CST

The Reality of Taking Call as a Certified Surgical Technologist The Reality of Taking Call as a Certified Surgical Technologist As a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST), being on-call is often part of the job description. Whether you work in a large hospital, small community facility, or ambulatory surgery center, understanding call responsibilities can help you navigate this challenging aspect of our profession. Why CSTs Take Call Healthcare facilities maintain on-call schedules to ensure emergency surgical capabilities outside regular hours (Association of Surgical Technologists [AST], 2022). For CSTs, this means being ready to respond when trauma cases, emergency surgeries, or unexpected complications arise. Call Requirements Vary by Facility Type Large Hospital Systems Typically have specialized call teams by service line (orthopedics, neurosurgery, etc.) Call schedules are often set 3-6 months in a...

The Evolution and Specialized Role of Cardiovascular Operating Room Surgical Technologists Historical Foundations and Professional Development The cardiovascular operating room (CVOR) surgical technologist (CST) role emerged from 20th-century military medicine. During World War I and II, medics and naval corpsmen performed battlefield surgeries under surgeon supervision, laying the groundwork for modern surgical assisting 1 .  Post–Korean War nursing shortages prompted hospitals to repurpose ex-military personnel as operating room technicians (ORTs), who initially functioned as circulators while nurses scrubbed instruments 1 .  By 1969, the Association of Operating Room Technicians (AORT) established the Liaison Council on Certification (now the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, NBSTSA) to standardize training, administering the first CST exam in 1970 1 . The CVOR specialization evolved alongside cardiac surgery advancements in the 1980s, as procedu...