r/scrubtech

Hi everyone! I’m a new grad nurse about to start my residency in the operating room, and I’m so excited to begin this journey! 🥹

I wanted to ask those of you who work in the OR for any advice, especially those who went through a Periop 101 program. What was your experience like, and what do you wish you had known going in?

I’d love any tips and tricks, must-dos and don’ts, study resources, or advice on learning surgical instruments and remembering their names and uses. What helped you become a confident, competent surgical nurse, and what skills should I focus on developing early in my career?

I’m also curious about your OR essentials! What are your must-haves for your locker or fanny pack, if you carry one? And what shoes do you recommend for long shifts in the OR? Any favorite clogs or slides that are comfortable and easy to clean?

Basically, I’m looking for all the advice you’d give a new grad starting out in the OR. I want to learn as much as I can, be a great team member, and set myself up for success!
Thank you in advance! ❤️🩺

Hello! I didn’t know where else to ask this question , I am NOT a scrub tech but I am hoping to begin a program next year and I just wanted to ask those who have already studied and are working what the average age of the students were ? I’m gonna be 24 when I start and I feel like I’ll be too old maybe ? It’s an odd anxiety I know, and nothing is gonna really stop me I am very much looking forward to this but I’d like to know what age ranges to expect ?

I’ve been a caregiver for most of my adult life and have just decided to go back
To school and I feel a bit like the odd one out since it feels like everyone in school is fresh out of high school … sorry if this is an odd question I just like to be prepared !!

These departing Drs, Nurses, and resources were amazing they treated my father with such kindness. ER was crazy busy. Budgets are tightening everywhere. Please be patient with the new staff. 

Thank you !!!

I have the AST Practice exam #6 because my class just took it as a mock NBSTSA. It has the answer key at the end its 175 questions. So if anyone would like it to also practice I'd be happy to email to ya. I go out for clinicals on Monday! Im looking for other versions of the practice exam too! So if ya have one please share. I thought it would be beneficial for us to help each other to prepare for the big exam! Im not taking mine until January 2027.

I bumped a clean 6-0 needle on my mayo today mid case. I wasn’t sure if I stuck myself because no hole in glove but to be safe I removed the needle from my field, scrubbed out, and scrubbed my hands with betadine. I have the teeniest little dot on my finger - no blood came out, no large puncture. Patients blood was not tested, would you start PEP just in case?

I am currently in my first semester of an 11 month LPN program at a community college. I’ve been seriously questioning whether nursing is the right career for me, and I’m considering applying to a surgical technology program at the same college. I’d really appreciate honest opinions, especially from nurses, surgical techs, or people who have switched healthcare careers.

I’ve always been interested in healthcare, especially anatomy, physiology, medications, medical conditions, and learning how the body works. I genuinely enjoy the academic side of nursing, learning procedures, and practicing skills. I’ve also been interested in labor and delivery for a long time, and becoming an L&D nurse was the career I originally envisioned for myself.

However, I’m realizing that I struggle significantly with the interpersonal side of nursing. I’m naturally very reserved around people I don’t know. At home, I’m extremely talkative, but outside of my comfort zone, I’d usually rather observe than interact. Even when I’m not particularly anxious, I don’t enjoy talking to unfamiliar people. Nursing involves constant communication, including interviewing patients, explaining procedures, educating them, providing reassurance, and interacting with different people throughout the day. I even find myself struggling to finish sentences at times.

On top of that, I experience hand tremors (essential tremor I think??) that become worse when I’m performing skills or being observed. During an on-campus clinical practice, I was so shaky while setting up a G-tube feeding that I struggled to pour liquid into a cup without spilling, even though I knew what I was doing. I’m trying to push through because I know I’m still early in the program and have a lot to learn. I also recognize that anxiety may be contributing to some of my difficulties. But I’m worried that I might be pursuing a career whose everyday responsibilities don’t fit me, even though I love the medical knowledge behind it.

I recently attended an information session for the surgical technology program at my college, and it genuinely excited me. The program is approximately 13 months long.

What appeals to me is that surgical technology would still let me work in healthcare, learn about anatomy and surgical procedures, handle instruments, and be part of an operating room team. The role involves preparing instruments, maintaining the sterile field, passing instruments to surgeons, anticipating what they’ll need, and helping procedures run safely.
I understand that surgical techs still have to communicate with surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and other team members. I’m not expecting a job where I never have to speak or where there is no pressure. However, the communication seems more task-oriented, and there’s generally less ongoing patient interaction than in nursing.
I’m also very interested in OB/GYN procedures. I know working in that specialty isn’t guaranteed, but the possibility of being involved in C-sections and other gynecological surgeries is exciting to me.
I feel like surgical technology might align better with my interest in hands-on, technical work and my preference for a more structured environment. I’m worried that I like the idea and aesthetic of nursing more than the actual day-to-day job.

My biggest concerns:
Am I giving up too early? I’ve only been in LPN school for about two months. Maybe I need more time to adjust, build confidence, and get better at interacting with patients. I don’t want to mistake anxiety or inexperience for a career mismatch.

Would surgical technology actually be better for me? I’m attracted to the role because of the procedures and operating room environment, but I know it also involves pressure, teamwork, fine motor skills, and long periods of standing. I’m concerned that my shaky hands could be an issue in the OR, too.

The financial aspect. I have been fortunate enough to have parents that have already spent thousands of dollars supporting my prerequisites and nursing education. They would likely be the ones helping me pay for surgical technology as well, at least initially to hold my seat for the semester as I don’t have enough saved at the moment and the deadline is soon. The estimated total tuition is around $13,700, with the first semester costing $4,660 before any financial assistance. I feel astronomically guilty about potentially changing directions after they’ve already invested so much in me.

Long-term income and career growth. My parents want me to be financially independent and able to support myself. Surgical tech salaries can be lower than nursing salaries depending on the location and role, and I’m worried about regretting giving up nursing’s potential career growth. At the same time, I don’t want to choose a career solely because of its earning potential if I’m unhappy doing it.

The possibility of regretting either decision. If I leave nursing, I might regret not becoming an L&D nurse. If I stay, I worry I could spend years forcing myself through a job that makes me miserable socially and emotionally.

So, would it be foolish to switch at this point?

I have been a scrub tech for 5 years and have been on the neuro team at my hospital the entire time. I mostly do spine, but on average do about 1 neuro IR case per week or 2. It's cerebral angiograms, embolizations, strokes, etc. We also don't have first assists in neuro IR cases so it's just me and the doctor scrubbed in.

I just feel inadequate. I don't know every single step of the process with the microcatheters or the names of all of them or how they all go together. I was never taught. The doctor I usually work with puts the catheters together himself. If he wants me to put something together he tells me to do it. We just hired a new surgeon who has been frustrated at me for not knowing how or when to do all of those things. She is used to having the IR techs scrubbed in with her who know everything that needs to be done.

I'm just wondering if there's any other neuro techs who feel this way, or any who don't. I feel pretty bad about myself for not knowing every step. I'm a perfectionist and I excel at spine and cranis, but still feel like I'm just floating through neuro IR even after 5 years. I want to know if this is normal and typical.

As the title says, I stuck myself with a dirty needle today. I’m new, just got out of clinicals and started at this hospital a month ago. The surgeon I worked with today is a particularly demanding and hard to work with guy and he got me a little flustered and I made a silly mistake.

How many needle sticks have you all had over your career? I’m definitely trying to take this as a lesson but it’s hard to not beat myself up.

We had an incident occur today and I want to get other techs opinions on it. While setting up for a revision (where the pt already had an active infection mind you), I had a tray opened to me and when my assist felt the casket he found a piece of fuzz, like something off a sweater. I obviously didn’t want the tray any more and tried to pass it off to my nurse who tried to tell me that it was okay because she had something similar happen last week and her tech that day said it was fine, and it should be fine since it went through the sterilizer. I told her no it’s not fine and I want the tray reprocessed. I had my assist take the casket out to the charge nurse and director and both of them said the tray is contaminated and should be reprocessed. For extra context it was a tray that the rep wasn’t even 100% sure we would need and just wanted to have open right away in case we did need it, and even if we did need it, we wouldn’t need it until near the end of the case.

What are your opinions? Would you have accepted the tray or would you have passed it off like I did?