Surgical Technology

Earn a career as an operating room professional and work alongside surgeons, nurses, and anesthesia providers as you prepare the operating room environment and facilitate surgical procedures in a variety of specialties.

What is a Surgical Technologist?

Surgical technologists are responsible for maintaining sterility, counting instruments and supplies, passing instruments, preparing equipment and assisting in surgery.

What will I learn in the CBC Surgical Technology Program?

The Surgical Technology program prepares students to work as an effective surgical team member. Students learn a variety of skills in lecture, experiential lab and practical settings. Entry-level skills include peri-operative, intra-operative and post-operative patient care, aseptic technique, sterile procedures, surgical instrumentation and sterile processing. Clinical practice locations include hospitals and surgical centers throughout Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon and Northwestern Idaho.

Information Sessions

The Surgical Technology information session is highly recommended. At the session a counselor or program director will describe the program, prerequisites, the application process and will answer questions afterwards.

Information sessions are scheduled for one hour and are open to anyone interested in a CBC Health Sciences program.

To view upcoming information sessions and register, please check our events calendar.

The Surgical Technology program at Columbia Basin College has a site visit scheduled for pursuing continued accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). This step in the process is neither a status of accreditation nor a guarantee that continued accreditation will be granted.

Accreditation
Both CBC and the Surgical Technology program are independently accredited. CBC is accredited through the premier regional accrediting body, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

The Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Committee for Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. 

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 - 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL  33775
Phone: 727-210-2350 


Graduates of the Surgical Technology program are provided a two-year Associate in Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology. Graduates of the Associate in Applied Science degree in Surgical Technology are eligible for national board certification through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting.

The 2023 NBSTSA Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) examination pass rate for graduates of the CBC Surgical Technology program is 83%.


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The next opportunity to apply to the Surgical Technology program will be May 2025 for Fall 2025 start. 

The first date to submit the application will be in June 2025. It is highly recommended to have all prerequisite courses completed by the end of Spring quarter 2025.

What are the prerequisites for acceptance?

College transcripts of applicants into the Surgical Technology program will be reviewed for the following courses:

  • BIOL& 241 Anatomy & Physiology I w/ lab
  • BIOL& 242 Anatomy & Physiology II w/ lab
  • BIOL& 260 Microbiology w/ lab
  • MATH& 146 Intro to Statistics
  • ENGL& 101 English Composition or
  • ENGL& 102 English Composition II or
  • ENGL& 235 Technical Writing
  • PSYC& 100 General Psychology
  • CMST& 101, CMST& 210, CMST& 220 or CMST 260 Communication Studies
  • HSCI 147 Medical Terminology (was HIT 147)

Applicants are also required to provide a copy of:

 • Current American Heart Association BLS
    Provider CPR card

What happens after a student is accepted into the program?

Accepted applicants will be mailed a letter explaining required documentation before registration into fall quarter:

  • Mandatory orientation during summer may be required
  • National background history search and drug screen test by the College-approved vendor
  • Current American Heart Association BLS Provider CPR card

Surgical Technology Program Application

The next opportunity to apply to the Surgical Technology program will be May 2025. This will be for a Fall quarter 2025 program start.

All prerequisite courses must be verified by official transcript and have been completed with a minimum grade of 2.0 or better. If prerequisite courses were completed at a different college or university, please submit the transcripts to the Student Records office for evaluation. If CBC is the only college you have attended, Student Records will provide copies of your transcript.

Washington State Credentialing

Entry into the field in Washington State requires registration through the Department of Health. Graduates must complete an application and background check at:
WA State Department of Health

Professional Licensure Outside of Washington State

Each state, the District of Columbia and the U.S. protectorates vary in what professions they require to be licensed and the educational requirements for those licenses. It’s important to understand whether the degree or certificate you obtain from CBC will meet the educational eligibility requirements for a license in the state in which you plan to practice.

View educational licensure requirements by state.

National Background Search & Drug Screen Requirements

As part of the admission requirements for Health Science programs, applicants must successfully pass a criminal background check and drug screen prior to working with patients in clinical areas. The background check and drug screen are paid by the student and administered through a third party company, CastleBranch. In addition to the background check required by CBC, each clinical facility reserves the right to conduct its own criminal background check prior to allowing a student to enter its health care facilities for clinical participation.

Certain criminal convictions, pending charges, or negative actions may automatically disqualify a person from having unsupervised access to vulnerable adults, juveniles and children. Clinical facilities reserve the right to accept or decline a student’s placement in its facility.     

Learning Domains & Goals

The Columbia Basin College Surgical Technology Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) under review by the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA). See below for the educational domains as required in accordance with both programmatic accreditation and the Core Curriculum for Surgical Technology, 6th edition.

Learning Domains
  • Cognitive
  • Psychomotor
  • Affective 
Health Sciences at CBC
 
Goals

The primary goal of the Columbia Basin College Surgical Technology Program is to prepare competent entry-level surgical technologists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. In fulfilling this goal, the surgical technology program exists to:

  • Provide students with access to quality surgical technology education that will prepare them for meaningful employment;
  • Be responsive to the needs of the community in providing quality graduates who are certified, properly trained and value continuing education;
  • Promote faculty development and excellence in teaching; and
  • Develop and maintain partnerships with local hospitals and clinics to facilitate student learning and workforce development; and provide residents of South-eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon and North-western Idaho with graduates of the surgical technology program trained to be safe and meet the national standards for practice.

Goal #1: Apply knowledge and skills from the biological sciences to safely perform during the pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative phases of patient care.

  • Cognitive Domain: Students must complete course work in anatomy and physiology, and apply the knowledge obtained as the basis for understanding theoretical surgical technology concepts taught in subsequent quarters.
  • Psychomotor Domain: Surgical technology laboratory courses incorporate the fundamentals learned during science courses as students practice the motor skills associated with operating room competencies.
  • Affective Domain: Students learn to apply critical thinking skills, using knowledge learned during basic biological science courses as the basis for decisions made during the performance of operating room procedures.

Goal #2: Utilize appropriate medical terminology to communicate clearly and effectively with patients, physicians and co-workers and provide for accurate documentation.

  • Cognitive Domain: Students learn the pronunciation, spelling and meaning of the most commonly used medical terms in preparation for application within the surgical setting.
  • Psychomotor Domain: Practical application of words and abbreviations in operative reports and documentation is practiced and assessed in the laboratory classes and during clinical rotations.
  • Affective Domain: Students learn that the appropriate use of medical terminology promotes professionalism and identity as a member of the surgical team.

Goal #3: Employ appropriate ethical, professional and respectful values while providing care to diverse populations within the healthcare system.

  • Cognitive Domain: Students are introduced to the concepts of professionalism, ethics and values. Knowledge regarding ethical issues forms the framework for safe and ethical practice. Promotion of the profession at the state and national level is emphasized throughout the program. Cultural competency concepts are reinforced throughout the program to provide students with the tools needed to practice culturally competent care.
  • Psychomotor Domain: Students practice and are assessed for their application of professional attributes in the classroom, laboratory and clinical rotations.
  • Affective Domain: The concepts of professionalism are taught to guide student behavior in the profession of surgical technology. Interactive assignments where students discuss and challenge each other facilitate students’ understanding of their own frame of reference, enabling students to understand how their cultural and ethical mindset impacts their interactions with patients and the surgical team.

Goal #4 - Demonstrate a strong surgical conscience, accountability and legal implications of an individual’s actions as a member of the surgical team.

  • Cognitive Domain: Students are introduced to the concepts of surgical conscience, accountability, and legal implications of one’s actions. These concepts are reinforced in every course throughout the program as they are fundamental to the profession.
  • Psychomotor Domain: Students practice and are assessed for their application of surgical conscience and accountability in the classroom, laboratory and clinical rotations. Legal concepts, such as charting and compliance with confidentiality, are also assessed in laboratory simulations and during clinical rotations.
  • Affective Domain: The concepts of surgical conscience, accountability, and legal implications are taught to guide student behavior in the profession of surgical technology.

Goal #5: Integrate knowledge gained in core surgical technology courses to prepare for and assist with surgical interventions.

  • Cognitive Domain: Surgical Technology courses (prefix SURG) at CBC are designed to provide students with the theoretical basis to prepare for and assist with surgical interventions. Knowledge gained is sequential, progressing from the simple to the complex, enabling students to evolve from simple comprehension of theoretical material to application of complex skills.
  • Psychomotor Domain: During laboratory courses and clinical rotations, students progressively apply theoretical surgical technology concepts in the performance of surgical technology competencies.
  • Affective Domain: Knowledge gained in CBC SURG courses prepare students for the emotional challenges that may be encountered before, during and after surgical interventions.

Goal #6: Utilize learned competencies to assemble and operate instruments, equipment, and supplies for the delivery of patient care as an entry-level practitioner during basic surgical procedures.

  • Cognitive Domain: Surgical Technology laboratory and clinical courses (prefix SURG) at CBC are designed to provide students with the practical skills to prepare for and assist with surgical interventions. Knowledge gained is sequential, progressing from the simple to the complex, enabling students to evolve from simple comprehension of theoretical material to application of complex skills.
  • Psychomotor Domain: During laboratory courses and clinical rotations, students progressively apply skills in the performance of surgical interventions.
  • Affective Domain: Knowledge gained in CBC SURG laboratory and clinical courses prepare students for entry-level practice as a surgical technologist.

Goal #7: Demonstrate the ability to prioritize and organize the surgical field while considering the physiology and urgency of patient care needs.

  • Cognitive Domain: Surgical Technology courses (prefix SURG) at CBC are designed to provide students with the theoretical basis to prepare for and assist with surgical interventions. Knowledge gained is sequential, progressing from the simple to the complex, enabling students to evolve from simple comprehension of theoretical material to application of complex skills.
  • Psychomotor Domain: During laboratory courses and clinical rotations, students progressively apply the concept of prioritization and critical thinking skills in the performance of surgical technology competencies.
  • Affective Domain: Students learn to apply critical thinking skills, using knowledge learned during core courses, as the basis for decisions made during the performance of operating room procedures and basic perioperative patient care.

Goal #8: Demonstrate an entry-level knowledge base by successfully completing the NBSTSA exam.

  • Cognitive Domain: Surgical technology core and supporting courses are designed to provide students with the theoretical basis to take the NBSTSA CST exam.
  • Psychomotor Domain: Students apply knowledge from all core/supporting coursework in taking the NBSTSA CST exam.
  • Affective Domain: Students integrate knowledge from all core/supporting coursework regarding the values that characterize the profession of surgical technology in taking the NBSTSA CST exam.

Clinical Case requirements are the competencies required during surgical rotations. Student case requirements are necessary in order to graduate from the CBC Surgical Technology program.

Career opportunities for the surgical technologist in the traditional scrub role are available in:

  • Hospitals
  • Surgery centers
  • Ambulatory facilities
  • Medical clinics and offices
  • Other facilities providing surgical patient care

With additional experience, education, and/or certification, surgical technologists may pursue related career fields or specialties requiring knowledge if surgical sciences and medical equipment, including the following.

  • Anesthesia technologist
  • Endoscopy technician
  • Labor & delivery surgical technologist
  • Hospital materials manager
  • Medical device clinical specialist
  • Medical equipment or surgical implant sales representative
  • Organ procurement or tissue recovery specialist
  • Physician assistant
  • Robotic surgery specialist
  • Specialist surgical technologist (e.g., neurosurgery, open heart)
  • Sterile processing technician
  • Surgery scheduler or unit clerk
  • Surgical sciences educator
  • Surgical first assistant
  • Surgical services team leader or manager
  • Traveling surgical technologist

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