Because of the current job demand for surgical technologists, the job market may soon see some competition for occupational vacancies. To ensure that you will always be able to get a job as a surgical tech, it is vital that you complete your surgical tech training. In order to become certified, the process is fairly straightforward. Below you’ll find the reasons for, steps how and what to expect when becoming certified as a surgical technologist.
Benefits of Surgical Technologist Certification
As in any field of employment, the higher your credentials, the more education you have, the better your training, the better off you’ll be. The surgical technician field is no different. One of the ways to prove your superiority in the field is to become certified. This will ensure that:
- You are always able to find a job and secure it above other applicants
- Your job will be safe due to your expertise in the field
- Your pay will be higher due to your certification
Steps to Becoming a Certified Surgical Technologist
As mentioned, the steps you must take to become a certified surgical tech are laid out in plain English for you to follow. They are:
- Graduate from one of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)-accredited surgical tech schools
- Complete and pass a written exam which is administered by the Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist (LCCST)
- Continue your education (as required) and renew your certification every five years
After you pass your written exam from the LCCST, you are free to designate yourself as a Certified Surgical Technologist in all your career endeavors (applications, loans, grants, etc.)
Additional Surgical Technologist Certification
In addition to the LCCST certification program, there are other types of certification that you should consider if you want to take your career as a surgical technician to the next level. Seeing as you probably already know that being a surgical technologist is a great career choice and that projected growth of surgical technician jobs is at 22% over the next decade, you probably also know that for every one surgeon in an operating room, there are at least five surgical technologist job positions available for eligible candidates. Read on for a complete surgical tech overview….
You probably might also know about the lucrative pay technical surgeons receive: after a certain amount of years of experience, surgeon techs can earn upwards of $50,000 a year on the job. But did you know that there is a way to increase your chances of landing a job and making even more money than that? Even more than just by being LCCST certified? Well, there are actually two ways, so let’s take a closer look at each.
The National Center for Competency Testing
The National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) administers an exam that grants even further certification to surgical technologists, allowing them to surpass their colleagues in job attainment, retention and salary. In order to be eligible to take this exam, a surgical tech must:
- Either earn a degree, diploma, or certificate from an accredited training program
- Complete two years of on-the-job training at a hospital
- Alternatively to the two years at a hospital, surgical techs may complete 7 years of total experience as a working surgical technologist
After meeting these requirements, a scrub is allowed to sit for the NCCT exam, after which, if they pass, they may use the designation Tech in Surgery-Certified, TS-C (NCCT) in all of their career endeavors. The NCCT certification must be renewed every five years through either reexamination or continuing education. Continuing education is the same for that of Licensed Vocational Nurses. The average LVN salary is also approximately the same.
National Surgical Technologist Certification Exam
But what if you’re looking for the best salary and are willing to relocate or even just crush the competition locally? To be competitive in the national market and dominant in the local market, smart surgical technologists take the national certification exam. Nationally certified surgical technologists not only rake in more money, but also land all of the top job prospects across the country.
Benefits of Being a Nationally Certified Surgical Technologist
There are many reasons you should consider becoming nationally certified as a surgical tech. Here are a few of the top ones:
- The attainment of national certification is the most prestigious and respected certification that a surgical technician can obtain.
- This shows that the receiver of national certification is at or above a set national standard for knowledge and excellence in the surgical technologists’ field.
- Those who are certified are widely recognized as the best in their field when it comes to surgical procedures, techniques and patient care.
- Because the certification is optional, passing the NCCT exam commands higher respect from potential employers, colleagues and those around you in the operating room.
- Because the majority of surgeons would rather work with nationally certified surgical techs, they are more competitive in the open job market, often landing jobs before others even know the position is open.
- Some states are currently pursuing legislation that would make being nationally certified a prerequisite for employment, putting you one step ahead of the game.
- Nationally certified techs retain higher potential earnings over time with a median income of $70,000 over 20 years of work
- Private surgical offices sometimes only hire nationally certified surgical techs.
Pre-Requisites for National Certification
In order to be able to take the national certification exam, you must:
- Earn a degree or diploma from an accredited school or program. It must be accredited by either the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).
- If your school is not accredited, you can still work as a surgical technologist but cannot become nationally certified; you can’t even take the test.
Surgical Tech Certification Process
To become a nationally certified surgical technician:
- Be eligible to sit for the exam administered by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA).
- Take the exam
- Pass it
- Renew your certification every four years by either continuing education in surgical technology or reexamination.
Passing the NBSTSA exam allows you to use the title NCST – Nationally Certified Surgical Technologist in all of your career endeavors. You are able to sit for the exam during the last month of your surgical tech training and within one year of graduation. While most surgical technicians go the route of gaining field experience in hospitals for a year or so before taking the exam, it is not necessary if you feel you are ready while currently enrolled in surgical technologist school.
Finding a Job As a Surgical Technologist
For more information about job opportunities for a non-certified, certified or nationally certified surgical technologist, visit the surgical technologist jobs section of our website.