Welcome to SVSTI - ABHES Accredited Surgical Technology Program at Northern CA's Premier School

Surgical Technology Program 

At SVSTI, we believe that learning is a continuous process that should never end. Our mission is to provide high-quality adult education courses accessible to everyone, regardless of background or experience. Our courses are designed to help you acquire new skills, advance your career, and achieve your personal goals. Join us today and embark on a journey of lifelong learning!

Our Surgical Technology Program will prepare you for real-world situations. SVSTI is a Surgical Technology School like no other, located in the Bay Area of California. 

The Surgical Technology Program is approximately a 64-week program that includes one 16-week term online for the General Education Portion, two 16-week terms on Campus, one 16-week term at Externship to complete the required cases, and a 6-week CST Prep class for the NBSTSA: CST certification exam during Term 3. Externship requirements will include a minimum of 120 specific surgical cases to be completed within the 16-week Term 3. The program is approximately 14-16 months, not including holidays and breaks.

SVSTI is accredited by ABHES (https://www.abhes.org). 

What is a Surgical Technologist?

A Surgical Technologist (also called a surgical tech, scrub, scrub tech, surgical technician, or operating room technician) is an allied healthcare professional working as a part of the team delivering surgical care. They provide a variety of tasks to assist surgeons performing an operation. Surgical technologists are members of the surgical team. Join our Surgical Technology Program today!

Millions of people have surgery performed on them yearly. Surgeries can range from vital heart transplants to low-risk and common procedures. The success of these procedures relies on more than just surgeons. For a procedure to be a success, it often requires a full team of trained medical staff members. A major position in nearly all surgical teams is the Surgical Technologist. 

Becoming a Surgical Technologist

Many healthcare careers require several years of schooling before being qualified to start working. Fortunately, this isn’t the case for surgical techs. Most employers require a postsecondary certificate or an associate’s degree to work in this position.

Daily Responsibilities of a Surgical Technologist

Assists in operations under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating room, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments. 

Primary responsibility is to maintain the sterile field, understand the procedure being performed, anticipate the needs of the surgeon, maintain a current knowledge base, maintain quality patient care during the operative procedure, and maintain constant vigilance regarding the adherence to aseptic technique by all members of the surgical team and their surroundings. They handle the instruments, supplies, and equipment necessary before, during, and after the surgical procedure. In addition to the technical aspects of the profession, the technologist must always be aware of the patient’s condition and needs.

What Surgical Technologists Do?

Surgical Technologists work in hospitals and clinics around the world. While tasks may vary due to the needs of the operating staff, Surgical Technologists provide a variety of tasks to assist surgeons performing an operation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, surgical technologists work before, during, and after a surgery.

Prior to an operation, Surgical Technologists help prepare the operating room. Some common tasks include prepping surgical instruments and equipment, preparing sterile drapes, and preparing sterile solutions. Technologists may also prepare patients for surgery by washing, shaving, and disinfecting incision sites. They transport patients to the operating room, help position them on the operating table, and cover them with sterile surgical drapes. Technologists also help the surgical team put on sterile gowns and gloves.

During a surgery, Surgical Technologist can pass instruments and other sterile supplies to surgeons and surgical assistants. They may hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments. Surgical technologists help prepare, care for, and dispose of specimens taken for laboratory analysis and help apply dressings. Some operate sterilizers, lights, or suction machines, and help operate diagnostic equipment. After an operation, Surgical Technologists may help transfer patients to the recovery room and clean and restock the operating room. Source:  https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/surgical-technologists.htm#tab-2. 

The Surgical Technology Program's expectations are to prepare competent entry-level Surgical Technologists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) domains of learning.

Institutional Student Learning Outcomes

SVSTI’s Institutional Student Learning Outcomes illustrate the entire institution’s commitment to ensuring that all graduates demonstrate proficiency in the following: (ISLO’s)

1-Critical thinking 

2-Collaboration 

3-Communication 

4-Professionalism

Programmatic Student Learning Outcomes

SVSTI’s Programmatic Student Learning Outcomes are listed below: (PSLO’s)

 Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

1-Identify the basic principles of aseptic technique and Surgical procedures. 

2-Demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to be a competent Surgical Technologist in a variety of settings, including hospitals, outpatient surgical facilities, and other appropriate medical sites. 

3-Demonstrate critical thinking, information management, professional and personal development, communication skills, respect, and responsibility.

Student Learning Outcomes

SVSTI’s course content is developed in alignment with specific Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs).

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

ST1/ST111

• Demonstrate application of principles of asepsis in a knowledgeable manner that provides for optimal patient care in the operating room (Psychomotor).
• Demonstrate entry-level knowledge of basic instruments, surgical equipment, and basic Surgical procedures and Medical Terminology (Psychomotor).
• Demonstrate responsibility, self-discipline, and surgical conscience (Affective).
• Apply basic understanding of Anatomy and Physiology and appropriate medical  terminology (Cognitive).

ST2/ST222

• Perform fundamental concepts of intermediate procedures, patient positioning, and surgical draping (Psychomotor).
• Employ critical thinking skills in their identification of variations and analysis of information and/or equipment during surgical procedures (Psychomotor and Cognitive).
• Demonstrate responsibility, self-discipline, and surgical conscience and communication to the surgical team (Affective).
• Apply basic understanding of Anatomy and Physiology, Ethics, and appropriate medical  terminology (Cognitive).
• Develop effective interpretation and expression of ideas through written and oral communication in the operating room (Affective).

ST3/ST333

• Perform advanced  applications of surgical procedures (Psychomotor).
• Identify pharmacological agents and their purpose in surgery.
• Identify various types of anesthesia used in surgery.
• Demonstrate effective communication skills with appropriate surgical staff (Affective).
• Apply basic understanding of Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Human Behavior,  Ethics, Pharmacology, and appropriate Medical Terminology (Cognitive).
• Demonstrate the ability to perform the role of first scrub on all basic, general, and specialty surgical cases as defined by the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) (Psychomotor and Cognitive).

Upon successful completion of the SVSTI’s Surgical Technology Program, graduates will be able to meet or exceed the following additional Program Learning Outcomes: 

• Complete eligibility requirements for the National Certification Exam for Surgical Technologists.
• Demonstrate knowledge of surgical technology skills by successfully accomplishing controlled learning activities.
• Employ information obtained from biological, social, and psychological studies.
• Obtain and use knowledge in providing culturally fitting patient care.
• Apply acquired skills and knowledge within the clinical setting.
• Practice surgical asepsis in diverse clinical backgrounds.
• Function as a surgical team member to deliver excellence in patient care.
• Demonstrate the development and consistent application of a surgical conscience.
• Practice accountability, competence, and character, demonstrating a trained professional. 
• Practice ownership of learning and maintain responsibility and self-discipline to appraise and incorporate continued learning.
• Relate and apply concepts of communication, reasoning, critical analysis, ethical behavior, and appropriate interpersonal interaction to situations in his or her career and personal life.
• Demonstrate the social skills, professional appearance, attitudes, and behavior that employers expect of all SVSTI graduates.

This program is the hands-on application of the concepts and theory studied in Cengage and MindTap. Students learn and apply the basic principles of aseptic technique, basic surgical sanitation, disinfection, and sterilization. The focus will be on surgical instrumentation preparation and sterilization, and on proper technique for surgical hand scrub, gowning, gloving, sterile field setup, and maintenance. Identification of instrumentation by function and use; draping, equipment names and use, safety precautions, and introduction to surgical procedures. Demonstrate proficiency in intermediate surgical skills to include: surgical case management, identifying and correcting sterility breaks, setting up in an appropriate time, and completing the case in a logical sequence. Intermediate surgical procedures; application of fundamental concepts of Surgical Technology, preparation of the patient for surgery, pre-op and post-op duties, patient positioning, intermediate instrumentation, suture use and identification, and drain use and identification. 

 We deliver learning domains and goals to ensure students gain the knowledge and skills to be successful, competent entry-level Surgical Technologists when they graduate from our Surgical Technology Program. Below are these learning domains and goals:

Cognitive Domain: Recall or recognition of knowledge, intellectual development

Knowledge - recalling information

Comprehension - restating information 

Application - use the information in a new way 

Analysis - separates concepts into parts to understand

Synthesis - creating new patterns

Evaluation - making a judgment regarding concepts

 Psychomotor Domain: Manipulation of materials and equipment, motor skills, and advancing levels of performance of a technique or procedure by meeting specific objectives

Perception - uses sensory cues to guide skill performance

Set - readiness to demonstrate a skill

Guided response - early skills practice using imitation

Mechanism - intermediate skills practice with confidence and proficiency 

Complex overt response - skills demonstrating complex movement patterns

Adaptation - modification of skills to meet specific requirements 

Origination - creating new skill patterns

Affective Domain: Feeling, attitudes, and values

Receiving - paying attention

Responding - active participation 

Valuing - acceptance & commitment to a concept

Organization - comparing, relating, and synthesizing values

Internalizing values - consistent and predictable demonstration of a value