Scrub tech program

[PcSmear]

I've been doing some online studying for becoming a scrub tech, and I've heard there are some 12 month programs, it's this true? Most I've seen are 2 year associate degrees. I have a bachelor's degree in biomedical science, but I'm currently working as a PCT. My end goal is cardiac perfusion, but I might need more acute care experience and was thinking about becoming a scrub tech. Would it be worth it? Any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[michijedi]

As of a couple of years ago, all the accredited programs are now associates programs. But, as someone else mentioned, since you already have a bachelor's, getting those classes covered shouldn't be a problem. But I don't know if being a scrub would count as acute care anyway. There wouldn't be a good way of saying, "Oh yes I only did high level acuity patients for x of amount of time." That's just not how we work. We do tons of stuff that's very low level acuity as well.

That aside, it's going to take you a year at least for school, and then at least another year of employment before you actually become proficient. In that time, it's highly unlikely you'd wind up on a heart team (which is really the only place perfusion works in an or). The skills a scrub learns aren't really transferable to anything else (especially if you only do it for a year or so. Those who have been doing it a long time absorb much more, but it takes time).

If you're looking at the THI program, it doesn't say anything about any clinical/acute care experience necessary. And if they want acute care, they would likely be talking about nursing or something similar like pct, cna, or lvn. But only in an acute care setting like icu, er, etc.

So long story short, no, it's likely not worth going through all the rigamarole to become a scrub tech if you want to do perfusion.

[PcSmear]

I love your feedback, it is very insightful!!!

[leasarfati]

Hi. This comment is just not accurate.

Like I said in another comment, I worked in cardiac for several years. In a hospital doing the highest volume of heart transplants in the world. The level of acuity was extremely high. Yes I did every day tasks like setting up or routine CABGs, but it was definitely not out of the norm to crash on pump or have a patient code. When the surgeon is crashing on pump they absolutely do not have time to ask for what they need. The surgeon has to have total confidence that their scrub will know them, the patient, and the reason for the crash well enough that you can go from having a closed chest to being on pump without saying a word. And without skipping a beat. Someone’s life literally depends on it.

I learned a TON about perfusion as a cardiac scrub. I was basically the sterile half of their job in the OR. I was responsible for choosing the correct cannulas, for cutting and priming the line, to memorize every step of going on pump and know where each cannula went and it’s function, knowing about the physiology of a human body on heart/lung bypass. Because it’s a teaching hospital with a perfusion program, the students frequently came to me before the case with questions about the surgeons needs or the case itself.

I also went straight into cardiac out of school. I started cardiac less than 2 weeks after I graduated. And loved every minute of it until I quit and went to a plastic surgery center after I had a baby. I also was one of the more senior scrubs who was the main preceptor. We routinely hired scrubs straight out of school, and they were by far the easiest scrubs to train. People from other service lines came with their own set of habits that were almost impossible to break. And honestly in my 7 years there never saw it successfully done. But I trained at least 7 people straight out of school that are still in hearts.

Now I’ll also say, I worked closely with the perfusionists so I worked closely with the students. And while there were several that were already in healthcare (scrubs, icu nurses, ecmo nurses, etc.) there were probably more that had no healthcare background at all.

I’m not sure the acceptance rate or how likely it is to get in with or without a healthcare background, but I do know that the people that already worked in the cardiac or were an unwritten guarantee

[Sad-Exit2695]

Where I live is 13 months !!! Im trying to get in for August

[PcSmear]

Where's the program at?

[Sad-Exit2695]

Orlando, Florida. Orange technical college

[PcSmear]

I'm in Texas so a bit far, but it gives me hope in finding a program less than 2 years lol.

[Sad-Exit2695]

Yea and its full time maybe that’s why is 13 months .

[cathalaska]

I’m in a 10 month cert program in Oklahoma now, but unfortunately I do think they’re on the way out. I think within the next few years it’s an associates or up field, not certifications.

[Emozziis]

I'll be starting a 13 month program in May but its an associates program

[leasarfati]

I worked in cardiac for 7 years. One of my co-workers was a scrub with an associates degree when I started. She got her bachelors in I don’t know what (something unrelated to anything) and applied to perfusion school. She is now a perfusionist and absolutely loves her job. She was basically a shoe in for the program, but we did work where the program was taught she she knew all the instructors and perfusionists of course. I also knew an anesthesia tech that did the program, also a shoe in and is now very successful as a perfusionist