Surgical Technology

 

Mission Statement
The Collin College Division of Health Sciences and Emergency Services Surgical Technology Program was established in 2008 to serve the needs of the health care community, the community at large, Collin County and the surrounding area. The Surgical Technology program and Collin College are committed to providing high quality education in the field of Surgical Technology and to provide the health care consumer with highly competent and motivated practitioners.

Program Goals

• To prepare competent entry-level surgical technologists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.
  • To prepare students to function in a professional, caring, and ethical manner when providing patient care.
  • To prepare students to function as a part of the health care profession.
  • To prepare students to successfully complete the Surgical Technologist National Certifying Examination conducted by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting.
  • To provide the community with professional, competent, desirable employees and entry-level Surgical Technologists.
  • To recruit and retain quality students who are enthusiastic and motivated to become professional, competent Surgical Technologists.
  • To admit the most qualified applicants according to the admissions policy each summer.

The Industry

• Surgical technologists held about 98,500 jobs in 2012. Most surgical technologists work in hospitals. Some work in outpatient care centers or in offices of physicians who perform outpatient surgery.
• Surgical technologists typically need a postsecondary certificate or an associate’s degree. Certification can be beneficial in finding a job as a surgical technologist.
• Employment of surgical technologists is projected to grow 30 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. Advances in medical technology have made surgery safer, and more operations are being done to treat a variety of illnesses and injuries.
•  In 2012 the median wage earned nationwide for surgical technologists was  $41,790, with a mean wage in Texas in 2012 of $42,940.

The Profession

• Surgical technologists work as members of a healthcare team alongside physicians and surgeons, registered nurses, and other healthcare workers.
• Surgical technologists typically do the following:
  • Prepare operating rooms for surgery
  • Sterilize equipment and make sure that there are adequate supplies for surgery
  • Prepare patients for surgery, such as by washing and disinfecting incision sites
  • Help surgeons during surgery by passing them instruments and other sterile supplies
  • Count supplies such as sponges and instruments to maintain a sterile environment
• Once the operation is complete, surgical technologists may apply bandages and other dressings to the incision site. They may also help transfer patients to recovery rooms and restock operating rooms after a procedure.
  
  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,
  Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition,
  http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/surgical-technologists.htm

The AAS in Surgical Technology at Collin College is a 12 month program (Summer, Fall, Spring) that will prepare the student for entry-level as a surgical technologist. The course of study consists of approved courses from the Workforce Education Course Manual of Texas. These courses must be taken in full sequence to assure progression of content from simple to complex. The Surgical Technology curriculum is approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and modeled after the Association of Surgical Technologists national curriculum.

Graduate outcomes for the program were developed based on the national curriculum and standard job descriptions.