Backed by, among others, the American College of Surgeons and the AMA, the Association of Surgical Technologists was officially formed in 1969. However, this professional sub-specialty can really be traced back to World War I (1914-1917). The advent of brutal mechanized warfare at the time made it inconceivable to deploy female nurses in the savagery of the Western Front in Europe. The “medics” who were trained in battlefield/frontline first aid and surgical triage became the forerunners of AST’s in the latter half of the last century. Impetus was also provided by the fact that there was a severe shortage of operating room nurses in the mid-1950s.
As with any other professional society, AST claims to represent the interests of more than 86,000 practicing surgical technologists. This extends chiefly to certification (for “Certified Surgical Technologist”) and accreditation examinations for “Fellow of the AST” status. Otherwise, the AST does not appear to be involved with lobbying for any legislative agenda, much less the current and much ballyhooed health sector and insurance “overhaul” plan that is more political than practically helpful (Association of Surgical Technologists 1).
Surgical technologists have a professional standing, chiefly assisting surgical teams during invasive procedures but always under the supervision of surgeons and other Consultant-level professionals themselves.
Accordingly, surgical technologists are tasked with ensuring that the operating theater or delivery room is properly aseptic, that all required equipment is ready and working properly, and that every precaution needed to ensure patient safety is met. This set of roles requires comprehensive knowledge of sterile technique, human anatomy, operating procedures, surgical tools and techniques.
Although three-fourths of surgical technologists work in hospital OR’s and DR’s, others assist with outpatient surgery in medical and dental clinics, ambulatory surgeries, and other outpatient care centers. There are also those engaged full-time as “private scrubs” in teams of surgeons that perform transplants.
In common with other professional medical specialties, the AST ensures that the membership keeps up with advances in therapeutic and diagnostic surgery by working with 40 accredited state-level CME (continuing medical education) organizations that have expertise in the field.
Works Cited
Association of Surgical Technologists. “About Us.” 2009. Web.