How to Become a Surgical Tech in West Virginia

In West Virginia, in any surgery room, there’s a team of people ready to react at the drop of a needle.

This type of personnel includes:

• Surgeons
• Anesthesia specialists
• Surgical nurses
• Surgical technicians

Their teamwork takes place from before the operation starts and ends after the surgery itself concludes.

There are a few other names for the last professionals on the list, such as operating room (OR) techs and scrub techs.

Surgical Technologist Job Description and Duties

A surgical technologist in West Virginia must complete various tasks during their shift at work.

These include:

• Preparing patients for surgery
• Transporting patients to and from the operating room (OR)
• Preparing the OR with surgical equipment and supplies
• Monitoring the instrument count throughout surgery
• Handing the surgeon medical instruments
• Closing wounds and bandaging patients

Of course, this is not a complete list of all the duties of such a medical professional.

Surgical Technologist Training and Education

Surgical techs in West Virginia are not under the jurisdiction of any institution, except their employers.

This doesn’t mean it’s that easy to get such a job, so let’s learn more about the process!

The journey to becoming a surgical tech in West Virginia starts by graduating from high school or obtaining a GED.

Your next step is to enroll in a training program designed for this occupation.

Remember that you need both education and clinical training for this job.

Several institutions offer such training across West Virginia.

Their enrollment requirements are slightly different, but many have common classes:

• Microbiology,
• Pathophysiology,
• Pharmacology,
• Anatomy,
• Physiology,
• Medical terminology.
• CPR and/or BLS and/or AED

Carver Career and Technical Education Center

The school provides an 11-month certificate program in surgical technology.

Throughout this program, students undergo classroom instruction for the initial six months and engage in clinical rotations for the subsequent five months.

As a crucial component of the curriculum, students will take the national certification exam before graduation.

Tuition and fees amount to approximately $4,233, with an additional cost of around $2,300 for books and supplies.

Bevill State Community College

The program offered here covers the following topics, among others:

• Sterile processing
• Infection control
• Sterilization
• Instrumentation identification
• Safety

The classes are organized in the college itself.

Those who want to study here must meet some prerequisites:

• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Pass the Accuplacer placement exam
• Meet the other requirements
• Complete their military service (not mandatory but considered)
• Having previous medical-related experience, if possible
• Have health insurance
• Completing at least 120 clinical cases
• Complete at least 30 cases in General Surgery, with 20 of them in the first scrub role

The course has a total of 29 credits.

James Rumsey Technical Institute

The school similarly offers an 11-month certificate program in surgical technology, involving 30 hours of weekly training.

The tuition for this program is presently $6,000, and additional expenses for books and fees are estimated at $1,000.

Students are required to take the national certification exam before completing the program.

The Academy of Careers and Technology

The school provides a surgical technology certificate program that can be finished in less than a year.

The total cost for attendance is $7,810, and the program is open to adult students without a high school diploma or GED.

However, these students must obtain a high school diploma or GED before receiving their certificate of completion.

Calhoun Community College

At this college, the training program has a duration of around 2 years or 4 semesters.

Students will attend classroom, lab, and clinical instruction.

If you want to earn an AAS at this college, you’ll have to complete an additional 18 general education credit hours.

To be accepted into the program, you must:

• Apply online
• Attend a program information session
• Complete a Manual Dexterity Exam
• Meet all the college’s admission requirements

Becoming a Certified Surgical Technologist in West Virginia

Even though certification is not required legally, employers seek certified personnel for this position.

Here are some of the certifying bodies for this occupation:

• National Surgical Assistant Association (NSAA)
  • Offers the Certified Surgical Assistant (CSA) qualification
• National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA)
  • Offers the Certified Surgical Technologist/Certified First Assistant credential
• National Center for Competency Training (NCCT)
  • Offers the Tech in Surgery Certification

Out of all these exams, the one offered by the NBSTSA is the most reputable one with national recognition.

Testing centers can be found in a few cities across West Virginia.

The test has 200 questions, and to pass, a minimum of 119 must be answered correctly.

You can’t take the test without paying the associated fee:

• $190 for Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) members
• $290 for non-AST members

Your certification has to be renewed every 4 years, and there are 2 ways of doing this:

• Retaking the certification exam (requires re-paying the exam fee)
• Completing continuing education classes (requires 60 education credits during the renewal period)

Certification renewal also requires a renewal fee to be paid.

Surgical Technologist Salary

In West Virginia, an OR tech can earn about $46,300 per year.

This next table will show you the cities where these employees earn more compared to the rest of the state.

Regional Salary in West Virginia

Surgical Tech Programs by State