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Job Descriptions

Job Descriptions

 

Specify the Right Credential in Your Job Descriptions 

The CST® and CSFA® credentials are the standard that leading health systems across the country already specify by name. Mayo Clinic, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Duke University Hospital, and hundreds of other institutions name NBSTSA® certification as a condition of employment for surgical technologists and surgical first assistants, not as a preference. The sample job descriptions below reflect some of the language those employers use. 

Copy them directly into your postings or adapt them for your organization. The credential verification link is at the bottom of this page. 

What to specify in your postings: Use the full registered credential name. “Certified Surgical Technologist® (CST®)” and “Certified Surgical First Assistant® (CSFA®)” refer specifically to credentials issued by NBSTSA®. Generic language such as “surgical technology certification” or “surgical assistant credential” does not specify the standard and may allow unqualified applicants to apply. Being specific protects your patients and your institution. 

What to specify in your postings:

Use the full registered credential name. “Certified Surgical Technologist® (CST®)” and “Certified Surgical First Assistant® (CSFA®)” refer specifically to credentials issued by NBSTSA®. Generic language such as “surgical technology certification” or “surgical assistant credential” does not specify the standard and may allow unqualified applicants to apply. Being specific protects your patients and your institution. 

Sample Job Description: Certified Surgical Technologist (CST®) 

Adapt this description for your institution. Bracketed items are optional or variable. 

Role Summary 

The Certified Surgical Technologist (CST®) provides safe and efficient care to the surgical patient under the supervision of the registered nurse and in collaboration with the surgeon and surgical team. The CST® functions primarily in the scrub role and is responsible for selecting, preparing, and maintaining instrumentation, equipment, and supplies. The CST® possesses knowledge in the application of sterile and aseptic technique and adapts to unpredictable situations within the perioperative setting. 

Responsibilities 

  • Prepare the operating room ensuring all instruments, equipment, and supplies are sterile and properly organized for the procedure 

  • Perform surgical scrub, gown, and gloving; maintain sterile field integrity throughout the procedure 

  • Anticipate the needs of the surgical team; pass instruments and supplies to the surgeon and team with speed and precision 

  • Participate in the Universal Protocol (Time Out) before each procedure 

  • Perform surgical counts with the circulating nurse at required intervals 

  • Verify, receive, mix, and label all medications and solutions on the sterile field 

  • Identify and address breaks in sterile technique; initiate corrective action 

  • Verify, prepare, and label surgical specimens 

  • Prepare dressings and assist with wound closure as directed by the surgeon 

  • Perform room cleanup, restock supplies, and reset the OR following each procedure 

  • [Float to a variety of surgical specialties as needed to support patient care] 

  • [Contribute to protocol development and workflow optimization for specialty service lines] 

Qualifications 

  • Current CST® certification issued by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA®) required [or: required within one year of hire date and maintained thereafter] 

  • Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required upon hire 

  • [Minimum 2 years of OR scrub experience in acute care, perioperative, or surgical setting preferred]

  • [Experience in (specialty) preferred] 

How to Verify 

To verify the CST® credential of an applicant or current employee, use the NBSTSA® online credential verification system at nbstsa.org/employers. 

Sample Job Description: Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA®) 

Adapt this description for your institution. Bracketed items are optional or variable. 

Role Summary 

The Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA®) supports the continuity of care for perioperative patients across the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases. The CSFA® practices in collaboration with and at the direction of the surgeon, providing direct technical assistance during operative procedures to help ensure safe operations with optimal patient outcomes. The CSFA® serves as the first assistant in designated surgical procedures under the direct supervision of the operating surgeon. 

Responsibilities 

  • Serve as first assistant to the surgeon in designated procedures under direct surgeon supervision 

  • Handle all varieties of tissue appropriately to reduce potential for injury or compromised blood supply 

  • Achieve temporary and permanent hemostasis using appropriate techniques including clamping, cauterizing, tying, and ligating vessels, and applying hemostatic agents 

  • Provide clear visualization of the operative field through appropriate retraction, tissue manipulation, suctioning, and irrigation 

  • Prepare, pass, and measure medications, hemostatic agents, and irrigation solutions on the sterile field 

  • Assist with wound closure, applying appropriate suturing techniques across tissue types and planes 

  • Complete preoperative review of patient history, physical examination, and test results; document findings appropriately 

  • Observe patient intraoperative status and report abnormal findings to the surgeon and circulating team 

  • Support postoperative transfer of care and monitor for complications 

  • Comply with AORN education standards for the CSFA® 

  • [Assist in the education of surgical residents and perioperative staff] 

  • [Contribute to protocol and workflow development for new procedures and surgical technologies] 

Qualifications 

  • Current CSFA® certification issued by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA®) required 

  • Current CST® certification issued by NBSTSA® [required for dual-role positions / preferred] 

  • Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required upon hire 

  • [Minimum 2 years of OR experience as a scrub technologist or in a first assistant capacity preferred] 

  • [Experience in (specialty) preferred]

How to Verify 

To verify the CSFA® credential of an applicant or current employee, use the NBSTSA® online credential verification system at nbstsa.org/employers.