Surgical Technology

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School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety

CONTACT INFORMATION

Program information is available from the School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety office at (505) 224-4111 or Academic Advisement and Career Development (505) 224-4321 or from Program Director/Chair at (505) 224-4166.

cnm.edu/depts/hwps/progs

Program Description

Three Term Certificate: Surgical Technology is a three-term certificate program that presents the knowledge and skills necessary to work in a surgical environment and function as a vital member of the operating room team. The learning environment consists of the campus classroom and laboratory along with local hospitals, day surgery centers and physicians offices. Accreditation is from the Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Students will be administered the Surgical Technologist National Certifying Examination just prior to graduation. Surgical Technologists who take and pass this examination are certified and authorized to use the initials CST to designate their status as Certified Surgical Technologist.

Accelerated Alternate Delivery (AAD) Option: is designed to enroll currently employed surgical technologists who have been informally (on-the-job) trained or who are graduates from other programs. Upon successful completion of all program requirements, the student will be eligible to sit for the Surgical Technologist National Certifying Examination.

Special Requirements

Arts and Sciences Courses: must be completed before beginning the Surgical Technology core courses

Program Orientation: One week prior to beginning ST 1010 , students are required to attend a program orientation. Students may be dropped from the program for failure to attend the mandatory meeting. It is the responsibility of the student to insure the director has a current telephone and mailing address to insure proper notification of this meeting. All arts and sciences courses must be completed prior to enrolling in ST 1010 . It is strongly recommended that anatomy and physiology be completed within the past five years.

Criminal Background: Students are required to undergo a state and federal criminal background check with fingerprints prior to starting the program or prior to beginning their clinical experiences. Students with a disqualifying conviction will not be allowed to start or remain in the program; additionally any student found to have a disqualifying conviction will not be allowed to register for any Allied Health or Nursing programs.

Drug Screen: Students are required to undergo a routine drug screening prior to starting the Program. Students with a positive drug screen will not be allowed to enter the Program.

Physical Requirements: Students interested in the Surgical Technology program, must be in good physical and psychological health. The Surgical Technology program requires documentation of a recent health screening from a licensed health care provider confirming the ability to safely perform program specific activities and lift a minimum of 50 pounds. Reasonable accommodations are made for those students with disabilities. However, some disabilities may prohibit students from completing program specific competencies or gaining employment. Students with a disability that may interfere with completing program competencies, which may include providing safe patient care, are advised to contact the Program Director at (505) 224-4166 for more information. Prior to enrollment in Surgical Technology clinical courses, students are required to provide proof of a recent physical exam, PPD and current immunizations (including tetanus, rubella, rubeola and hepatitis B).

Fees: Program fees are published in the Schedule of Classes. The program fee covers the cost of lab coat, scrubs, nametags, hospital parking permits and preventive lab tests in case of a needle stick or other exposure to bodily fluids, x-ray dosimeters, and the national certification exam.

Transportation Requirements: Students must arrange for their own transportation to all classes, observations and clinical rotations. Students may be required to attend clinical rotations at sites up to two hours away from Albuquerque, and the clinical rotations be scheduled during evening and/or weekend shifts.

ACCELERATED ALTERNATE DELIVERY (AAD) OPTION:

• Qualified students must complete all required program courses as listed in the Surgical Technology  program .
• Students must have a passing score of 80% on the Surgical Technology Student Achievement Exam (SAE).
• Submit an application form and verification of current employment as a surgical technologist using the Employment Verification Form, along with two professional letters of recommendation, on letterhead, attesting to current competency as a surgical technologist (one letter must be from a current supervisor or employer) to the program director.
• Students must also provide documentation of a minimum of 150 surgical procedures. Completed surgical procedures must be done within 10 years from the date of admission to the AAD program.
• Students must have a minimum of 10 first scrub solo cases in each of the following areas: General surgery; Gynecologic surgery; Orthopedic surgery; Genitourinary surgery; Ophthalmology surgery; Plastic surgery and Reconstructive surgery; Cardiovascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, and Peripheral Vascular surgery; and Otorhinolaryngology surgery.
• Qualified students must then complete the theory portion of the program (ST 1010 , ST 1510 , and ST 2010 ).
• In addition, these qualified students must pass a challenge practical exam for the lab and clinical portion of the program.

Upon completion of the above criteria, the credits for ST 1092 , ST 1592 , ST 1590 , ST 2092 , and ST 2090  would then be awarded to the students. Students interested in the Accelerated Alternate Delivery (AAD) Option should contact the Surgical Technology Program Director at (505) 224-4166.

Career and Educational Opportunities

Surgical Technologist perform may roles within and outside the operating room or surgical setting, but the primary role is to prepare and protect the sterile field, pass instruments, and assist the surgeon in an operative procedure. There is a demand for Surgical Technologists in Albuquerque and through out the state of New Mexico.

Exit competencies (see Program Exit Competencies ) for this program of study are available at cnm.edu/exitcomp.

For the graduation policy refer to the Moving On  section, cnm.edu or the Students tab in my CNM.

Special Notes

Accreditation for AAD option is pending.

Students must meet prerequisites by placement scores or specific course work. Please see Course Descriptions for prerequisite(s) information.

See  Prerequisite Requirement Guide   for Accuplacer score equivalencies.

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