About this role
Cedars-Sinai is a leader in providing high-quality healthcare encompassing primary care, specialized medicine and research. Since 1902, Cedars-Sinai has evolved to meet the needs of one of the most diverse regions in the nation, setting standards in quality and innovative patient care, research, teaching and community service. Today, Cedars- Sinai is known for its national leadership in transforming healthcare for the benefit of patients. Cedars-Sinai impacts the future of healthcare by developing new approaches to treatment and educating tomorrow's health professionals. Additionally, Cedars-Sinai demonstrates a commitment to the community through programs that improve the health of its most vulnerable residents.
Grow your career at Cedars-Sinai!
At Cedars-Sinai, we're motivated by a collective spirit of innovation and the challenge to continuously improve. Above all, we share a real passion for helping others. Day after day, from department to department, our people give their all to create a community unlike any other. This is just one of the many reasons U.S. News & World Report has named us one of America’s Best Hospitals—and now we invite you to join us and make a difference every single day in service of this outstanding work – excellence and innovation in patient care, research, and community service. From working with a team of dedicated professionals to using innovative facilities, you’ll have great resources to do something incredible—for yourself, and for others
What will you be doing in this role?
Under the general direction of a licensed caregiver, the Senior Surgical Technologist, Cardiac and Transplant
Specialist (SST-CTS), demonstrates a high level of knowledge and expertise, serving as a service expert and actively participating in cardiac and transplant staff training, while providing recommendations for unit improvement. The SST-CTS consistently demonstrates excellence in cardiac and transplant areas of ST practice, including delivery of critical care, staff education, and collaboration.
The SST-CTS manages complex, unpredictable patient care situations, serves as a clinical and operational resource to staff, and provides mentoring and coaching at all levels of the cardiac and transplant ST career ladder. The SST-CTS demonstrates excellence in assigned technical duties, prepares most complex cardiovascular and transplant operating rooms, arranges equipment, assists with procedures, and has the responsibility to ensure smooth teamwork through the application of knowledge and effective communication with staff, patients, surgeons, anesthesiologists, ancillary personnel, and other health care team members.
The SST-CTS maintains competency skills, including the ability to provide care to critical patient populations, such as those with cardiac and transplant conditions, as well as patients with diverse cultural backgrounds.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Serves as a clinical and operational expert & resource for cardiac and transplant ST activities in the department, including recommendations for improvement, training, and coordinating in-service collaboration with educators and team leaders. Responsible for delivering two trainings annually to staff.
Responsible for leading yearly training & education of cardiac & liver skills day to ensure staff are trained and competent. Partners with the department NPDs to validate competency checklist include all necessary skills for cardiac/liver cases.
Performs the preceptor role for surgical technology students and new hires providing training and critical technical knowledge of cardiovascular and transplant equipment. Assists co-workers in the orientation of department processes. Demonstrates leadership abilities and serves as a mentor and role model for STISTIII.
Responsible for managing cardiac and liver preference cards, ensuring the instruments and equipment needed are updated and accurate, serves as a liaison to SPD, works directly with surgeons & OR leadership related to adding new instruments/equipment
Actively participate in an evidence-driven quality improvement project related to clinical practices for cardiac
& liver specialties.
Leads, supports, and mentors one of the ST clinical advancement pathways where they serve as a mentor/preceptor/educator, lead a clinical quality or nursing research initiative to improve outcomes, and other related activities.
Demonstrates active involvement in department committees and unit in-services, promoting patient care and safety. Participates in unit staff meetings, providing constructive input to assist in unit direction, problem solving, and problem resolution. Promotes performance improvement through participation in the Medical
Center’s Performance Improvement Program.
Prepares most complex cardiac & transplant operating rooms for surgery and prioritizes the turnover of the operating room.
Arrange instruments according to a given procedure. Confirms that instruments work correctly and are sterilized. Maintains the availability of instruments and supplies to avoid delays. Correctly uses, cares for, and cleans instruments, supplies, and equipment. Assists coworkers with their learning related to the care and handling of instruments and sterilization.
Assists surgeons during surgery by passing instruments and other sterile supplies. Assists with skin stapling and steps on ESU pedals, performs intraoperative count, and labels all medication.
Prepares patients for surgery, including washing and disinfecting incision sites. Assist with patient transport to and from surgery, as needed.
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge about the equipment used in assigned areas, including the care, handling, operations, troubleshooting, and safety precautions. Recognizes malfunctions and initiates repairs appropriately. Assembles, processes, and maintains instruments relevant to the assigned area. Monitors and updates inventory within the assigned area. Assists coworkers with their learning related to equipment.
Assists in storing and stocking supplies, maintains and updates surgeons’ preference lists as needed
Improves the accuracy of patient identification: uses two identifiers when transporting patients between units/departments
Reduces the risk of patient harm resulting from falls. Observes patients for the risk of falling and takes action to prevent patient falls.
Completes a minimum of eight calls per 16-week period, covering critical patients such as cardiac and liver
Job Qualifications
Education
- Highschool Diploma/GED - Required
- Vocational/Technical Diploma - Required
Work Experience
- Five (5) years Critical surgical cases, including cardiac and/or transplant experience
- One (1) year Internal staff must be a Surgical Tech III at CSMC for at least one (1) year, to be promoted within the career ladder
Licensure & Certifications
- Basic Life Support (BLS) - Required - renew if expires within 6 months
- Certified Surgical Technologist - Required
- Annual Evaluation - At the time of application, the previous FY evaluation must be a "Strongly Meets". Once in the role, a "Meets" is required thereafter