Surgical Technologist School - Inside the Operating Room

As a surgical technologist, you'll join highly skilled surgical teams to help facilitate safe surgeries.

You will work side-by-side with surgeons to ensure that the operating room environment is safe, equipment functions properly and that the operative procedure is conducted under conditions that maximize patient safety.

As a Lakeland student, you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to perform safe and effective patient care in the surgical environment. As a result, our students excel in this high-demand field and enter the job market with a competitive edge.

Lakeland's Surgical Technology program is specialized to prepare entry-level surgical technologists who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.

The knowledge you gain in the surgical technology program will ensure quality patient care during the operative procedure by constantly being alert to maintain the sterile field.

As a graduate of the surgical technology program, you'll become an expert in the theory and application of the principles of asepsis and sterile technique. Your expert skills will be combined with the knowledge of human anatomy, surgical procedures and implementation of instruments, tools and technologies to assist the surgeon during those procedures.

Lakeland's graduates have historically achieved exceptional job placements with world-class surgical teams!

Does the following describe you? If so, you may make a great surgical technologist!

• A team player
• Honest, responsible and accountable
• Detail oriented and organized
• Like to work with your hands and able to multitask
• Interested in anatomy

Graduates of Lakeland's Surgical Technology program will learn all the critical skills and knowledge needed to effectively assist surgeons in an operating room. You'll become an expert in:

• Surgical instrumentation and equipment.
• Establishing and maintaining a sterile field for safe surgical procedures.
• Studying safe, perioperative patient care.
• Learning surgical procedures in over 14 surgical specialties.
• Anticipating the needs of the surgeon.
• Safely managing surgical instruments and devices
• Developing a strong surgical conscience.
• Correct sterilization methods of surgical items.

At Lakeland, our graduates will earn their Associate of Science degree in Surgical Technology, and be prepared to take the certification exam required to become a certified surgical technologist in Ohio. Where you start depends on where you are on your educational journey.

Here are the different program entry options:

• Option 1 – you're a new high school grad or recently graduated within the last two years.
• Option 2 – you're a current college student at Lakeland or elsewhere, or have graduated high school more than two years ago.
• Option 3 – you already have a degree (in any field).

If you haven't already, apply now to Lakeland and begin the process to register for classes. If you have already been admitted to Lakeland as a student and have sent your transcripts to the college, make an appointment with an academic counselor to see how you can get started in the program.

To enter Lakeland's Surgical Technology program, you must be formally accepted by our program director after meeting certain requirements.

View our admission requirements checklist for a list of required actions and pre-requisite classes that must be taken before being considered for entry into the surgical technology program.

Once completed, you may apply to Lakeland's Surgical Technology program to request a spot in the next cohort. Some students may have high school or college credit that may fulfill these requirements. Some students (enrolling under Option 1) may be eligible for conditional acceptance before pre-requisites are completed.

To see if you have prior credits that may be counted, make an appointment with an academic counselor to map out your degree plan.

Contact our program director for more information and to see if you qualify.

Upon graduation, our students are prepared to take the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting examination to become a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST). Our certification exam pass rates are high year after year, and our job placement rate for those who become a CST historically have a 100% job placement rate!

For up-to-date information on national salary averages, visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

Lakeland's Surgical Technology program is a two-year program, where graduates will earn their Associate of Applied Science Degree in Surgical Technology. The program courses consist of 65 credit hours.

• World-class, modern learning facility complete with simulated operating room, scrub room and sterile processing area. Area health systems value Lakeland students because they know students are prepared with high-quality, industry-grade equipment.
• Laboratory practice with access to the mock OR and lab to hone your skills outside of class time.
• Clinical partners including Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (Affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine) and Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
• Community service opportunities provide volunteer and team building exercise as a way to give back to the community.
• Teachers with field experience lead our surgical technology program. Certified surgical technologists who have extensive field experience are dedicated to teach and mentor you to become our community's future health care professionals.
• Professional certification exam pass rates are high in our program. Upon graduation, students are prepared to take the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting examination to become a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST).
• Financially smart way to enter the field. Becoming a surgical technologist at Lakeland is accessible and affordable compared with similar programs in the area. Most students graduate with little to no debt by earning their degrees at Lakeland. Although surgical technology is considered one of the best jobs without a bachelor's degree, all students are encouraged to further their education. Starting at Lakeland and then transferring to a bachelor's program can save you thousands of dollars!
• 100% job placement is achieved by our students! Lakeland graduates are in very high demand by area health care organizations! Additionally, opportunities to become a travelling surgical technologist is an option for those who would like to work in different areas of the country.

After completing the surgical technology program, motivated students can pursue a bachelor's degree in Allied Health through Lakeland's Holden University Center partners. Explore your options from state colleges and universities right here in Lake County.

• Bowling Green State University
• Youngstown State University

• Surgical Technology

Please note: this course offering is currently on hold pending availability of teaching faculty.

RNFA is a six-semester hour course held in H-212, the perioperative learning lab. Five-day intensive didactic sessions are offered twice a year, in June and October. Dates are announced each year. Class size is limited to 18 participants. Sessions run from Wednesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The didactic portion is followed by 120-hour independent internship at the nurse's home facility or other surgical suite as arranged by the participant. Lakeland does not arrange the internships and does not sign affiliation agreements for RNFA interns.

This nursing elective course is for qualified perioperative nurses and certified advance practice registered nurses. Acceptance into the RNFA course requires a specific process. Nurses cannot register themselves for the actual course. Potential participants are required to get a Lakeland identification (LID) number by applying to the college using 9100 as the major number. No transcripts are required as with the nursing program.

When the LID number is received by the instructor, a credentialing packet and further instructions will be sent by email in PDF form. This packet must be filled out completely and returned by postal mail. No electronic or fax submissions are accepted. The instructor completes the registration process and the school issues the tuition invoice.

For more information about the RNFA course, please contact us.

1. Be a licensed registered nurse in the state or province of practice:
2. Twenty-four (24) months as a perioperative nurse: CNOR or CNOR eligible (and planning to take the exam before the completion of the internship part of the program).
3. Certified Advanced Practice Nurse (CNOR is waived for advanced certification)
4. Must be able to do an independent internship at your own facility. Lakeland does not establish affiliation agreements with remote facilities.
5. Participants are required to carry professional liability insurance. Affordable liability insurance is available at www.nso.com. Employer coverage is not enough since an intern is usually categorized as a student, not an employee during the internship. This is a Lakeland credentialing requirement.
6. Must be associated with a surgeon mentor, who is available for supervision during surgical procedures. Interns are permitted to scrub with other surgeons on staff as the facility permits. A surgeon must sign every case.

RNFA interns must submit one log of 40-hours, CNOR (APRN exempt), and one case study within one year of the didactic attendance. Do not send originals. Failure to submit any of the required components during the first year will result in placement in the inactive status and dropped from the course. This means the participant will have to repeat the didactic portion of the course to continue on to completion. The independent internship must be completed within two years.

For more information about the RNFA course, please contact us.

Curriculum & Transfer

• Current Course Schedule
• Course Descriptions
• Associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology
• Program Guide

• Exams, Testing and Assessment
• Computer Literacy
• Portfolio Management
• Laboratory Practice
• Study Groups
• Community Service
• Certification

Each course is based on a 200-point system with the exception of senior seminar which is 100-points. Each course has an academically planned set of comprehensive exams that measure knowledge and skill attained. The exams are graded on a point scale. Assessment quizzes are administered periodically with a no-risk, no-point value platform. This offers the student an opportunity to display learning without a point loss penalty. The assessment quizzes are usually based on questions and concepts pending for the next subsequent graded exam. All questions are taken from lecture, readings and lab activities.

Required coursework outside of the SURG-numbered classes is integrated into the surgical technology program. Examples include A&P, micro, medical terminology, math, computer skill, communication, and English. These peripheral courses are used to form a foundation for detailed coursework in surgical technology. Students should continue to review these courses as adjunct to the main surgical technology program.

All students are expected to participate in the Blackboard environment sponsored by Lakeland. Grades are posted, assignments, pertinent documents for clinicals, and required readings are found on the site. Participation is required and monitored.

Homework is done in a Microsoft Word Document format and printed for submission. Do not upload into email. Computerization is an important part of the program and the resultant career progression. The certification exam is computerized and computer use must be comfortable to prevent confusion at the exam time.

Students are expected to utilize the portfolio system established by the Perioperative Education Department. The portfolio is referred to as "The Greenbook." Every case is documented to validate clinical experience for future employers according to the 6th edition of the Surgical Technology Core Curriculum. The Greenbook is brought to class during exam periods and is checked for completeness by instructional staff.

The Greenbook is an exercise in accountability and responsibility. The Surgical Technology Program Handbook with all the policies and practice criteria is found in the beginning of the Greenbook. A section is dedicated to logging lab practice progression to be maintained by the student.

The students are required to include copies of each syllabi in the tabbed sections. (SURG 1100, 1300, 1500, 2100, 2300, 2500, and 2600) Upon graduation the Greenbook portfolio can be taken on job interviews as a comprehensive collection of educational experiences and clinical activities. Employers are impressed by the organization of the data.

Although class time is allotted for lab sessions, each student is required to perform independent lab practice time. Each student has a key code for lab access during open hours of the college. Sterile technique requires careful attention to detail not commonly practiced in daily life. Lab sign-up on the classroom calendar is monitored.

Many students organize practice sessions. Teams are formed for in-class collaboration.

The class meets periodically on and off campus for additional study sessions. Additional information is posted to the Blackboard section of the Lakeland Community College website. Students are expected to plan for 2-3 hours of study per week for each credit hour of the enrolled course.

Certification study and review sessions are planned periodically during the second year of the program.

First and second year students participate in the group collection of animal supplies for local animal shelters and organizations. The students steer the event as a teamwork exercise and community service project.

The collection lasts the entire month of November each year. Boxes are placed throughout the college for collection. The students gather the donations and bring them to the lab. During the first week of December all the supplies are distributed. The students organize and execute the event. The project was implemented in 2001 and is a longstanding tradition in the Perioperative Education Department.

Graduates of the Lakeland Community College surgical technology program are required by the accrediting body to take the national certification exam as part of the graduation process. The certification exam is offered on campus the week following commencement. Students, who are members of the Student Surgical Technologist Organization (SSTO) have their exam paid for by the SSTO treasury. Certification exam pass rates for 2014-2017 are 100 percent.