20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You usually start by checking the OR schedule and supply documentation (or MEDITECH if your hospital uses it). You gather, check, and open supplies and equipment for each case, and set up the sterile back table and Mayo stand before the patient arrives.
During surgery you maintain sterile technique, count sharps/sponges/instruments, pass instruments and medications, hold retractors as directed, and assist with electrocautery or tourniquets. Afterward you help with specimen handling, clean and restock the room, and update nursing or patient tracking documentation.
Expect to use patient scheduling and patient tracking systems to see case times and room assignments. MEDITECH or similar electronic health records handle nursing documentation and supply documentation, so you’ll log counts, specimens, and supply orders there.
Some places use a separate supply chain system to order surgical supplies and track inventory. Learn basic navigation, how to enter counts, and where to attach specimen labels — those are the most used functions.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2025 there were 117,460 employed surgical technicians; the median annual wage was $64,650. The lowest tenth earned about $45,940 and the top tenth about $96,940 per year.
Pay varies by region, facility type, shift (nights/high-call often pay more), and certifications like CST (Certified Surgical Technologist). BLS is the source for those national numbers.
Enroll in an accredited surgical technologist program (community college or technical school) that covers sterile technique, instrument ID, and OR procedures. Many programs include clinical rotations in hospitals where you’ll practice counting instruments and setting up Mayo stands.
Start by memorizing common instruments and sponge counts, practicing sterile gowning/gloving, and learning how to read patient scheduling and supply lists. Basic familiarity with MEDITECH or similar EHRs is helpful but usually taught in clinicals.
Both work in the sterile field and count instruments and sponges, but a scrub nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who also has broader responsibilities for patient assessment and nursing documentation. Surgical techs focus on preparing instruments, passing tools, and maintaining sterile technique.
In many ORs the team is: RN circulator (non-sterile, documents and handles meds), scrub nurse or surgical technologist (sterile, passes instruments). Scope and credentialing differ: RNs can perform nursing documentation and certain patient assessments that techs do not.
AI can help with study tasks like quizzes for instrument ID, simulation scenarios, or summarizing hospital protocols, but never for live patient care decisions. Don’t rely on AI to interpret vitals, make counts, or replace MEDITECH entries — those need human verification and charting in the official system.
If you use AI to draft checklists or study plans, always cross-check with the hospital’s supply documentation, nursing documentation, and an experienced preceptor. Never paste identifiable patient data into public AI tools; follow your facility’s privacy rules.
Top skills are flawless sterile technique (gowning, gloving, draping the patient), accurate counting of sharps/sponges/instruments, and fast, correct instrument passing. Those keep the case safe and on time.
Also learn how to set up the sterile back table and Mayo stand, open and check supplies, assist with specimens and electrocautery as directed, and communicate counts and status clearly in MEDITECH or the nursing documentation system.