What is a Certified Operating Room-Surgical Technician (CORST)

Surgical Technologists (also called scrubs, surgical technicians, or operating room technicians) are required to maintain very stringent standards of practice. As a member of an operating room team, you will carry a great deal of responsibility. Often, patients' lives are at stake.

Before a surgery, you will help set up the operating room, making sure the right surgical instruments, equipment and other materials (like sterile drapes and solutions) are assembled, in place and have been properly sterilized. You will prepare the patient for surgery by washing, shaving, and disinfecting the incision area. Then, you will transport the patient to the operating room, help position him or her on the operating table and place the sterile surgical drapes. You may also need to help the rest of the surgical team to put on their sterile gowns and gloves.

During surgery, your focus must be finely attuned. You may be responsible for observing the patient's vital signs and passing the correct instruments and sterile supplies quickly and carefully to the surgeon or surgical assistant, as requested. You may even be asked to help hold retractors, cut sutures and apply dressings. Depending on the surgical procedure, you can be asked to perform any number of other tasks, which can include handling specimens to be taken to the lab for analysis.

After surgery, your responsibilities might include transporting the patient to a recovery room, and cleaning and restocking the operating room. Through it all, you will need to follow strict protocols to prevent patient infection. Your disciplined actions can make the difference between good patient outcomes and dangerous complications.

Where does a CORST work?

Most surgical technologists — about 71 percent in the United States — work in hospitals, mainly in operating and delivery rooms. Surgical technologist are also adaptive to deal with equipment handling, as handling a C-arm flouroscope in angioplasty and orthopedics and in many other departments as well. A surgical technologist with multiple experiences is preferred. Other jobs are in offices of physicians or dentists who perform outpatient surgery and in outpatient care centers, including ambulatory surgery centers.[In the US, depending on the role and employment setting, they may go by different titles including Scrub Surgical Technologist, Circulating Surgical Technologist or Second Assisting Technologist A few technologists in private practice (also called 'private scrubs') are employed directly by surgeons who have special surgical teams, like those for liver transplants.

How much does a CORST earn?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, surgical technologists salary ranges from $40,000- $55,600 annually.

What do I get upon program completion and successful completion of the certification exam?

Upon program completion you will receive a program Certificate of Completion. Once you have successfully completed the certification examination you will receive a certificate and a wallet card/license indicating your new professional status as Certified Operating Room-Surgical Technician (CORST). Your certification will be from a NATIONALLY ACCREDITED certification agency, which means it is accepted in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

The Following Will Be Covered in all CORST Training Courses:

• Overview of Surgical Technology

• Ethics and Legal Considerations

• The Surgical Patient Care and Safety

• Special Populations

• Physical Environment and Safety Standards

• Asepsis and Sterile Technique

• Surgical Pharmacology and Anesthesia

• Instrumentation, Equipment, and Supplies

• Wound Healing, Sutures, Needles, and Stapling Devices

• Technological Sciences for the Surgical Technologist

• Diagnostic Procedures

• General Surgery and Surgery in a variety of Practices