Surgical Technology

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Access to online searching of three Merck publications: The Merck Manual of Medical Information Home edition, Merck Manual of Geriatrics Second edition, and The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Seventeenth edition.

Provided by the World Health Organization

Provided by the Association of Surgical Technologists

AST is the only national organization that represents over 55,000 surgical technologists and surgical assistants. Established in 1969, AST is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors. On the local level, 43 formed state assemblies address member concerns and issues.

Occupational description
Surgical technologists are an integral part of the team of medical practitioners providing surgical care to patients in a variety of settings.
Job description
Surgical technologists prepare the operating room by selecting and opening sterile supplies. Preoperative duties also include assembling, adjusting, and checking nonsterile equipment to ensure that it is in proper working order. Common duties include operating sterilizers, lights, suction machines, electrosurgical units, and diagnostic equipment.

When patients arrive in the surgical suite, surgical technologists assist in preparing them for surgery by providing physical and emotional support, checking charts, and observing vital signs. They have been educated to properly position the patient on the operating table, assist in connecting and applying surgical equipment and/or monitoring devices, and prepare the incision site.

The National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA), formerly the LCC-ST was established in 1974 as the certifying agency for surgical technologists. NBSTSA is solely responsible for all decisions regarding certification; from determining eligibility to maintaining, denying, granting and renewing the designation. In 2005 the NBSTSA relocated its headquarters to Littleton, Colorado.

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