Accreditation
The Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 1361 Park Street, Clearwater, FL 33765, upon recommendation by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology (ARC-ST).
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Mission Statement
The surgical technology program mission is to prepare students with the knowledge, technical skills, and professional ethics required for entry level employment as a member of the operating room team.
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Work Environment
Surgical technologists work in clean, well-lighted, cool environments. They must stand for long periods and remain alert during operations. At times, they may be exposed to communicable diseases and unpleasant sights, odors, and materials. Most surgical technologists work a regular 40-hour week, although they may be on call or work nights, weekends, and holidays on a rotating basis.
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Nature of the Work
Surgical technologists assist in surgical operations under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. Surgical technologists are members of operating room teams, which most commonly include surgeons, anesthesiologists, and circulating nurses.
Before an operation, surgical technologists help prepare the operating room by setting up the sterile field with surgical instruments and equipment, drapes, medication, and supplies. Technologists also help the surgical team put on sterile gowns and gloves.
During surgery, technologists anticipate the needs of the surgeon by passing instruments; holding retractors; preparing sutures; counting instruments, sponges, and sharps; and helping apply dressings.
After surgery, surgical technologists assist with room turn-over procedures in order to prepare for the next patient. They also decontaminate and prepare surgical instruments for sterilization.
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Employment
Surgical technologists held about 91,500 jobs in 2008. About 71 percent of jobs for surgical technologists were in hospitals, mainly in operating and delivery rooms. Other jobs were in offices of physicians or dentists who perform outpatient surgery and in outpatient care centers, including ambulatory surgical centers. A few technologists, known as private scrubs or first assistants, are employed directly by surgeons.
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Earnings
Median annual wages of wage-and-salary surgical technologists were $38,740 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $32,490 and $46,910. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,510, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $54,300. Wages of surgical technologists vary with their experience and education, the responsibilities of the position, the working hours, and the economy of a given region of the country. Benefits provided by most employers include paid vacation and sick leave; health, medical, vision, dental, and life insurance; and a retirement program. A few employers also provide tuition reimbursement and childcare benefits.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition (http://www.bls.gov/oco/)
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Essential Functions
The purpose of the essential functions list is to allow prospective students who are considering a career to be informed of the physical, emotional, and psychological demands related to training and employment in a field of study. These lists are provided to allow prospective students to make informed career choices by providing them with a summary of the physical abilities and personality traits that are generally required for the successful completion of a curriculum and result in employment in their field of study after graduation.
Surgical technology is a career with different paths; however, an accredited educational program has the responsibility to ensure that every student is technically competent in the procedures and tasks that are essential to the functioning of a technician in a clinical setting. To this end, the Surgical Technology faculty has developed the following list of essential functions that students are able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, at the time of admission to the Surgical Technology program.
Students must possess sufficient strength, coordination, mobility, and manual dexterity to perform the following procedures accurately, safely, and efficiently:
- Be physically capable of handling equipment and objects that weigh up to 50 pounds
- Move, reach, manipulate, and operate equipment and controls
- Access supply and storage areas
- Move between holding facilities, treatment areas, and surgical suites without physical impairment
- Spend prolonged periods of time standing, sitting, crouching, and bending.
- Reach, push, or pull objects or equipment in confined areas
Students must be able to demonstrate the following abilities:
- Normal natural or corrected visual and auditory acuity
- Tolerance of high volume areas
- Recognition of signals, alarms, emergency signals, and voices while in care or treatment facilities and while wearing protective garb
- Recognition of the presence of fire, gas, or toxic reagents for maintaining clinic and patient safety
Students must possess the following skills:
- Critical thinking and problem solving skills
- The ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously
- Reading and writing skills
- Strong and positive interpersonal skills with the ability to interact appropriately with individuals from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds
- Personal initiative to work independently and with small groups of people
- Stress management skills to handle stressful situations related to pain, injury, death, and dying
- Initiative and self-motivation to continue life-long learning
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Program Expenses
The Higher Education Act requires all colleges and universities to notify students and prospective students of all program costs for which they will be responsible. Students will be responsible for the following expenses each semester (unless otherwise noted):
- Tuition ($75 per credit hour)
- Registration fee ($39)
- Student activity fees ($30)
- Accident insurance fee ($6)
- Instructional and technology supply fee ($55)
- Background check (Approximately $50 per required check)
- Certification and memberships (Approximately $250)
- Drug Screen (Approximately $40 per required screen)
- Immunizations
- Hepatitis B series (Approximately $265)
- Tuberculosis (Approximately $40 for two-step series)
- Malpractice insurance ($11 per year)
- Physical examination (Approximately $250)
- Supply fee (Various - See course descriptions for exact amounts)
- Textbooks (Approximately $1,500 for the associate degree program and $900 for the diploma program)
- Uniforms (Approximately $175)
These expenses are based on costs in effect at the time this catalog was published. Prices are subject to change.
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Gainful Employment
Information on graduation rates, job placement rates, median loan debt incurred by students and other gainful employment information is available on the college website.
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Admission Requirements
This program uses a competitive admission process to select students. Program faculty and the Admissions Office staff designed the process to ensure maximum opportunity for student success in the program. The program admits students once per year at the beginning of Spring Semester. Prospective students may gain admission to the college initially as Healthcare Assistant or Healthcare Science program students/applicants to Surgical Technology in order to complete any learning support classes and required general core and health core courses.
Applicants must submit all required documentation to the Admissions Office by June 1 to receive consideration in the selection process. Applicants who are on academic probation or are academically dismissed from the college as of the application deadline will not be considered for admission. Applicants not selected may reapply during subsequent admission intake periods. There is no waiting list between intake periods; applicants must complete the application process for each attempt for entry into the program. Applicants must submit:
- Completed and signed application for admission and a $20 nonrefundable application fee
- Official high school or GED transcripts and/or official college transcripts from all colleges attended in the past (see General Admission Requirements)
- Scores from the Health Occupations Basic Entrance Test V (HOBET V) (see Selective Admission Examinations)
- Valid COMPASS, ASSET, SAT, or ACT test scores (see COMPASS and ASSET Placement Tests)
- Completed and signed Intent form (blank forms are available in the Admissions Office and online at www.athenstech.edu/catalog/programsofstudy.cfm -select Selective Admissions Forms)
Applicants must take the HOBET V examination no later than May in order to receive consideration in the selection process. Applicants must also attend a mandatory pre-admission orientation session if invited. Failure to attend or to make alternate arrangements to obtain necessary information will result in the forfeiture of admission to the program. Students must complete all general core and health core courses prior to enrolling in Surgical Technology (SURG) classes. Students must have the following documents on file in the Surgical Technology Office prior to entering SURG 1120:
- Basic cardiac life support certification
- Verification of accident and malpractice insurance (see Malpractice Insurance)
- Record of physical exam with a physician's statement that the student is in satisfactory health
- PPD and/or chest x-ray results, hepatitis screen results and documentation of immunity to rubella, measles, and tetanus
- A signed document acknowledging that the commission of a felony before or during their enrollment in this program may prevent graduates from participating in clinical activities and/or taking the certification exam to become surgical technologists and that they may be required to complete drug testing and/or background checks at their own expense prior to participating in internships, practicums, or clinical activities at certain host sites for these activities (see Drug Testing/Background Checks) (blank documents are available from the program chair or the Admissions Office and online at www.athenstech.edu/catalog/programsofstudy.cfm - select Selective Admissions Forms)
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Readmission Policy
If students withdraw from the program for any reason, they must follow the steps detailed under Life Sciences Programs Readmission. In addition, students seeking readmission will abide by all policies and procedures in place at the time of their request for readmission.
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Residency Policy
Only in the event that the program slots cannot be filled with Georgia residents who meet the minimum admissions criteria can out-of-state students be admitted to the Surgical Technology program.
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Job Outlook
Employment is expected to grow much faster than average. Job opportunities will be best for technologists who are certified and for those who are willing to relocate. Employment of surgical technologists is expected to grow 25 percent between 2008 and 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations, as the volume of surgeries increases. The number of surgical procedures is expected to continue to rise as the population grows and ages. In addition, technological advances, such as fiber optics, robotics, and laser technology, have permitted an increasing number of new surgical procedures to be performed and also have allowed surgical technologists to assist with a greater number of procedures.
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Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the associate degree and diploma programs in Surgical Technology will:
- Be competent in the general areas of communications, math, and professional relations
- Be competent as skilled surgical technologists, qualified by didactic and clinical training, to provide services in the operating room
- Be prepared to function in association with nurses and surgeons to help provide the best possible care for the surgical patient
- Function as part of the operating room team responsible for the cleanliness, safety, and efficiency of the operating room
- Demonstrate the knowledge and experience with surgical aseptic techniques necessary to prepare materials for use at the operating table and to assist in the use of these materials
- Demonstrate an ability to relate to people, an orientation towards service to people, and a capacity for calm and reasoned judgment in meeting emergencies
- Adhere to the legal and ethical guidelines of the profession
- Demonstrate the necessary knowledge to successfully complete the certification examination for surgical technologists
- Demonstrate the personal and professional ethics and interpersonal skills that are expected in the workplace
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