Think Twice Before Becoming a Surgical Technologist
Become a Registered Nurse and Make More Money Than a Surgical Technologist
Becoming an Registered Nurse and keeping up your nursing license is better than having an insurance policy. You will always be able to find employment as a Nurse and at way better than average wages.
The field has become so diverse that nurses work in almost every aspect of health care. Registered Nurses can work in foundries,schools and football teams. They are even on cruise ships and employed at luxury resorts.
Surgical Technologists make considerable less than Registered Nurse wait way less and techs are generally employed in operating rooms and surgery centers not cruise ships. Many people may not realize that when you are a Surgical Technologists you may not be able to leave the room to go to the bathroom for hours, yes I said hours! You are scrubbed in and many hospitals will not have relief for you and by law so many people have to stay scrubbed in during a case.
So you are going no where until the case is done.As a tech you will be surgery on your feet for 8-10 hours a day on a slow day and the surgical rooms are cold. The amount of technical knowledge a Surgical Technician can be expected to know is tremendous.
Hospitals expect you to be proficient at several types of surgical services. You will fill in at the last moment sometimes when a staff members is late, ill or refuses to scrub with a certain doctor. You will train registered nurses in almost all aspects of the surgical job.
From instrumentation and equipment to proper handling of surgical supplies. Yes you read correctly Surgical Technologists also train Registered Nurses and Board Certified Doctors to do many surgical procedures and use new equipment. This is not widely known or publicized but Surgical Technicians have more experience helping, viewing and setting up surgeries in one year than most surgeons do in 5 years.
If you choose to work as a tech at a hospital you will be required to be on call. Most call rotations are once or twice a week you will be on call for 4-5 weekdays a month and at least 1 weekend. Expect to work through your call weekend and come in Monday morning and scrub a full day of surgeries.
When you are on call you will stay and finish the cases that do not finish on time. Meaning when everyone goes home on Friday you could be there late and when you get home you might get a phone call to come back to work at any moment.This would include no drinking of any alcoholic beverages while on call.None, Zero not even one beer.
My conclusion is become an RN you will have more of a chance for advancement and employment. You will also make way more money. You can even start your schooling online. So think twice before you choose a career any career, read about the fields you are interested in. Money can be a large factor in choosing a profession. But it doesn't have to be the only factor. Try to pick a profession that fits your personality skills and dreams.
Published by Rik Rodriguez
Education and Experience US Academy of Health Sciences Graduate Combat Medic, Certified Surgical Technician, Certified Nurses Aid, CPR Certified, American Red Cross Lifeguard Certified 25 years of... View profile
- Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures & Women Over Age 50For many women over age 50, there is a rather strong interest in anti-aging and beauty products designed to improve appearance without surgical procedure.
- Hysterectomy Procedures Now Include Use of the Robotic Da Vinci Surgical SystemDoctors can now perform a laparoscopic hysterectomy using the robotic, computer-enhanced da Vinci Surgical System, which results in shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery time.
- Interview with a Kansas Registered NurseA 10 question interview with a Registered nurse in Wichita Kansas.
- Becoming a Registered NurseAlthough there are clinical and lab components to all nurse training programs that must be completed at a real-world facility, most basic course-work can be completed at home over the Internet.
- Registered Nurse: A High-Paying Career in High DemandMore nurses than ever are needed these days. Find out all about this good paying career.
- Becoming a Registered Nurse
- What it Takes to Become a Registered Nurse
- Career Profile - Registered Nurse
- It's a Good Time for Registered Nurses
- Hirschsprung's Disease; A Parent's Guide to Surgical Correction
- Certified Nurse-Midwife as a Profession
- My Experience as a Surgical Technologist
12 Comments
Post a CommentI am a Surg tech student. I am in clinicals this week and so far I hate it! I am hoping to like it more, but people just treat you so badly. I switch hospitals next week so I am hoping that will help.
Yes, being a surgical tech is an awful job. I've been a surgical Tech for a little over 2 years and wish I had chose another career. I'm quitting my job and pursuing another career this fall. I love being in the medical field just hate the O.R. It's not for me...and for all the work I'm required to do the pay is terrible.
I thought surgical tech make good money
Obviously a highly disgruntled surgical tech. I started out in the instrument room. Then, I became a tech, then I became a nurse, then I became a nurse practitioner. Now I am applying to Med School.
I was a tech for 10 years. Before I started nursing school, I used to have the mindset that "nurses think they're better than techs." Once I was almost finished with nursing school, I had an "a=ha" moment, when I discovered that nurses don't think they're better, they just think differently. We're trained to think differently. We don't think technically. We think critically.
As for pay, depends on where you are. I was making about $3 more/hr as a tech than a new nurse.
Techs: Nobody is trying to take your job. Nobody is trying to steal your spotlight with "your" surgeon. Quit trying to act like you know more than the doctor simply because you have to tell him a technical aspect of something he's never seen with
Sure after 25 years of doing Surgery I have learned so much. But the information isn't that useful, unless you want to be a surgeon. No one wants to hear that a surgical technician may be able to do surgery better than the surgeon. Why? Because they assist on and see more cases in a month than some docs do all year. If I were to do it again Yes RN. More money more opportunity all the way around! But it will be a little harder to get a job doing surgery as an RN.
I Graduated 10 months ago from a Surgical Tech program (AS)and i still can't find a job, they are always looking for expirence but how am i suppose to get it if no one gives me the opportunity. mine as well go back to school for RN.
Im also a scrub tech and I do think for the amount of knowledge we have and what our jobs require, we should be paid more. What was said is true it should be about the passion for the job, you either love it or not, and if you dont leave it because it can be a very hard job at times.
I feel that this article was written by a very disgruntled ST. I don't feel it accurately depicts the work of either a ST or a surgical RN. OR is a passion, if you don't love it - leave it. Experienced ST have the opportunity to earn equal and sometimes more than an RN, no staff should be allowed to choose whom they work with (that is a management issue), we all train each other, anyone is able to take online courses - yes even a ST. Keep in mind that instrumentation is the ST's expertise, they don't ever 'train' a surgeon, the surgeon requires the ST to help facilitate the surgery by being expert at what they do.
some people want to be in the OR. maybe people should go pee before they scrub in.. and maybe some people don't want to be nurses. maybe it's not about the money, maybe it's about what they love. if they hate being srub techs then they should take a few more courses and become nurses.... being scrub tech may not pay as much, but considering the income they do make compared to the cost of schooling to become one is a pretty good deal!
I'm also a surgical tech and this is very true. Surgical techs are not appreciated, but are expected to know a lot.