Certified Surgical Tech (CST) - Operating Room - Days

VCU Health • Tappahannock, VA

22h • $21 - $39

About The Position

Surgical Services includes three operating room suites, one Endoscopy suite with two rooms, one Pain Procedure Room, an eight-bed Pre-op unit, and a three-bed PACU. The Operating Room provides quality care to inpatient and outpatient populations. The department is primarily outpatient but can manage urgent and emergent cases 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Procedures include Orthopedics, Laparoscopy, General Surgery, Vascular, Urology, and Podiatry. The team includes RNs, LPNs, surgical technologists, attendants, specialty area technicians, sterile processing and materials management technicians, and support staff. Patients range from adolescents to geriatric adults, and the department describes its culture as supportive and team-oriented.

The Surgical Technologist, also described as an operating room scrub technician, prepares the sterile field, gathers supplies for cases based on knowledge of instruments and equipment, may pass instruments to surgeons, and performs count procedures according to policy. The role provides indirect patient care, emotional support, and problem solving under the direction of an RN or independent practitioner, and functions under the direct supervision of an RN.

The schedule is described as four nine-hour shifts, with flexible scheduling. The posting also specifies two to three shifts per week, one weekend per month (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), and call with a one-hour return time, in a mix of first-call and buddy-call assignments. Surgical Technologists work all three shifts, weekends, and holidays. Individual schedules and shift rotations are established with the Nurse Manager or Clinical Coordinator and may be adjusted to meet staffing needs. Routine-case call begins after the probationary period.

Requirements

• Registration by the Virginia State Board of Medicine and one of the following: Certified Surgical Technologist (CST), Tech in Surgery-Certified (TS-C), or Certified Operating Room or Surgical Technician (CORST) certification.
• For continued employment: registration by the Virginia State Board of Medicine, current AHA BLS HCP certification, and current CST, TS-C, or CORST certification.
• 0–2 years of experience as a surgical technologist.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Graduate of an accredited Surgical Technology Program, military training program, or Licensed Practical Nursing Program; alternatively, graduate of an accredited Nursing Program for RN interns only.
• Ability to meet the physical demands, including lifting 50–100 pounds, prolonged standing or sitting, frequent bending, walking, climbing, reaching, and repetitive motion.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and noisy environment, handle multiple priorities and frequent customer interactions, and adapt to frequent change.
• Strong recall, reasoning, problem-solving, hearing, clear speech, legible writing, reading, and logical thinking.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in an acute care setting as a nursing assistant or aide, if the applicant has no surgical technologist experience.

Responsibilities

• Set up the sterile field for surgical cases.
• Gather supplies for surgical cases based on knowledge of the instruments and equipment to be used.
• May pass instruments to surgeons.
• Perform count procedures during surgical cases in accordance with policy.
• Provide indirect patient care, emotional support, and problem solving under the direction of an RN or independent practitioner and in accordance with hospital, nursing, and unit policies and procedures.
• Handle, transport, access, and/or come into contact with medications and related supplies as required by job duties.
• Participate in assigned shifts, weekends, holidays, and call coverage, including routine-case call after the probationary period.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED