Albany Lead Surgical Technologist - Operating Room

The Lead serves as the liaison between the physicians and surgical staff of the specialty areas, seeing that supplies, equipment, information, and skills are available to the nursing staff as they provide preoperative care to the surgical patient. This position provides support to both the Inpatient and Outpatient Operating Rooms.The Lead is responsible for keeping the Clinical Director and surgical staff abreast of new procedures and patterns of practice in their surgical specialty areas. Works with others toward the common goal of providing the safest possible care so those patients achieve favorable surgical outcomes and enhances wholeness (in body, mind, and spirit) for all we serve.

• Maintains accurate, up-to-date physician preference cards. Collaborates with surgical staff to ensure timely updates. Works closely with new physicians to develop case preferences.
• Responsible to ensure that the appropriate packs are being ordered for all cases in surgical specialty; develops specialty packs as needed.
• Communicates with surgeon to ascertain what equipment and supplies are needed for non-routine procedures. Sees that such equipment and supplies are available to surgical team.
• Communicates special needs and instruction to the surgical team.
• Lead the team to achieve targeted benchmarks for on time starts and room turnovers.
• Observes surgery schedule several weeks in advance to identify procedures that will need special supplies or equipment.
• Provides leadership to specialty team members and works to develop spirit of teamwork.
• Mentors surgery personnel who need instruction and guidance when doing unfamiliar procedures.
• Coordinates relationships with sales representatives to provide equipment for surgeons as needed.
• Works with the OR Supervisor to ensure that appropriate personnel are assigned to cases.
• Provides input on staff performance to the Director and OR Supervisor(s). Maintains anecdotal records as needed to document behaviors.
• Participates in the development of the annual operating and capital budgets as it pertains to specialties.
• Other duties as assigned

• H.S. Diploma - Required
• Completion of an approved surgical technologist education program - Preferred

• 2 Years - Scrubbing experience with a high degree of leadership and professionalism exhibited - Required

• Basic Life Support (BLS) - Required Upon Hire
• Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) - Preferred Upon Hire

• Must be able to travel between various system facilities and off-site locations as needed. - Required

Essential Technical/Motor Skills

• Speaking clearly.
• Communicate with Doctor, circulating nurse and schedule coordinator.
• Calibrate equipment.
• Surgical instrumentation, precise hand/eye coordination.
• Passing instrument to physician, assemble surgical instrumentation.
• Manipulate small items and equipment.
• Surgical instrumentation and supplies.
• Fine motor skills.
• Thread needles, handling micro instrumentation, able to work under operating microscope.

Interpersonal Skills

• Ability to work and communicate in a team setting with doctors, nurses, patients, and other technologists.
• Positive attitude and outgoing personality.

Essential Physical Requirements

• Moving patients, carts, instruments on sterile field, equipment, supplies, etc.
• Assembling instrumentation, sterile supplies, etc.
• Standing for operative procedure for long periods of time, (up to six hours uninterrupted).
• Operating instrumentation and equipment on sterile field.
• Walking, filling case carts, opening cases, transporting patients, transporting supplies, etc.
• Pushing, pulling, case carts, equipment, tables, holding retractors for long periods of time (up to six hours uninterrupted), patient carts.
• Lifting extremities (30 pounds), patients (100 pounds), instrument sets (40 pounds).
• Climbing, standing on stools for table height during surgeries.
• Reaching, holding retractors, taking equipment and supplies from shelves.
• Restraining patients immediately post op if needed.
• Ability to take call.
• Emergency/Urgent cases after hours for extended periods of time.

Essential Mental Abilities

• Manipulate numbers.
• Sponge, needle, instrument counts.
• Interpret data from physician preference card.
• Comprehend/understand, surgical procedures, instrumentation, anatomy, physiology, sequence of events.
• Assess/Evaluate, patient and surgeon needs (anticipate).
• Short and long term memory.
• Sequence events, set ups, draping, instrumentation, position preference, supplies used in cases, etc.
• Concentration/alertness, patient and physician needs for extended periods of time (up to six hours).
• Adaptability, able to go from case to case, service to service in short periods of time.
• Follow rules/instructions, policies/procedures of department with minimal supervision.
• Organizational skills, instrumentation and supplies to pass on surgical procedures.

Essential Sensory Requirements

• Visual skills, able to see and distinguish instrumentation, sutures, needles, supplies on a sterile field.
• Hearing surgeon, circulating nurse, and schedule coordinator while wearing masks.
• Feel instrument, sutures, needles, etc.
• Distinguish colors, color coded instruments and supplies.

Exposure to Hazards

• Blood and body fluids, chemical compounds used in surgery, drugs, radiation, cleaning solutions, anesthesia waste gasses, wet floors, needle sticks, cuts from knife blades, exposure to Methyl methacrylate, Laser Plume.

Other Skills and Abilities