would anyone be able to help me find these books ? don’t have enough for books so trying to find pdfs or if anyone would be willing to share theirs ! everytime i look it shows me a different ISBN. This is the one i keep running into 9780357625736, instead of 9780357761465. Anything will help

Recently applied to a program through a community college in Texas and I have a solid HESI score (93%), my GPA for the required classes is a 3.75, but my cumulative gpa is what is scaring me (3.089).

When i started college straight out of high school, i didn’t put in much effort and my GPA was a 1.6, so I’ve had to do a lot of damage control. Wondering if I have a chance of getting in this year or if I should prepare for rejection :/

Hello! I am a Surgical tech student, entering my final semester! YAY! I am currently interning at a hospital that I liked the envirnoment during clinicals. I had been wanting to leave after graduation, preferably to the San Antonio/Austin/Round Rock area.

I'm nervous about finding a job out there, and don't know what hospitals to even apply to. Also, if anyone works out there, would you happen to know the starting pay?

I'm torn between the hospital im interning at, since the techs there have said it ranges between 25-28/hr, and I like the staff there. But I have been wanting to move.

If anyone can tell me about the hospitals around there, i'd be grateful.

Hello everyone, I was wondering if any of you attended this program by any chance. I’m interested but I’m not sure if the certification (NCCT) that they have will be enough to secure a job. Also how did clinical hours worked/looked like? As far as I know the students have to attend school for a period of time and then they move on to clinicals. Is that true?

I am currently in a 13 month surgical technology program, divided into 4 quarters. The first 4 months were primarily classroom/lab, and clinicals/more classroom started after that. I’m now going into my third quarter
I’m currently finishing a 3 week break and I’m extremely anxious about going back. I feel like I don’t know enough and that I’m going to walk into the hospital and immediately be exposed as incompetent. I’m learning things, I’ve improved in some areas, and it’s not that every case is a disaster. I have also done well with didactic portion with an A in almost every class. But overall, I feel like I’m struggling with almost everything: instruments, setups, anticipating, procedure flow, adapting to different CSTs, and communicating. I’m extremely anxious about going back to the hospital. I think about clinicals constantly, dread returning and feel like I’m going to walk in and immediately be judged for everything I don’t know.

My program director came up to me on the second day of lab and essentially implied that surgical technology might not be for me because I wasn’t speaking up enough. I was just trying to absorb the information at this point and wasn’t aware I had to be speaking up, there was nothing to “speak up” about at the time.

I’m naturally extremely quiet and reserved, especially around authority figures or people who intimidate me. Communication is something I genuinely need to improve. However, I want to clarify that I’m not completley silent in the or. I ask questions when I don’t understand something, I speak up during counts, I ask questions and try to communicate when I need clarification. I’ve also had multiple instructors make comments about me being too quiet or not speaking up enough.

My clinical exposure has been 8 days in cysto, 4 in dental/orthopedics, and 6 in GYN/general/vascualr.

I studied a lot of general surgery because I expected to get repeated exposure to it, but I’ve actually had relatively little general surgery experience.
Another thing I’m struggling with is that every cst has their own way of setting up and only allows me to set up their way. I understand why. They need to know exactly where everything is, and they have developed their own habits and preferences over years of doing the job. If I set something up differently from the CST I’m working with, they’ll often interrupt me, correct me, or rearrange things.
I understand that their way works for them and that consistency matters in the OR. But as a student, it’s difficult because I can learn one setup from one person and then the next person has a completely different arrangement. I have not had a chance to set up from start to finish yet.

I’m trying to learn the underlying principles instead of just memorizing one person’s exact setup, but when I’m still learning the basics, constantly being corrected makes it difficult to know whether I’m actually doing something wrong or simply doing it differently.

I was placed with a CST who does a lot of robotic cases. Ihad no robotic experience or knowledge going into the case and told her that beforehand. So far I only scrubbed robotic/laparoscopic cases around 5–6 times and am still not comfortable with things like the trocars, setup, and robotic equipment.

I obviously understand that I need to learn it, there wasn’t much patience for the fact that this was completely new to me.

Before one of the robotic cases, she was talking to her coworkers while I was right there and said:
“I hate when I am talking to someone and it feels like I’m knocking on the door and nobody is home.”
It wasn’t explicitly directed at me, but I was standing there and it felt very obvious what she meant.
Two different CSTs at the clinical site have also said “nobody is home” to their coworkers in front of me and negative feedbacks to my preceptor.

My lab instructor/clinical coordinator even jokes that I was kicked out of the main or. My preceptor came to me on my 14th day of clinical and told me that she keeps getting feedback from the techs and nurses that I “need a lot of help” and can’t do things on my own. I don’t feel like I ever got a proper description of what was expected of my by my first clinical quarter. Nonetheless I still did well grade wise for the first clinical quarter. But many mistakes were made and I feel that I have seriously damaged my standing at this clinical site. No faculty at the school, preceptor, or any staff at the hospital care to treat me with any bit of respect. My school has a very difficult time getting clinical sites (this is their only guaranteed one) so the director puts a lot of pressure on us to not embarrass the school.

I’ve struggled with understanding the flow of unfamiliar procedures and anticipating what comes next, or what needs to be done. I’ve had situations where I don’t know what instrument is coming next or where something belongs.I’ve also had cases where I did much better and gotten a complement from a doctor, though only for simple cases.

I know I have so much to improve and learn. I’m now going into my third part of program and I’m trying to figure out whether I’m simply experiencing a really difficult learning curve or whether I’m genuinely not progressing enough.
I’m also naturally very quiet, and I know that can be a disadvantage in the OR. But I don’t want to assume that being quiet automatically means I can’t become a competent CST.

How concerning would you find my situation?
How much should I be concerned about the fact that several people have independently commented on my communication/reserved personality
What would you recommend I focus on during the rest of my clinical education?
At what point would you tell a student that they’re genuinely not progressing enough and should reconsider the career?

Right now I genuinely can’t tell whether I’m a struggling student who needs more repetition and confidence, or whether I’m showing signs that I’m fundamentally not suited to surgical technologist.

What are y’all listening to in the OR these days? At my hospital we mostly use pandora and it seems to be alt rock most of the time, and some reggae. Just curious what others listen to, might give me some new ideas.

I’m currently at an accredited non caahep school doing prereqs aa degree. Should I drop out now and go to a caahep accredited school ? because I don’t want to do 2 years for nothing and still have to wait and get certified I’m 33 years old . I’m tired of waiting

UPDATE: my school is accredited by abhes is good for the cst exam the caaahep take

Ready to learn

Hi, I'm 18m and looking forward to starting prereqs next month for the program at my local technical college. I realized earlier this year that I'd be more interested working in a operating room with hands on equipment rather than just nursing. Especially because I'm not the best when dealing with people. I'm worried though that my kind of slower processing speed would basically make me suck at the job. Because I know it requires making fast-paced decisions and from what I've heard, some surgeons can get really angry even at the tiniest mistakes. But I'm very determined and I've already started putting in all the effort I can to get better at this. I really want to succeed and pursue this career more than anything else

Are there any autistic or neurodivergent surgical techs here I can hear from ? What have you guys experienced in your time working as a surgical technologist? I'd appreciate any input from you guys

I'm interested in switching careers and going back to school. I was thinking of enrolling in a Surgical Tech program at my local community college. I saw that stepful has a program that is only 4 months. I am now confused because I assumed that most places would require a 2 year degree to be hired. Is going for a 2 year degree a waste of time or is this a scam?

Hey I was wondering g how many points you had when u got accepted I have 28 as on now and a 2.8 gap I got denied for January but they told me apply again for spring . Any advice ? I’ve done all pre reps including ap2 . All I’m missing is micro.

Been reading about door openings and SSI risk and there’s a decent amount of research on it. But I can’t tell if anyone actually counts, or if it’s one of those things that gets mentioned in an inservice once a year and then ignored.

Does your facility measure it? And if someone did put a number on it, would anything change, or would it just be another metric nobody acts on?

It's completely possible for a tech to know how to scrub every specialty if you're in the right setting. You don't have to be proficient, just competent. If you work in a hospital that does every single specialty there is no reason you should only be able to scrub ortho or plastics 🤷‍♀️

Hi everyone! I’m getting ready to start my first travel assignment, and while I’m excited, I’ll admit I’m a little nervous. I’ve been told that as a traveler, you’re expected to be comfortable scrubbing a variety of services. At my current hospital, I primarily scrub spine, although I’m comfortable with other services as well but I can’t scrub everything.

My biggest concern is going into a new facility, learning where everything is, and adjusting to different staff and preferences. I know there’s always an adjustment period, but I’d love to hear from experienced travelers. How was your first assignment? Did you feel prepared going in, and what helped you gain confidence?

Hi! I am a caregiver currently and am considering taking my maternity, when the time comes, to go to school and become a surg tech. Has anybody else done that? Is it more tech/less social stress? I like stuff like lab work(in theory, never been one) and I know I can get the surch tech education and licensure from our local college that I have some credit at.

What was your experience with this if you did so?

I was comparing the starting salaries of Surgical Technologists to Ultrasound Sound in NYC and the gap was HUGE. Starting rate for surgical is 44/hourly whereas Echo/Sonography starts around 59/hourly although I did notice less job positions. Why hasn’t the scrub tech position had a raise in starting rate?

I had a Cancellectomy today. Can you guess what it was supposed to be?

I’m looking to hopefully enroll in the program but I’ve heard the surgical technologist programs in the state are mostly run down. However, I see Swedish Institute has almost 4 stars on google reviews (although for some reason I’m unable to view them) opposed to Center for Allied Health Education (CAHE) and Mandl that are in the low 3 stars with horrible reviews from students.

- How long ago did you attend?
- Were facilities up to date/standard
- What were the class sizes
- How long did it take for you to complete the program
(I’ve heard it takes a while for students to be placed for clinicals in every program except NYU)
- Were there an shortage of supplies for students
- How was communication with administrators

I've read a post or two about programs here in Oregon and Washington, but I want more info on Clark College's new CST program, particularly accreditation, since I can't find info and additional info on Linn-Benton and mt hood community college. I just want to understand the experience of going through the programs and any advice, tips, recommendations, etc. Also, I want info about applications and interview processes so I can prepare. I've been researching the degree for a minute; I'm just now wanting more info on my specific area.

Hello,

I’ve been an LPN for 13 years (Acute Care, Med Surg, Wound Care). I was thinking about going for my RN because I’m soooo burnt out with bedside/patient care/families and I know having an RN license opens me to to more non bedside roles but honestly the thought of a bridge program makes my skin crawl.

I love travel assignments as they make bedside a little more tolerable. Before I invest in a RN bridge program I was thinking of exploring possibly becoming a surgical technician or possibly an xray tech.

Another option I thought would be opening my open private duty nursing business that’s focused strictly on wound care or post surgical skilled nursing, this is under my scope of practice as an LPN. I have 10+ years of wound care experience and am wound care certified.

I’m 46 years old. Nursing was a second career for me so I already have a BA (Marketing) and an MBA both of which won’t help me if I decide to move forward with my RN or surgical tech license.

I’m also a flight attendant so I’m looking for something that allows me to switch back and forth when I want to take time off from flying. Right now I usually work 8-13 week nursing travel assignments then take a break from nursing and fly for 13 weeks.

Are there many travel opportunities for surgical technicians? I feel like if in went the surgical technician route I would love plastic surgery. Is selecting a specialty an option or do you work everything?

Hello everyone!

I’m looking for advice from anyone currently working as a surgical NP or in a similar role. I’ve always been very interested in surgery and the OR, and my long-term goal is to work as an NP who can first assist in surgery while also being involved in pre- and post-op patient care.

My dilemma is that I’m currently enrolled in an FNP program that starts in about a week, but I’m considering withdrawing and applying to an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP (AGACNP) program instead. Would AGACNP be the better path for the type of role I’m interested in?

Can FNPs still work as surgical NPs/first assists as long as they obtain the necessary certifications and training? Also, are surgical NP fellowships or residencies generally open to FNPs, or are those opportunities typically reserved for AGACNP candidates?

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has taken either path or currently works in surgery. Thank you!

Why is is so hard to find a new job as a new grad as a surgical tech, each job wants experience and I keep getting rejections I’m so over it I feel like I wasted my time

I’ve been to about 5 sites since clinical started in May. It feels more difficult trying to learn different facilities at once.

I just started my surgical technology program and I’m looking on advice for tips and tricks on how everyone studied and was able to remember everything for exams? Which things do I prioritize when studying? I feel like I’m overwhelming myself, but right now our classes are surgical pharmacology and principles of surgery lecture and lab. I want to set myself up for success in this as I’m super excited and dedicated to giving it my all. Thank you in advance everyone!!

Hi everyone! I recently moved to Miami and I’m currently looking for a Surgical Technologist position, preferably in or near Edgewater, Downtown Miami, Brickell, Miami Beach, or the surrounding area.

I’m a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) and a graduate of an accredited Surgical Technology program with my AAS. I also hold BLS/CPR, IV, and phlebotomy certifications.

I’m especially interested in plastic surgery, spine/neurosurgery, Urology, or an ambulatory surgery center, but I’m absolutely open to other specialties and opportunities where I can continue learning and growing.

I’m dependable, motivated, quick to learn, and genuinely excited to start my career here in Miami. I’m open to full-time, part-time, or PRN opportunities.

If anyone knows of a hospital, surgery center, private practice, or surgeon currently hiring a Surgical Technologist—or if you know someone I should reach out to—please comment or send me a message! I’d be happy to send over my résumé and certifications.

Thank you so much! 🩺💙