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How exposed to AI is a Surgical Technologist?

Of the 16 tasks O*NET lists for surgical technologists, 0 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 15 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Certified Surgical TechnicianCertified Surgical Technologist (CST)Operating Room Surgical Technician (OR St)Operating Room Technician (OR Tech)Operating Room Technologist (OR Tech)Surgical Scrub TechnicianSurgical Scrub Technologist (Surgical Scrub Tech)Surgical TechnicianSurgical Technologist (Surgical Tech)
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
16
tasks rated for this occupation
0%
hold a degree, from a survey of 29
109k
people do this job in the US
88 of 89
least protected in healthcare practitioners

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Only with software built on top

1
  • Maintain files and records of surgical procedures

Cannot be sped up

15
  • Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures
  • Count sponges, needles, and instruments before and after operation
  • Scrub arms and hands and assist the surgical team to scrub and put on gloves, masks, and surgical clothing
  • Provide technical assistance to surgeons, surgical nurses, or anesthesiologists
  • Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure
  • Hand instruments and supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors and cut sutures, and perform other tasks as directed by surgeon during operation
  • Prepare, care for, and dispose of tissue specimens taken for laboratory analysis
  • Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers
  • Monitor and continually assess operating room conditions, including patient and surgical team needs
  • Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation
  • Prepare dressings or bandages and apply or assist with their application following surgery
  • Clean and restock operating room, gathering and placing equipment and supplies and arranging instruments according to instructions, such as a preference card
  • Order surgical supplies
  • Observe patients' vital signs to assess physical condition
  • Maintain supply of fluids, such as plasma, saline, blood, or glucose, for use during operations
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.