Surgical Technologist Discovered Career Field In Air Force
When Erik Jensen, 36, joined the U.S. Air Force, he was 22 years old and had no idea what career he wanted to pursue. Serving in the military was his first priority. So, when he was presented with a list of training options, he randomly chose surgical technologist.
“It was available, it sounded interesting, and I really just sort of fell into it,” Jensen said. “I honestly didn’t realize what I was getting into. In fact, after the first week of training, I thought I wasn’t cut out for this career field. I didn’t realize I would be directly responsible for ensuring that surgeons had the appropriate instruments throughout surgery.”
Jensen toughed it out through the intense six-week course and had completed one year of on-the-job training when he was called to Oman to serve in Operation Desert Storm.
“We were sent in before the ground war was started so we could set up a field hospital in anticipation of casualties,” Jensen said.
 As a surgical technologist, Erik Jensen says the thing he likes the most — and least — about his job is its unpredictability. “I do a little bit of everything, which keeps it interesting,” he said. “I may start with a neurosurgery, then have an ortho, then a general — it helps to be versatile because you never know what you’re going to be thrown into," he says. |
Fortunately, those casualties never materialized, and he spent most of his three-month tour of duty there working on elective surgeries for military personnel and sterilizing instruments, linens and other supplies. After returning to Scott Air Force Base, he continued his training until he was discharged in January 1994. He then took his current position as a surgical technologist at St. Anthony’s Medical Center in St. Louis.
Jensen’s duties as an O.R. technologist begin just before surgery. He collects the sterile supplies and instruments needed for that particular surgery — and that particular surgeon — and brings them to the operating room. He and the nurse check the surgeon’s preference list to ensure he has everything needed for the procedure, before he scrubs in with a gown and gloves to begin setting up the surgical field. As the patient arrives, Jensen is doing a surgical count with the O.R. nurse and completing last-minute preparations.
“Once the patient is asleep and positioned, I gown and glove the surgeon and assistant, drape the patient and set up the surgical field,” Jensen said. “Once surgery begins, I hand the instruments to the surgeon, trying to anticipate his or her next move and need.”
While the physician closes the incision, Jensen does a final count of instruments. He then removes the patient’s drape, helps transfer the patient to the gurney and breaks down the operating room. He places the instruments used in surgery on a cart to be washed and resterilized and then calls housekeeping to clean the room so he can begin preparing for the next case. The number of cases per day can range from one or two to several, depending on the number of hours required for each surgery.
Jensen spends down time between cases pulling supplies for the next day’s cases and putting instruments away. He works from 2:30 to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and is on call for emergencies one weekend each month.
The thing Jensen likes most — and least — about his job is its unpredictability.
“I do a little bit of everything, which keeps it interesting,” he said. “I may start with a neurosurgery, then have an ortho, then a general — it helps to be versatile because you never know what you’re going to be thrown into. The downside of that is when you have a surgeon you don’t work with all the time or a procedure that isn’t done on a regular basis; it is more stressful.”
One of the job’s physical requirements is being able to stand for hours at a time.
“It can be physically demanding, but I find it more psychologically and mentally demanding,” Jensen said. “I try to pay close attention to detail and focus on trying to keep everything running smoothly. To have a case go flawlessly — that’s my goal.”
Someone aspiring to become a surgical technologist needs to be able to work with others as part of a team.
“There are all kinds of personalities in the operating room, and you need to be able to deal with all of them,” Jensen said. “We have a lot of fun in the operating room — it’s kind of our own little world. Because of our working environment, we have a certain camaraderie that you probably won’t see anywhere else in the medical center.”
Jensen said he considers his career as a surgical technologist worthwhile and would recommend it to anyone.
“My role in taking care of the patient is to keep the surgeon happy,” Jensen said. “If I have everything in the operating room ready to go, place whatever instruments the surgeon wants in his hands and keep everything running smoothly throughout the surgery, then I’m helping the patient.”
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