Associate of Science in Surgical Technology
Prepare for an Exciting Career in Health CareIn just two years at St. Catharine College in Kentucky, you can gain the skills you need to begin a demanding and fulfilling career as a Surgical Technologist. As a Surgical Tech, you will assist physicians and surgeons in a hospital operating room (OR), labor and delivery department, emergency room, independent surgical facility or other medical setting. Just eight weeks after beginning the program, you will start hospital rotations where you gain hands-on “scrubbed and gowned” experience in the operating room. Students in the program experience a variety of different medical rotation venues, including an acute care hospital, an 
ambulatory same-day surgery facility and other locations that take them across the state border into Indiana.
The program’s small classes typically include 10 or fewer students, so you are assured of receiving the kind of individual attention that builds your skills quickly. You will get to know your professor well as you learn everything you need to know to be a true asset in a hospital setting.
Upon graduation, nearly 100 percent of our Surgical Technology graduates find positions in hospitals, labor and delivery departments, emergency rooms and other settings, both in-state and beyond.
Special Program Highlights and Features:- Though the program only requires two years to complete, you are able to learn skills that gain you entry into a growing, essential career field.
- In addition to the extensive OR training, you will complete two semesters of liberal arts education that ensure that you graduate with the skills and knowledge worthy of an Associate of Science Degree.
- Surgical Technology classes typically include fewer than 10 students, allowing each student to receive personalized attention and instruction.
- Rotations at area hospitals and other medical settings begin as early as eight weeks into your classes, providing a wealth of hands-on experience during your training.
- When you complete the Program, you will be eligible to take the Certified Surgical Technologist exam given by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA).
Perioperative Patient Care - This lecture course introduces the student to adult, pediatric, geriatric, bariatric and special needs patient care concepts. Discussion on types of consents, transportation and transfer of the surgical patient, perioperative patient routines, safety issues and death will be included.
Surgical Pharmacology - This lecture course will encompass the essential principles and practices of the clinical use of drugs in surgery to ensure safe patient care. The student will identify various systems of measurement, demonstrate basic mathematical skills, perform dosage calculations and recognize drugs commonly used in surgery.
Aseptic Technique With Lab - This lecture course focuses on the use of sterile technique, establishment of a surgical conscience, surgical microbiology, and methods of sterilization. In the surgical technology lab and various hospital settings, the student will continue to learn and practice aseptic technique, disinfection, and sterilization processes.
Meet the Instructors
Stephanie Testa, Department Chair, is an alumnus of St. Catharine graduating in 2006 with her Associates Degree with CST and then completing her Bachelors of Science in Health Sciences in 2008. She is currently working on a Masters Degree in Leaderhship at St. Catharine. She comes with experience working at hospitals in the Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Indiana area, and experience as an onsite manager in the OR at Norton Suburban Hospital in Louisville. She also served as a surgical liaison/coordinator at Floyd Memorial Hospital in New Albany Indiana.
Career Outlook for Major
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Surgical Technologists can expect their job opportunities to grow by a full 25 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is much faster than the growth anticipated for the average of all occupations. As the population grows older and the number of surgeries increases, the need for qualified Surgical Technologists will increase too.
