Dec
04
What hours does a surgical technician work?
By
Question: I am looking to go to school to be a surgical tech. I was wondering if this was more of a 8-5pm type job, that also includes 40 hours a week or if anyone knows first hand that the hours are different. Do you work weekends? If so how many a month and for how many hours a day? Do you have to work late at night? Any suggestions or insight on this career would be helpful and thank you so much!!!!
3 Comments
December 4th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
You could be on call around the clock, depending on what types of surgeries your doctors specialize in.
December 4th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
No this wouldnt always be a 8-5 job. Working in a hospital (as a surgical tech does) means that you will work various shifts. You will work whenever there is a surgery. Surgeons do most surgeries during the day however there are emergency night surgeries meaning the hospital needs surgical techs available to help out. And when you start out you will most likely get a shift that is later at night since those are always shifts experienced coworkers with years in the job dont want.
If you want a 8-5pm job DO NOT work in healthcare! Healthcare is 24/7
December 4th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
I am a surgical tech. My hospitals shifts are day (6:45-3:15), swing (11-7) and night (3-11). This seems to be the norm for non trauma hospitals.There is also the option to take call, but the schedule can vary depending on where you work. Let me tell you that surgical technology is a hard field to get into, the only people from my graduating class that have jobs are the ones that got hired at their clinical site. Everyone wants 1 yr experience minimum, but its hard when no one out there is willing to give it to you. In al honesty I think it is a better bet to go to nursing school. You can choose to be a circulator in the OR. You will get paid better, and still get to be in the operating room.