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. Surgical technologists
have primary responsibility for maintaining the sterile
field, being constantly vigilant that all members of the
team adhere to aseptic technique.
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