As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA
This position requires the certified surgical technician to assist the surgical team by acting as the primary scrub technician who handles the instruments, supplies and equipment during surgical procedures. Incumbents maintain constant vigilance for the maintenance of the sterile field and are continually learning new techniques to better assist in specialty surgical services. The technician assists with maintaining equipment and instruments as well as with supply inventory. Based on location, mandatory call, holiday and weekend shifts may be required for all employees. This position may be required to access and handle medications within their scope of practice, under provider direction, and according to state law.
Corporate Overview: The University of Utah is a Level 1 Trauma Center and is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. Our five hospitals and eleven clinics provide excellence in our comprehensive services, medical advancement, and overall patient outcomes.
ResponsibilitiesEssential Functions- Checks supplies/instrumentation and equipment needed for surgical procedures and ensures they are working properly.
- Opens sterile supplies and sets up the table for each surgical procedure.
- Provides a sterile field for surgical procedures. Ensures that the members of the surgical team are properly attired and assists the surgeon with draping the patient to isolate the operative site.
- Assists in the maintenance of the sterile field by applying principles of aseptic techniques and informing the surgeon/surgical team of infractions.
- Anticipates and passes instruments and supplies to the surgeon.
- Follows the perioperative count policy which includes counting sharps, instruments, sponges, etc. in collaboration with the circulating nurse.
- Knows what counted items are used at the sterile field.
- Cleans, wraps and prepares the instruments for sterilization.
- Assists in the maintenance of specialty surgical services.
- Prepares the sterile dressing for the patient's incision.
- Orients medical/nursing students and technicians to the unit.
- Assists in the development of unit goals/objectives, quality improvement and cost containment measures.
- Arranges for borrowing/lending of equipment as directed.
- Ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined above.
- Knowledge of medical terminology, physiology and anatomy.
- Demonstrated human relation and effective communication skills.
- Ability to provide care appropriate to the population served.
- Ability to operate with the authority to alert operating room staff when there is a break in the sterile field and to take appropriate corrective measures. This requires good interpersonal skills, tact and diplomacy.
- Ability to maintain a fast/rapid pace as well as working for multiple surgeons and anticipating their individual needs and preferences.
- Ability to ensure the proper care, maintenance and coordination of surgical instruments and supplies.
- Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served on his or her assigned unit.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the principles of life span growth and development and the ability to assess data regarding the patient's status and provide care as described in the department's policies and procedures manual.
- Successful completion of an accredited O.R. Technician program, military training as a scrub tech.
- Two (2) years of hands-on experience as a surgical technician.
- Current RQI Healthcare Provider eCredential through the University of Utah Health RQI system. The eCredential is to be obtained within 30 days of hire.
- One of the following
- Current certification as a Certified Technologist in Surgery (TS-C) through NCCT
- Current certification as a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) through NBSTSA.
Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.
- This position involves intermediate working conditions in a healthcare setting that may exert up to 50 pounds any may consistently require lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving objects. The incumbent may face exposure to potentially dangerous contaminated body fluids, new and used needles, razor blades, knives, bone shavings, pieces of glass, and other contaminants as part of the daily hazards of the job and must wear protective attire at all times. The position also requires standing or walking for long periods of time.
Skills Required
- Successful completion of an accredited operating room technician program or military training as a scrub technician
- Two years of hands-on experience as a surgical technician
- Current RQI Healthcare Provider eCredential through the University of Utah Health RQI system, obtainable within 30 days of hire
- Current Certified Technologist in Surgery certification through NCCT or Certified Surgical Technologist certification through NBSTSA
- Ability to lift, carry, push, pull, or move objects up to 50 pounds and stand or walk for extended periods
University of Utah Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about University of Utah and has not been reviewed or approved by University of Utah.
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Retirement Support — Employer-funded retirement contributions on both the academic campus and U of U Health are notably strong, with automatic contributions and additional voluntary savings options. This emphasis makes long-term financial benefits a distinctive part of the total compensation offering.
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Healthcare Strength — Multiple medical plan choices, robust mental-health support through the Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs create a comprehensive health offering. Network options and wellness incentives further enhance coverage quality.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave policies provide options for fully paid periods or extended partial-pay leave for staff, with parallel provisions at U of U Health. Separate frameworks for faculty include modified duties and leave arrangements during family transitions.
University of Utah Insights
What We Do
The University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, is the flagship institution of higher learning in Utah. Founded in 1850, it serves over 31,000 students from across the U.S. and the world. With over 72 major subjects at the undergraduate level and more than 90 major fields of study at the graduate level, including law and medicine, the university prepares students to live and compete in the global workplace. Known for its proximity to seven world-class ski resorts within 40 minutes of campus, the U encourages an active, holistic lifestyle, innovation and collaborative thinking to engage students, faculty and business leaders. The University of Utah became a member of the PAC-12 conference in July 2011. Technology and Commercialization The University of Utah is tops in the country for creating start-up companies from university research, according to a ranking by the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM). See http://unews.utah.edu/news_releases/u-of-utah-no-1-for-startups for more information. Forbes magazine’s recent ranking of the “Best States for Business” pointed to “an educated labor force” as a big reason Utah came in at number one. The U supplies many of the employees for companies that keep expanding their operations in Utah, such as Goldman Sachs, Adobe, Omniture, Oracle, Ebay and many others. http://pac12info.utah.edu/commercialization-of-innovation/ Healthcare University of Utah Health Care recently ranked first in the nation in a prestigious national study. The University Health System Consortium’s 2010 Quality and Accountability Study compared 98 of the nation’s top academic medical centers and ranked them based on core quality measures, patient safety indicators, mortality rates, re-admission rates, and patient satisfaction scores. See more about University of Utah Health Care at http://healthcare.utah.edu/index.php




