Surgery requires a steady nerve and hand. It also requires surgical technology professionals choreographing the use of hundreds of surgical instruments with the surgeon(s).
With clinical rotations at most health facilities put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, students of Northeast State’s Surgical Technology program found a big part of their education on hold. Surgical tech students returned to clinical rotations the second week of June. The path puts them toward completing their degree requirements by the end of this summer.
“They are going to have a fast-paced road ahead; they are going almost every day of the week to make up the regular schedule,” said Jeff Coalson, instructor and program director of Surgical Technology at Northeast State. “They were a little nervous to go back after spring break, but they are ready to go work.”
Surgical technologists choreograph hundreds of movements during an operation.
Northeast State awards the associate of applied science degree in Surgical Technology. The program prepares students to become certified surgical technologists (CST).
Certified surgical technologists serve patients at hospital operating rooms, delivery rooms, emergency departments, ambulatory care areas, physician offices, and central supply departments. Students learn the names and uses of thousands of surgical instruments. Students who become CSTs may find themselves working on cases that may use as many as 500 instruments. Their work puts them in operating rooms where heart, brain, gastrointestinal, and general surgery among others are conducted.
“They have to learn all the instrumentation and for each category of surgery,” said Coalson. “That is probably one of the biggest challenges to learn is instrumentation. You learn a great deal on the job as far as routine preferences, and all the equipment.”
The 14 Surgical Technology majors moving through the cohort expect to complete their clinical rotations this summer. These clinical experiences mark the final steps for students earning their associate degrees. The summer schedule challenges each student to earn contact hours for at least 120 specific surgical cases.
A surgical technologist serves as a member of a surgical team in an operating room. Special emphasis is placed upon scrubbing and circulating during surgical procedures. Practice in clinical rotations and operation theatres hone these skills to almost automatic responses.
Surgical technologists serve in all types of operations.
Surgical technology students undergo strict instruction for sterilizing instruments and the surgery theatre. Coalson said those sanitizing practices were professional standards every CST learned in class. He also noted that students also take pharmacology and microbiology courses where they train to avoid cross-contamination and sterile practices.
Upon completing all degree requirements, students are eligible to sit for the National Certifying Examination to earn a CST certification. That examination is an accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) for surgical technologists. NCCA accreditation assures the CST examination meets the standards of development and administration.
Coalson used Zoom teleconferencing and the Nearpod student engagement platform to continue the course lectures. Nearpod allows instructors to build in questions for students and receive answers back from the entire class. Despite the challenges lockdown brought the surgical tech students rose to the occasion.
“Grades did not drop; they actually improved,” said Coalson. “By the end of the lecture we were all on the end of the same page.”
Elective and non-emergency surgical procedures were suspended at health care facilities around the country during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 lockdown. Coalson said the gradual easing those restrictions opened up the clinical rotation possibilities for students. Students were advised COVID-19 screenings would be part of their return to clinical rotations.
“It has been increasing week by week,” said Coalson, of the return to clinical rotations at area health care facilities.
The College’s Surgical Technology program receives accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA).
The program’s lecture and laboratory sessions traditionally happen in the Regional Center for Health Professions on the Northeast State at Kingsport campus. The program sets a 10 student to 1 instructor ratio for all laboratory sessions. Coalson also noted wages for CSTs were on the rise in the region.
The program accepts applications beginning in April for new students looking to become CSTs. Students accepted into the latest surgical technology cohort class registered for fall classes last week. The new class of between 15 and 20 students will prepare themselves for a challenging, rewarding career.
“The biggest worry was getting it done,” said Coalson, of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are getting it done, and I’m confident we will.”
Surgery requires a steady nerve and hand. It also requires surgical technology professionals choreographing the use of hundreds of surgical instruments with the surgeon(s).
With clinical rotations at most health facilities put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, students of Northeast State’s Surgical Technology program found a big part of their education on hold. Surgical tech students returned to clinical rotations the second week of June. The path puts them toward completing their degree requirements by the end of this summer.
“They are going to have a fast-paced road ahead; they are going almost every day of the week to make up the regular schedule,” said Jeff Coalson, instructor and program director of Surgical Technology at Northeast State. “They were a little nervous to go back after spring break, but they are ready to go work.”
Northeast State awards the associate of applied science degree in Surgical Technology. The program prepares students to become certified surgical technologists (CST).
Certified surgical technologists serve patients at hospital operating rooms, delivery rooms, emergency departments, ambulatory care areas, physician offices, and central supply departments. Students learn the names and uses of thousands of surgical instruments. Students who become CSTs may find themselves working on cases that may use as many as 500 instruments. Their work puts them in operating rooms where heart, brain, gastrointestinal, and general surgery among others are conducted.
“They have to learn all the instrumentation and for each category of surgery,” said Coalson. “That is probably one of the biggest challenges to learn is instrumentation. You learn a great deal on the job as far as routine preferences, and all the equipment.”
The 14 Surgical Technology majors moving through the cohort expect to complete their clinical rotations this summer. These clinical experiences mark the final steps for students earning their associate degrees. The summer schedule challenges each student to earn contact hours for at least 120 specific surgical cases.
A surgical technologist serves as a member of a surgical team in an operating room. Special emphasis is placed upon scrubbing and circulating during surgical procedures. Practice in clinical rotations and operation theatres hone these skills to almost automatic responses.
Surgical technology students undergo strict instruction for sterilizing instruments and the surgery theatre. Coalson said those sanitizing practices were professional standards every CST learned in class. He also noted that students also take pharmacology and microbiology courses where they train to avoid cross-contamination and sterile practices.
Upon completing all degree requirements, students are eligible to sit for the National Certifying Examination to earn a CST certification. That examination is an accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) for surgical technologists. NCCA accreditation assures the CST examination meets the standards of development and administration.
Coalson used Zoom teleconferencing and the Nearpod student engagement platform to continue the course lectures. Nearpod allows instructors to build in questions for students and receive answers back from the entire class. Despite the challenges lockdown brought the surgical tech students rose to the occasion.
“Grades did not drop; they actually improved,” said Coalson. “By the end of the lecture we were all on the end of the same page.”
Elective and non-emergency surgical procedures were suspended at health care facilities around the country during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 lockdown. Coalson said the gradual easing those restrictions opened up the clinical rotation possibilities for students. Students were advised COVID-19 screenings would be part of their return to clinical rotations.
“It has been increasing week by week,” said Coalson, of the return to clinical rotations at area health care facilities.
The College’s Surgical Technology program receives accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA).
The program’s lecture and laboratory sessions traditionally happen in the Regional Center for Health Professions on the Northeast State at Kingsport campus. The program sets a 10 student to 1 instructor ratio for all laboratory sessions. Coalson also noted wages for CSTs were on the rise in the region.
The program accepts applications beginning in April for new students looking to become CSTs. Students accepted into the latest surgical technology cohort class registered for fall classes last week. The new class of between 15 and 20 students will prepare themselves for a challenging, rewarding career.
“The biggest worry was getting it done,” said Coalson, of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are getting it done, and I’m confident we will.”
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