According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures. | 98% |
| Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation. | 97% |
| Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing. | 96% |
| Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists. | 96% |
| Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure. | 96% |
| Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation. | 95% |
| Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis. | 94% |
| Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers. | 94% |
| Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs. | 94% |
| Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation. | 93% |
| Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery. | 93% |
| Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card. | 92% |
| Order surgical supplies. | 89% |
| Maintain supply of fluids, such as plasma, saline, blood, or glucose, for use during operations. | 88% |
| Observe patients' vital signs to assess physical condition. | 84% |
| Maintain files and records of surgical procedures. | 80% |
