SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY – A.A.S.

The Surgical Technology Program prepares the student to be a practitioner with a broad knowledge base from which to draw and apply to the diverse, ever changing and advancing field of Surgical Technology. National certification is available to graduates through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. Senior Surgical Technology students are eligible to sit for the CST Examination at Trocaire College. Students are eligible for student membership in the Association of Surgical Technologist’s (AST). AST is the oldest and most recognized professional organization for Surgical Technologists and Surgical Assistants. AST’s primary purpose is to ensure that Surgical Technologists and Surgical Assistants have the knowledge and skills to administer patient care of the highest quality.

The Surgical Technology program is offered either in the day or evening. The evening curriculum is identical in content to the day program. However, the evening curriculum is distributed over a six semester (2 year) time period including two summer sessions. In addition to the regularly scheduled evening experiences, selected clinical experiences may be mandated during the daytime and/or weekend hours. These clinical days provide a comprehensive experience of surgical cases which normally occur during the day.

Surgical Technologists are crucial members of the surgical team, working closely with surgeons, registered nurses, and anesthesiologists to provide the best possible care for the patient undergoing a surgical intervention. The primary role of the “Scrub Tech” is to prepare a sterile field and pass instruments to the surgeon during the surgical procedure. A Surgical Technologist should possess a stable temperament, manual dexterity, physical stamina, and the ability to integrate and prioritize a variety of activities. Lecture and laboratory experiences are offered at the College and experience in a hospital setting is provided.

Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from clinical sites.

The curriculum leading to the A.A.S. degree is comprised of 60 credits distributed over four (4) semesters for the day program and six (6) semesters (including two summer sessions) for the evening program. The program consists of a balance of general education and Surgical Technology courses. The Surgical Technologist’s professional role and concepts relating to patient needs, surgical conditions, asepsis, surgical routines, human behavior, communication, and caring provide the framework for the curriculum. As the student progresses through the curriculum, classroom theory is applied to clinical practice in the operating room setting. A mix of laboratory practice and hospital operating room experiences during the first year, introduces the student to the operating room environment. In the laboratory setting, no more than 10 students will be paired with a qualified Surgical Technology instructor. The second year emphasizes clinical experiences in a broad range of surgical specialties and operating room settings to prepare the student for future practice as a surgical technologist.

Surgical Case Requirements

In order for students to successfully complete the Surgical Technology Program, they MUST complete 120 surgical cases with a minimum grad of “C” as follows:

• 30 cases in General Surgery. Twenty of these cases must be in the First Scrub Role.

• 90 cases in various surgical specialties. Sixty of these cases must be in the First Scrub Role and evenly distributed between a minimum of 5 surgical specialties. 15 is the maximum number of cases that can be counted in any one surgical specialty.

First and Second Scrubbing Surgical Case Requirements

• The surgical technology program is required to verify (through the surgical rotation), documentation of the student’s progression in First and Second Scrubbing surgical procedures of increased complexity as he/she moves towards entry-level graduate abilities.

• Diagnostic endoscopy cases and vaginal delivery cases are not mandatory. Up to 10 diagnostic endoscopic cases and 5 vaginal delivery cases can be counted toward the maximum number of Second Scrub Role cases.

• Observation cases must be documented, but do not count toward the 120 required cases.

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in order to progress in program.

Surgical Technology students are allowed to repeat one Surgical Technology course one time.

Surgical Technology graduates qualify to take the exam via the web or seated at an approved CST exam site.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

All students completing this program are expected to achieve the General Education outcomes described in the General Studies section of the catalog as well as the following learning objectives:

• Apply concepts related to care directed toward the surgical patient and/or surgical team.

• Demonstrate aseptic principles that guide the practice of sterile technique.

• Analyze the various roles and duties required of the Surgical Technologist during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases of surgery.

• Develop an increased sensitivity to environmental awareness of the surgical environment and issue concerning biohazard waste.

• Identify and develop a clear mental image of normal human anatomy.

• Validate the correct operative procedure used to repair identified pathological conditions.

• Recognize the surgical sequence of events for the planned operative procedure and anticipate the needs of the surgeon and surgical patient prior to the need of being verbalized.

• Demonstrate the ability to make adjustments in positioning, instrumentation, medication(s), risk factors, diagnostic abnormalities, patient concerns, cultural considerations, supplies and equipment according to variations in the surgical procedure and the surgeon’s needs.

Surgical Technology – A.A.S. Curriculum

DAY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Additional Degree Requirements

All courses except EN101, Humanities, Math, and Social Science electives require a minimum grade of “C” & a Quality Point Average of 2.0.

**Clinical Experiences will continue into the summer

Program Accreditation

The Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), upon the recommendation of Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA). The mission of the ARC-STSA is to provide accreditation services to our communities of interest that validate excellence of educational programs in order to advance the professions and ensure quality patient care.

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
25400 U.S. Highway 19 North, Suite 158
Clearwater, Florida 33763
(727) 210-2350
www.caahep.org

Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting
3 West Dry Creek Circle, Suite 110 Littleton,
CO 80120 (303) 694-9262
www.arcstsa.org

BIO Course Descriptions
EN Course Descriptions
GS Course Descriptions
MA Course Descriptions
PH & PHEL Course Descriptions
PSY Course Descriptions
SSEL Course Descriptions
ST Course Descriptions