About Surgical Technology

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The University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College will offer an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Surgical Technology. Through a comprehensive yet compact curriculum, this program will prepare students with surgery-related knowledge that is not covered in many other health care disciplines.

What Does a Surgical Technologist Do?

A surgical technologist, also called a scrub, scrub tech is an allied health professional working as a part of the team delivering surgical care. Surgical technologists are members of the surgical team.

The Profession

Advances in medical technology have made surgery safer, and more operations are being done to treat a variety of illnesses and injuries. The aging of the large baby-boom generation also is expected to increase the need for surgical technologists because older people usually require more operations. Moreover, as these individuals age, they may be more willing than those in previous generations to seek medical treatment to improve their quality of life. For example, an individual may decide to have a knee replacement operation in order to maintain an active lifestyle.

Certified Surgical Technologists not only serve as the surgeon’s co-pilot and provide instruments and supplies to the surgeon, but they prevent patient death and harm related to medication, surgical fires, instruments and implants, cancer specimens, infection, and bleeding. Surgical technologists are the surgical team member that maintain the sterile surgical field to ensure members of the surgical team adhere to sterile technique to prevent surgical site infections. As essential surgical team members, surgical technologists must perform very effectively to prevent “never events,” including medication errors, surgical implant errors, unintended retained surgical items, patient burns, and incorrect site surgery. The surgical technologist sets up the room, not the surgeon. This requires a deep understanding of thousands of instruments in various specialties.

The median annual wage for surgical technologists in Arkansas was $46,840 in May 2022. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned $31,830, and the top 10 percent earned $61,490.

The job outlook for surgical technologists is projected to grow 5% from 2022 to 2032. The average growth rate for all occupations is 3 percent.

Employment Information is from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Website.

Why Earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Surgical Technology at UA - Pulaski Tech?

• Students receive the training they need in only 2 semesters and are prepared to work immediately upon graduation.
• Students train with multi-professional teams, preparing them for real-life situations in the operating room.
• Opportunities to work in medically underserved communities broaden the learning experience.
• Graduates are required to apply for the national certification awarded by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting.

Admission Factors

Admission to the surgical technology program is competitive and based on the following factors:

• Academic achievement
• Reading and mathematics aptitude
• Written and oral communication

Accreditation

The Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Committee in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (www.arcstsa.org).

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
25400 US Highway 19 North, Suite 158
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 210-2350
www.caahep.org