Surgical Technician Intern - Outpatient Surgery Center - Full Time 12 Hour Rotating Shift (Non-Exempt) (Union)

This position is an opportunity for a new trainee to learn the CSPD and Surgical Technician functions within the hospital setting. The Surgical Technician Intern is responsible for providing the daily resource support to the operating room and the hospital related to equipment, instrumentation and surgical supplies. The Technician coordinates the activities engaged in decontaminating, cleaning, processing and assembling, storing and distributing sterile trays and supplies utilized for the care, treatment of Operating Room patients. The Operating Room Technician, under the guidance of the Registered Nurse, is responsible for the care and safety of patients who come under his/her care. The technician performs scrub assistance duties during operative procedures under the supervision of the physician and the circulating nurse, as well as performing technical duties for assigned areas.

Essential Duties:

• Performs case preparation according to assigned surgical case; inclusive of review of anatomy, surgical procedure, and related instrumentation used during the assigned procedure
• Pull supplies and instrumentation for assigned surgical procedures.
• Pull add-on cases as needed.
• Responsible for assisting the OR team in obtaining instruments deemed necessary before and during scheduled operating procedures.
• Assists the operating room nurse with surgical suite set-up prior to opening the case.
• Demonstrates principles of aseptic technique while opening sterile supplies and instrumentation.
• Demonstrates an attentive interaction throughout the operative procedure, learning to anticipate the needs of the surgical team and responds appropriately when receiving corrective input.
• Displays openness to the use of equipment, instrumentation and supplies in a cost-effective and responsible manner.
• Displays an openness to learn a standardized way to set-up a sterile field and to return used instrument trays in an organized and safe manner.
• Demonstrates the ability to track and maintain instruments during a surgical procedure, returning complete instrument trays in a manner that protects the durability of the instruments.
• Maintains ongoing communication with the circulating nurse and other members of the surgical team regarding sponge, needle and instrument counts, as well as the use of medications delivered to the back table.
• Responsible for maintaining instruments, and loaner equipment, informing all appropriate staff members if items requires repair.
• Responsible for assisting the OR team with quick turnovers and Immediate Use sterilization as appropriate.
• Proactively maintains the surgical suite; through returning unused equipment, supplies and instrumentation at the conclusion of the procedure or at end of shift.
• Corrects and maintains surgeons’ preference card in collaboration with the specialty leaders.
• Responsible for accurate case documentation.
• Demonstrates the knowledge and operation of all equipment located in decontamination and sterile processing and adheres to workflow decontamination policies for delivery of soiled items.
• Responsible for applying principles of infection control and aseptic technique in a CSPD environment.
• Demonstrates the ability to accurately assemble, wrap/place in sterilization container and label completed instrument sets.
• Prioritize items to be sterilized by OR schedule.
• Ensure all instrument menus are double-checked for accuracy.
• Ensures all support departments trays are cleaned and reprocessed as needed.
• Write up supply returns and return stock to its proper location on a daily basis.
• Respond to call downs, prioritizing as necessary, providing service, within fifteen minutes of receiving a call.
• Participate in checking for expired products in CSPD or the OR on a monthly basis.
• Pull supplies for restocking of 24 hour cart.
• Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers, OR staff, physicians and others in a professional manner.
• Provides for own professional growth regarding trends in equipment and sterilization methods through formal and informal continuing education.
• Participates in department Performance Improvement projects.
• Complies with all AORN Standards
• Supports continuous and ongoing customer satisfaction through the hospital-wide service excellence standards.
• Complies with all JCAHO and Hospital standards as they relate to the department.
• Performs all other duties as assigned by Assistant Director and or Director.

Required Qualifications:

• Req High school or equivalent
• Req Specialized/technical training Must have graduated from an accredited school of Surgical Technology.
• Req 0-1 year Must have less than one year of experience working as a Surgical Tech or CSPD Tech in order to qualify for this training program.
• Req Ability to learn how to mobilize equipment timely to areas needing equipment.
• Req Ability to assists with performing stock inventories and restocking of supplies or instrumentation for operating room or CSPD as need arises.
• Req Must be extremely organized.
• Req Demonstrate excellent customer service behavior.
• Req Thorough knowledge of all surgical instruments and supplies utilized within the perioperative arena.
• Req Knowledge of sterile technique as it applies to supply distribution and sterile instrument processing.
• Req Ability to speak, read, and writes English.
• Req Displays behaviors conducive to excellent customer service.
• Req Ability to performs scrub assistance duties during operative procedures under the supervision of the physician and the circulating nurse, as well as performing technical duties for assigned areas.
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Pref Computer literacy.
  

Required Licenses/Certifications:

• Req Surgical Technologist - CST OR Central Service Technician Certificate *If no certification upon hire must obtain within one year of hire.
• Req Fire Life Safety Training (LA City) If no card upon hire, one must be obtained within 30 days of hire and maintained by renewal before expiration date. (Required within LA City only).

The hourly rate range for this position is $22.00 - $37.40. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.