction) in order to perform frequent counts during surgery. Ability to read, write and comprehend medical terminology; possesses knowledge of a variety of surgical procedures.
Working Environment: Work is performed in a restricted, sterile, indoor environment; exposure to bodily fluids which may contain infectious agents as well as to anesthetics, radiation and disinfectants. Work requires flexibility in scheduling and taking "call".
Reporting Structure: Formal Reporting and Chain of Command: Reports to the Nurse Manager, Surgical Services. In his/her absence, reports to the Director of Patient Services, Surgical Services.
Informal Reporting and Relationships: Establishes and maintains harmonious, productive relationships with all levels of Nursing personnel, other hospital employees, management, physicians, patients, families and the general public.
Disclaimer: These essential job functions are requirements of the position, which must be performed either with or without reasonable accommodation. The essential job function list is intended to be a guide rather than a limitation. The Chambersburg Hospital possesses the right to add new responsibilities to the list as business demands dictate. Some of the essential job functions may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat/significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or others.
By identifying essential job functions, we are in no way stating or implying that these required tasks are the only activities that are to be performed by the employee occupying this position. In addition, employees will also be expected to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties that are included in the job description. The preceding requirements represent only the minimum acceptable levels of knowledge, skills, and/or abilities that a job incumbent must possess; in order to perform the job successfully, the incumbent will possess additional aptitudes so as to perform the other duties that the job description entails.
Qualifications and Standards
Education: Formal Education and Training: Graduate from a School of Surgical Technology or equivalent training as a Surgical Technician in the Armed Forces with five years of experience preferred.
Informal or Continuing Education: Evidence of participation in educational programs to update and maintain knowledge and clinical skills.
Experience: Experience applying customer service behaviors and communication skills required. Recent experience as an Operating Room Technician preferred. Must possess necessary technical skills and interest in biological care; basic understanding of interpersonal and health concepts.
Certifications/Licensure: Certification as Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).
At WellSpan Health, we are committed to treating all applicants fairly and equitably, regardless of their job classification. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please reach out to us via email at careers@wellspan.org. We will evaluate requests for accommodation on a case-by-case basis. Please note that we will only respond to inquiries related to reasonable accommodation from this email address. Rest assured, all requests for assistance or accommodation are handled confidentially, allowing applicants to share their needs openly and honestly with us.
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Franklin County, named after Benjamin Franklin, was officially formed in 1784. One of its two main towns, the borough of Chambersburg, lies 13 miles north of Maryland and is known for its "green, safe environment." In the southern part of Franklin County, the borough of Waynesboro sits just two miles north of the Mason-Dixon Line and is known for its rich industrial history.
Franklin County is in the heart of South Central Pennsylvania, where you'll find mountains, lakes and a picturesque countryside coupled with theater, music, skiing, hunting, fishing and much more. We're in the heart of America's fruit orchards, so peaches, apples and lots of other local produce are available close by. The area features local wineries and breweries, along with a vibrant arts scene at the historic Capitol Theatre and Totem Pole Playhouse. Franklin County merges the best of small-town friendliness with easy access to metropolitan areas. (Patient population: 154,000)