Surgical Technology

The Surgical Technology program presents students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work in a surgical environment and function as a participant of the operating room team. Students will learn surgical aseptic technique, surgical procedural steps, anatomy, physiology and pathology. Graduates of the program will be able to perform the role of an entry-level Surgical Technologist in the operating room setting.

The goal of the Oakton College Surgical Technology program is to prepare entry-level Surgical Technologists who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.

Program is designed to be completed in two years, including summer semesters. Instructions include on-campus and online lectures, on-campus laboratory practicum and a two-semester clinical externship. In a course of a program, students are required to complete a minimum of 120 surgical cases in assigned clinical facilities.

Clinical externship is offered in a variety of health care settings in the community. Students must provide their own transportation between the college campus and the clinical agencies.

Upon successful completion of the Surgical Technology program, students will be eligible to take a National Certification Examination.

All Surgical Technology (SUR) courses must be completed at Oakton's Health Careers Education Center, located at 2500 Ridge Road, Evanston, IL. Surgical Technology coursework from other institutions is not accepted. Students must receive a minimum grade of C in all SUR courses.

This is a limited enrollment curriculum. For more information, contact the Division of Health Careers at 847.635.1684 or healthcareers@oakton.edu.

Admission Requirements:

1. High school graduation or High School Equivalency Certificate ¹.
   Foreign high school graduates or students with foreign college credits need to send English translated copies of their transcripts to Educational Perspectives, www.edperspective.org/oakton. Students with foreign college credit should request a catalog match.
2. High school GPA of 2.0 or higher.
3. Completion of the following courses with minimum grades of C:
   • BIO 121 General College Biology I within the past five years
   • EGL 101 Composition I
   • HIT 104 Medical Terminology
   • MAT 102 Mathematics for Health Careers

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As of January 1, 2023, the High School Equivalency Certificate became the State of Illinois High School Diploma. High School Equivalency credentials received prior to that date remain valid.

Health Career curricula are governed by specific objectives, rules and regulations formulated by the College, accrediting bodies and participating clinical facilities. Students should familiarize themselves with these standards. Students should also be aware that failure to maintain satisfactory progress in technical courses may significantly delay completion of the curriculum or may result in the student being dropped from the curriculum. Each student’s right to participation in the clinical portion of the curriculum is also contingent upon compliance with the rules of the clinical facility. The clinical facility has sole discretion to determine when its rules have been violated.

Clinical placements require a health assessment, certain immunizations, yearly vaccines, substance abuse testing, criminal background check, specific skill certification (i.e., CPR/BLS) and health insurance. The requirements represent an additional cost to the student.

All Oakton College Health Career students in a program with a clinical component must have “clear” criminal background checks and drug screens in order to participate in any and all clinical components of any health career program courses.

To comply with state statutes and clinical affiliation agreements, and to provide a safe environment for students, employees, and patients cared for by students, those accepted into Oakton’s health career programs will be required to complete a criminal background check and drug screening through a company contracted by the College. Health Career students will be charged a fee for this service.

Timelines for completing criminal background checks and drug screens may vary among the various programs. Deadline dates for each program will be provided by the individual department chairs at the time of a student’s acceptance into a health career program.

Students without a clear criminal background check and/or clear drug screen will not be allowed to enroll in clinical practicum courses or attend clinical programs. This would further necessitate that the student withdraws from the health career program at that time.

Students who refuse a criminal background check and/or drug screen will not be considered “clear” and will not be authorized to participate in the clinical component of the health career program, necessitating withdrawal from the program at that time. Individual results of student background checks and drug screens are considered confidential.

Determination of whether or not a student can participate in the clinical component of a particular health career program will be communicated to the respective department chairs by the Background Check/Drug Screen vendor. Students may view their personal results on the vendor’s website.

Essential Functions and Occupational Risks of the Profession

The Surgical Technology program student must be able to demonstrate critical, logical and analytical thinking while also possessing motor, auditory and visual skills that enable them to meet program objectives and perform job duties required by the profession. The program student must also be aware of the common risks associated with the profession which can possibly occur while in the program. 

Core Abilities:

• Incorporate critical thinking and use of problem-solving techniques
• Act responsibly
• Demonstrate honesty and integrity
• Interpret and communicate information
• Recognize patient rights, needs, and values

Gross Motor Skills:

• Move within confined spaces
• Maintain balance in multiple positions
• Reach above shoulders (adjust overhead lights)
• Reach below waist (plug electrical appliance into wall outlet)
• Reach out front

Fine Motor Skills:

• Pick up objects with hands
• Grasp small objects with hands (with firm or slight pressure) 
• Write with pen or pencil
• Key/type (use a computer)
• Pinch/pick or otherwise work with fingers (manipulate a syringe)
• Twist (turn objects/knobs using hands)
• Squeeze with finger (eye dropper)
• Manual dexterity
• Finger dexterity
• Simultaneous use of hands, wrists, fingers
• Possess eye-hand and eye-hand foot coordination

Physical Endurance:

• Stand for long periods of time from 2-5 hours
• Maintain the same position for long periods of time
• Sustained repetitive movements
• Function in a fast-paced work environment for hours

Physical Strength:

• Push and pull 50 pounds (heavy carts, position patient)
• Support 50 pounds of weight (hold arm or leg)
• Lift 50 pounds (pick up a child, transfer client, bend to lift patients)
• Carry equipment/supplies (lift and carry instrument pans)
• Use upper body strength (retraction, physically restrain a client)
• Squeeze with hands (operate fire extinguishers)

Hearing:

• Ability to hear normal speaking level sounds 
• Hear faint voices and body sounds (heartbeat)
• Ability to discriminate speech in presence of background noises
• Hear in situations when not able to see lips 

Visual:

• See objects up to 20 inches away 
• See objects up to 20 feet away
• Use depth perception
• Use peripheral vision
• Distinguish color and color intensity (color codes on supplies)
• See in darkened room (during endoscope procedures, eye surgery)

Tactile:

• Feel vibrations (palpate pulses)
• Detect temperature (solutions)
• Feel differences in surface characteristics
• Feel differences in sizes, shapes
• Detect environment temperature

Environment:

• Tolerate exposure to allergens (latex gloves, chemical substances)
• Tolerate strong soaps
• Tolerate strong odors
• Exposure and tolerate of unpleasant sights and sounds
• Tolerate working in confined spaces for extended periods of time
• Tolerate wearing protective equipment
• Tolerate working indoors
• Tolerate working in extreme temperatures

Communication Skills:

• Communicate effectively in English (verbally and in writing) 
• Listen/comprehend spoken and written words
• Collaborate with others (healthcare workers, peers, etc.)
• Comprehend and exhibit non-verbal communication

Potential Occupational Risks:

• Physical (falls, body mechanics injury, latex allergies and/or sensitivities)
• Electrical (electrical cords, cautery)
• Mechanical (equipment/device preparation and handling)
• Thermal burns (cautery, laser beams, fiberoptic light, autoclave)
• Fire (cautery, laser beams, fiberoptic light)
• Radiation exposure (x-ray, fluoroscopy, radioactive substances)
• Chemical (antiseptic agents, chemical agents, sterilization solutions)
• Needle stick (bloodborne pathogens)
• Psychological (physical, mental, and social well-being)

Surgical Technology A.A.S.

71 Semester Credit Hours; Curriculum: 0333

Note: Refer to IAI General Education Courses page for guidelines on General Education course selection.

Surgical Technology Pathway

The following Pathway is recommended for students pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology.For more information on recommended courses or program specific advising, contact the Health Career Specialist at 847.635.1844, or the Division of Health Careers at 847.635.1684. General Education courses should be selected from the list of IAI General Education Courses.

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Course fulfills the Global Studies and U.S. Diversity Studies requirements. At least one Global Studies and one U.S. Diversity Studies course are required for degree completion.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Surgical Technology A.A.S., the student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate appropriate interaction with patients of all ages and backgrounds.
2. Apply knowledge of sterilization, handling and use of surgical instrumentation.
3. Communicate effectively while performing preoperative, perioperative and postoperative duties.
4. Practice safe counting of sponges, sharps, and instruments.
5. Demonstrate a basic knowledge of surgical procedures.
6. Establish and maintain a sterile operative field to provide safe patient care.
7. Label and announce medications and fluids.
8. Become eligible to take a nationally recognized certification exam.
9. Obtain membership of a professional organization (AST).
10. Demonstrate surgical conscience: report any break in aseptic technique and correct all violations whether observed or unobserved.
11. Properly wear and remove operating room attire and personal protective equipment.
12. Maintain patient confidentiality.
13. Respect personal beliefs without discrimination in patient care.

Surgical Technology Courses