Operating Room Surgical Technologist

Emory • Atlanta, GA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This role implements and evaluates the care of pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients undergoing diagnostic and invasive surgical procedures. The Surgical Technologist provides care to patients with complex health issues and serves as a clinical resource to staff, analyzing and anticipating less predictable outcomes of surgical interventions. This individual is considered an expert in at least one specialty area and can competently handle multiple specialties. Specialty areas include General Surgery, ENT, Robotics, Ophthalmology (Corneal; Retina Cell transplants), Complex GYN, Complex Ortho/Spine, Thoracic, and Vascular. The role also participates in identifying cost containment activities, monitors and maintains supplies, and initiates purchases to ensure par levels. The technologist identifies more complex patient needs by reviewing procedure protocol, physician's request, and assessing the patient's physical needs, prioritizing procedure process and supplies for a specialty group of patients. They identify verbally or in writing unusual incidents during patient care procedures and complex procedure problems related to patient reaction, symptoms, or changes in needs. The technologist plans for surgical procedures based on identified needs of the surgeon and patient, implements interventions for identified patient problems, and utilizes appropriate standards of care or collaborative clinical pathways. They determine the necessary equipment, materials, and resources, and communicate patient and staff needs and responses to management. The technologist keeps the peri-operative team informed of procedure needs and progress, maintains courteous and professional behavior, and participates in the development and revision of procedure protocols, unit-based forms, and specialty clinical pathways. Documentation of all aspects of care follows established unit procedures. The role establishes and meets goals in clinical practice, management, education, and/or research, and maintains active membership in a professional organization. Functions as a resource to resolve issues related to patient advocacy and complex interdisciplinary needs. Identifies available supply resources and assists in identifying staff and patient education needs, recommending appropriate inservices. Assists with planning and conducting department orientation for new staff and students, and with unit-based competency requirements. Serves as a role model or mentor for new staff and students. Complies with established policies and procedures and provides input in developing and revising policies and procedures pertaining to specialized patient populations. Successfully completes hospital and department-based orientation programs and attends educational programs to develop optimal knowledge in their area of specialty. Assists in identifying ways to modify patient and procedure outcomes through research and/or quality monitoring. Serves as a clinical resource for Surgical Technologists in a designated service line for orienting new employees. Reviews and identifies revisions to surgical preference cards for the designated service and participates in unit-based and hospital-wide performance improvement programs. Assists in research and related activities in the surgery department, identifying and communicating researchable problems, and analyzing and reporting data. Performs related responsibilities as required. Assists surgeons and nurses with patients, equipment preparation, aseptic technique, and surgical procedures in the operating room. Prepares the operating room for surgery by assembling routine supplies, materials, instruments, and equipment, and obtains special supplies indicated by the physician. Sets up and operates a variety of specialized instrumentation, manual and powered equipment. Follows procedures for pre and post-operative accounting of sharps, sponges, and instruments used in the surgical set up.

Requirements

• A high school diploma or equivalent.
• Graduation from a surgical technology program or equivalent job training, which may include military perioperative programs and/or hospital-based training programs.
• Two years multispecialty experience with one year in a complex specialty area.
• Must be able to function as a clinical expert in two or more complex specialty service lines and have the ability to float to other complex service lines as needed.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification in accordance with the American Heart Association required.

Nice To Haves

• Certification in Surgical Technology preferred.

Responsibilities

• Implements and evaluates care of pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients undergoing diagnostic and invasive surgical procedures.
• Provides care to patients with complex health issues and serves as a clinical resource to staff.
• Analyzes and anticipates less predictable outcomes of surgical interventions.
• Leads service area based committees.
• Functions as an expert in at least one specialty area and competently handles multiple specialties.
• Participates in identifying cost containment activities.
• Monitors and maintains supplies and initiates purchases to ensure par levels.
• Identifies more complex patient needs by reviewing procedure protocol, physician's request, and assessing the patient's physical needs.
• Prioritizes procedure process and supplies for specialty group of patients.
• Identifies verbally or in writing unusual incidents during patient care procedures and identifies complex procedure problems related to patient reaction, symptoms, or changes in needs based on patient reactions.
• Plans for surgical procedure based on identified needs of surgeon and patient.
• Implements intervention for identified patient problems as related to surgical procedure and patient needs.
• Utilizes appropriate standards of care, and/or collaborative clinical pathways to guide the plan of care.
• Determine the equipment, materials, and resources needed to meet the patient procedure plan.
• Communicates patients' and staff needs and responses through written and verbal communication to management as appropriate.
• Keeps the peri-operative team abreast of the procedure needs and progress.
• Maintains courteous and professional behavior in all interactions.
• Participates in the development and revision of procedure protocols, unit based forms and specialty clinical pathways.
• Documents all aspects of care by following the established unit procedure.
• Establishes and meets goals in one or more of the following areas: clinical practice, management, education, and/or research.
• Active membership in professional organization.
• Functions as a resource to resolve issues related to patient advocacy.
• Acts as a resource for complex interdisciplinary needs.
• Identifies available supply resources to meet procedure needs.
• Assists in identifying staff and patient education needs based on clinical situations and recommends appropriate inservice.
• Assists with planning and conducting department orientation of new staff and students.
• Assists with unit based competency requirements.
• Serves as role model or mentor for new staff and students.
• Complies with established policies and procedures.
• Provides input in developing and revising policies and procedures pertaining to specialized patient population to improve the quality of patient care.
• Successfully completes hospital and department based orientation programs.
• Attends educational programs to develop optimal knowledge in area of specialty.
• Assists in identifying ways in which patient and procedure outcomes can be modified through research and/or quality monitoring to improve the quality of patient care.
• Serves as clinical resource for Surgical Technologists in designated service line for orienting new employees.
• Reviews and identifies revisions to the surgical preference cards for designated service.
• Participates in unit based and hospital wide performance improvement programs.
• Assists in research and related activities in the surgery department.
• Identifies and communicates researchable problems as appropriate.
• Analyzes and reports data to appropriate source.
• Performs related responsibilities as required.
• Assists surgeons and nurses with patients, equipment preparation, aseptic technique, and surgical procedures in the operating room.
• Prepares the operating room for surgery by assembling routine supplies, materials, instruments, and equipment; obtains special supplies indicated by physician.
• Set up and operate a variety of specialized instrumentation, manual and powered equipment.
• Follows procedures for pre and post-operative accounting of sharps, sponges and instruments used in the surgical set up.

Benefits

• Emory is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law.
• Emory Healthcare is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

What This Job Offers

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