Once you've been in one stressful situation, you rely on instinct. After stressful cases, we debrief and talk about it to help us cope better. The profession decided to change the name to let the public and everyone entering the field know that it was becoming very technology based. We work with thousands of sophisticated instruments and pieces of equipment. The hardest part is keeping up with the technology.
Every day there's a new piece of equipment or a new slant to a procedure.
We're constantly learning new things about robotics, for example. Our surgical technology program at the Connelley Technical Institute lasts 10 months, but there are programs across the country that range from six months to two years. The six-month programs are offered in the military for people who already have some healthcare experience. The two-year programs are associate degree programs. There isn't much difference between them as long as the program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.