Surgical Technology, Associate in Applied Science (ORT)
Department website: https://www.dccc.edu/academics/academic-divisions/allied-health-emergency-services-nursing/surgical-technology
Effective:Spring 2023
The goal of this Surgical Technology program is to prepare students with the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to gain employment as entry-level surgical technologists and become contributing members of the health care team to function under the supervision of professional registered nurses or licensed physicians. This will be accomplished by
- preparing competent graduates in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective learning domains and
- meeting or exceeding the criteria set forth in the current Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program (CAAHEP) Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Surgical Technology.
The program includes courses in general and technical education. Selected clinical experiences are provided in local hospitals under the supervision of a member of the surgical technology clinical faculty.
An associate in applied science degree will be awarded upon successful completion of the required program with a “C” or better in all surgical technology courses.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
All Surgical Technology applicants are required to submit a “Criminal History Record Information Report,” Federal Criminal History Report (FBI) and a Child Abuse Clearance form.An applicant with any history of conviction of a misdemeanor or felony crime or pending charges [any criminal misdemeanor or felony charges as yet unresolved by the courts] cannot be placed in the position of working in a health career environment and may not petition for acceptance to the Surgical Technology Program.
Students who are not free of convictions of a prohibitive offense prior to petitioning may not be able to complete their studies because clinical experiences needed for course/program success may be prohibited. If a student cannot complete their clinical studies, they will not be accepted into the Surgical Technology Program.
This program prepares graduates for beginning level positions in the operating room, central processing department, dialysis unit, ambulatory surgery center, endoscopy or interventional procedure unit. In addition to normal tuition and fees, the surgical technology student is required to purchase regulation shoes.
Students who fail or withdraw from a surgical technology course and want to repeat that course must:
- Have a GPA of 2.5.
- Petition for readmission through the Surgical Technology department, not the College Admissions office. Students may repeat the surgical technology courses only once. Students may “wait out” of the program only a total of three years beginning with the last semester attended in surgical technology.
All Surgical Technology students who have a course with a clinical component will need to have on file the results of a complete physical examination including: laboratory tests, a complete blood count, serology, a 10-panel drug screen and TB testing. A complete physical examination is required of all Surgical Technology students prior to starting the first surgical technology courses (AHS 100 and AHS 101). Additionally, students must have medical health insurance and be in compliance with recommendations for the Hepatitis B vaccine. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the clinical area. Full CPR certification is required for all students before entry into clinical courses. Students must submit a photocopy (both sides) of “Health Care Provider” or “Course for the Professional”, (which is renewable every two years) prior to the first day of class. Certification must be inclusive from September 1 through August 1 of each year.
Certain manual dexterity and sensory skills that enable the student to competently perform required technical skills are necessary for successful completion of the Surgical Technology program. Health problems that can interfere with the applicant’s ability to demonstrate achievement of program competencies are considered individually.
Students may be dismissed from the program for violation of patient safety and/or behavior inconsistent with professional standards pending the outcome of the appeal process.
NATIONAL CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION FOR SURGICAL TECHNOLOGISTS
Upon completion of all required course in the program and immediately following successful completion of AHS 200 and AHS 201, each student is required to sit, with their cohort for the National Certification Examination for Surgical Technologists offered by the National Board of Surgical Technology (NBSTSA) as a condition of program graduation without exception. Students are required to complete Certification Exam application and fee by mid-term of AHS 102 and AHS 103 to progress to AHS 200 and AHS 200.
To complete the Delaware County Community College Surgical Technology Program Surgical Technology students are required to complete 120 surgical cases. 30 cases are required to be in General Surgery. 90 procedures may be in various surgical specialties.
This program requires a special process for admission. Check with Admissions to submit additional materials and/or follow procedures for admission.
Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:
- Identify the preoperative patient care concepts and nonsterile and sterile responsibilities of the surgical technologist in the care of surgical patient during preoperative case management.
- Apply intraoperative patient care concepts during basic, intermediate and advanced surgical interventions.
- Actively engage in the nonsterile and sterile responsibilities of the surgical technologist in the intraoperative care of the surgical patient.
- Identify the postoperative patient care concepts and nonsterile and sterile responsibilities of the surgical technologist during postoperative case management.
- Integrate concepts of professional management, self-management and workplace management into the role of the surgical technologist.
| First Semester | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| AHM 220 | Applied Microbiology | 1 |
| ENG 100 | English Composition I | 3 |
| MAT 121 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| PSY 140 | General Psychology | 3 |
| SOC 110 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| BIO 150 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| AHA 207 | Ethical/Legal Aspects of Health Care Management | 3 |
| AHM 233 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| COMM 100 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| BIO 151 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| Humanities Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| Fall Only and Acceptance of petition for Admission | ||
| AHS 100 | Surgical Technology I | 5 |
| AHS 101 | Surgical Technology Practicum I | 5 |
| CS 100 | Introduction to Information Technology | 3 |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Fourth Semester | ||
| Spring Only | ||
| AHS 102 | Surgical Technology II | 4 |
| AHS 103 | Surgical Technology Practicum II | 6 |
| Hours | 10 | |
| Fifth Semester | ||
| Summer I Only | ||
| AHS 200 | Surgical Technology III | 1 |
| AHS 201 | Surgical Technology Practicum III | 6 |
| Hours | 7 | |
| Total Hours | 63 | |
Notes
Humanities Elective - Career Program
This list does not indicate College Academic Learning Goal designation. Refer to your program curriculum for more information.
For career programs:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses listed under subject areas: | ||
| ARB 101 | (or above) | 3 |
| ART 100 | Art and Child Development (or above) | 3 |
| COMM 100 | Interpersonal Communication (or above) | 3 |
| DRA 100 | Introduction to Theatre (or above) | 3 |
| ENG 112 | English Composition II: Writing About Literature (or above) | 3 |
| FRE 101 | Elementary French I (or above) | 3 |
| GER 101 | (or above) | 3 |
| HUM 100 | Introduction to Visual Arts (or above) | 3 |
| ITA 101 | (or above) | 3 |
| MUS 101 | Fundamentals of Music (or above) | 3 |
| PHI 100 | Introduction to Philosophy (or above) | 3 |
| SPA 101 | Elementary Spanish I (or above) | 3 |
The Surgical Technology program is accredited by
CAAHEP
www.caahep.org
9355 - 113th Street. North, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
Phone: 727-210-2350
Fax: 727-210-2354
Program Outcomes Data
The National Certification Exam outcomes assessment exam (OAE) participation for the class of 2019 was reported as 100%. The OAE pass rate for the National Certification Exam for surgical technology (CST) was 73% for the class of 2019.
Career Information for this Program
Surgical Technology
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