Surgical Technology Technical Certificate
Overview
Work on the cutting edge.
The Surgical Technology Technical Certificate prepares you to be an instrumental member of the operating room team during surgical procedures. Build solid foundational knowledge in anatomy, medical terminology, and microbiology. Become a successful surgical technologist prepared for all major specialties in the operating room with extensive classroom time and practical clinical experience. Gain the abilities to:
- Recognize elements of good patient care and prioritize them before less important elements in the operating room.
- Behave professionally in a stressful environment with demanding personalities while remaining calm and focused.
- Accurately plan for and perform duties of a surgical technologist in the scrub role in common surgical specialties.
Employment
- Most surgical technologists work in hospital-based operating rooms.
- Surgical technologists may also work in dental and veterinary surgical settings.
- Some surgical technologists work for surgeons in a private capacity.
- Medical device manufacturers also employ surgical technologists for technical support and sales.
Learn about employment for surgical technologists, the nature of the work, job outlook, wages, related occupations and more:
Consumer Information
Gainful Employment Disclosures: Surgical Technology
Admission Requirements
The Surgical Technology program begins in August and ends in May.
Admission to the Surgical Technology program requires program application, interview, instructor permission, completed health and program documentation, background check and drug screening. Applicants must be 18 years of age at time of program acceptance.
Background Check and Drug Screening
Prospective students will be required to provide a copy of a background check and drug screening. NSCC does not use the background check or drug screening as criteria for admission to the program.
Background checks and drug screenings are required by clinical sites as a condition of participation. Students are required to participate in a variety of clinical experiences to successfully complete the program. For questions regarding the background check, please call 615-353-3708.
Admission Procedure and Deadlines
The admission procedure outlined below must be completed no later than the end of June for fall program entry in August. However, selection for fall will begin in April and continue until all seats are filled. The application process for the Surgical Technology program is as follows:
- Submit an Application for Admission to the Admissions department and turn in everything required to be admitted as a student at NSCC. Please be sure you provide everything Admissions needs from you or you will not be eligible for an interview for the Surgical Technology program.
- Submit a program application (found in the Application Packet link to the right) and a complete set of transcripts (high school and college) to the department secretary in office D-27 or fax it to 615-353-3608.
- You must have completed any required college-prep courses (as determined by placement test scores) before an interview will be granted. These courses include: MATH 0810, READ 0810, ENGL 0810 and any ESOL classes.
- The application process MUST be completed no later than the above stated deadlines. Incomplete applications may not be eligible for selection. Incomplete applications and applications without attached transcripts will NOT be considered for selection.
Enrollment in classes with class numbers beginning in “SURG” except 2310 and 1305 requires interview and instructor’s approval.
Re-interview requires that the admission procedure be repeated by the deadline for the next class.
Selection Criteria
Acceptance into the program will be based on:
- Previous grade point average.
- Interview score.
- Successful completion of courses counting toward Surgical Technology program (see Curriculum link below) with a C (75) or higher.
- Previous work in the medical field.
Tennessee residency is not a requirement for the program.
Application Packet
Complete Program Application
Download Fall 2019 Surgical Technology Program Application (PDF)
Transcript Requirement
Provide an unofficial copy of all transcripts. This should include the following:
- NSCC Transcripts (if applicable)
- Previous College Transcripts (all colleges attended)
- High School (If you have less than 30 college credit hours) or GED
Note: This is a separate copy from what you sent to NSCC for admission to the college. Please do not contact Admissions or Records to make copies of previous college transcripts. It is the applicant’s responsibility to request and provide copies when submitting their program application.
Advising and Curriculum
Advising
See your advisor early to ensure you take the courses you need to complete the 33 credit-hour technical certificate. Find Your Advisor Online
Technical Certificate Advising Sheet
Surgical Technology Program
Technical Certificate Fact Sheet
Surgical Technology Program
Curriculum
The Surgical Technology Technical Certificate consists of:
- Eight didactic courses (Medical Terminology, Basic Anatomy/Physiology, Orient. to Surgical Technology, Surgical Pharmacology, Surg. Tech. & Patient Care I, Surg. Microbiology & Asepsis, Surgical Procedures I, Surgical Procedures II);
- One lab class (Surgical Patient Care II); and
- Three courses that provide the student with clinical experience (Clinical Practicum I, Clinical Practicum II, and Clinical Practicum III).
Required Courses
- BIOL 1000* – Medical Terminology*
- SURG 1304* – Basic Anatomy/Physiology*
- SURG 1102 – Orient. to Surgical Technology
- SURG 1305* – Surgical Pharmacology*
- SURG 1410 – Surg. Tech. & Patient Care I
- SURG 2310* – Surg. Microbiology & Asepsis*
- SURG 2420 – Surgical Patient Care II
- SURG 2321 – Surgical Procedures I
- SURG 2330 – Surgical Procedures II
- SURG 2103 – Clinical Practicum I
- SURG 2201 – Clinical Practicum II
- SURG 2302 – Clinical Practicum III
* These courses count toward the Surgical Technology certificate and may be taken prior to acceptance into the program. Taking these courses does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
Enrollment in classes with class numbers beginning in “SURG” except 2310 and 1305 requires interview and instructor’s approval.
Please see the NSCC Catalog for course descriptions and syllabi.
Accreditation
The Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Council on Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting.
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
1362 Park Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org
Accreditation Review Council on Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting
6 W. Dry Creek Circle, Suite #110
Littleton, CO 80120
303-694-9262
Fax: 303-741-3655
info@arctsa.org
Students successfully completing the program will be eligible to sit for the Surgical Technologists Certifying Exam and receive certification from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (formerly LCC-ST).
For more information on the field of Surgical Technology, please visit the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) website.
NSCC Surgical Technology Program Goal Statement
The Surgical Technology program is an educational experience that produces competent entry-level surgical technologists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains and prepares them to successfully complete the National Certification Exam. The program provides the qualified and motivated applicant with experiences in a learner-centered environment that is supportive and responsive to their individual needs. Learning experiences are facilitated by qualified faculty and/or preceptors and are designed to help the student learn to independently apply sound theory to practice.
Contact Information: Van Bates 615-353-3708, Office: D-30, E-mail: van.bates@nscc.edu
Assessment Exam Pass Rate
Program Outcomes Assessment Exam Pass Rate
The Nashville State Community College Surgical Technology program’s pass rate on the NBSTSA National Certification Exam from our most recent Annual Report is 71%.
Contact
All students should talk to an advisor regarding course selection, class registration, and career pathways.
Program Office: D Building, Suite D-27
Karen Goodman, Program Secretary
Karen.Goodman@nscc.edu
615-353-3708 ~ Fax: 615-353-3608
Van Bates, Program Faculty
Van.Bates@nscc.edu
615-353-3708