Surgical Technology (A.A.S.)

Students intending to apply to the Walters State Community College Surgical Technology program may begin working on the general education courses at any time. All prerequisite program courses must be completed prior to application. The program professional courses must be taken in sequence and are offered only at the Walters StateSevierr County Campus except for the clinical courses. 

Walters State Community College is supported by state funding and therefore must consider in-state residents before out-of-state residents for acceptance into the Surgical Technology program. Please contact the Office of Admissions for assistance in determining Tennessee residency. 

The Surgical Technology program adheres to the core performance standards adopted by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Admission to and progression in the Surgical Technology program is not based on these standards but should be used to assist the student in determining whether accommodations or modifications are necessary. The standards are:

• Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment;
• Interpersonal abilities sufficient to effectively interact with individuals, families, and
  groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds;
• Communication abilities sufficient for interaction with others in verbal and written
  form;
• Physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room and maneuver in small
  spaces;
• Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient to provide safe and effective surgical care;
• Auditory abilities sufficient to monitor and assess surgical needs;
• Visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in surgical care;
• Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment.

If a student believes that one of more of the standards cannot be met without accommodation or modification, the Surgical Technology program will determine whether or notaccommodations or modification can be reasonably made. A student should contact the Director of Surgical Technology for assistance. 

 

Eligibility Criteria for Admission

1. Have an overall minimum GPA of 2.0;
2. Have official copies of previous college transcripts sent to WSCC Admissions Office;
3. Attach an unofficial copy of your college transcripts to the application.

 

Selection Criteria

These items are the areas in which students are awarded program application ranking points.

1. Grades 1st received in program BIOL courses
   (Students who complete BIOL 2010/11, 2020/21, and 2230/31 prior to program admission increase their chances of academic and clinical success in the Surgical Technology program.)
2. Students who are enrolled in BIOL 2010/2011 and BIOL 2020/2021 for summer term will be given consideration, with possible conditional admission into the Surgical Technology program pending final summer grades.
3. Designated Admission Exam: ACT 19 or > or HESII-A2 > 80% on all sections. Admission exams must have been completed within the last 5years;
4. Overall GPA in all required general education and prerequisite courses;
5. Completion of all general education requirements;
6. Qualified applicants will be contacted by phone to schedule an interview.

Health Programs Immunization Requirements

Lecture and lab classes for the Surgical Technology program are held on the Walters State Community College, Sevier County Campus. Labs are conducted on the Walters State Community College Sevier County Campus.

Upon program completion, the graduate will be able to:

• Correlate the knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and microbiology to their role as a Surgical Technologist.
• Demonstrate a safe and professional level of practice and knowledge in their role as a Surgical Technologist.
• Acquire an understanding of the ethical, legal, moral, and medical values related to the patient and the surgical team during the perioperative experience.
• Correlate the elements, action, and use of medications and anesthetic agents used during the perioperative experience.
• Implement safe practice techniques in regards to perioperative routines, patient transportation, positioning, and emergency procedures.
• Integrate principles of surgical asepsis as part of the perioperative experience.
• Accurately apply knowledge and skills of a professional Surgical Technologist to address the biopsychosocial needs of the surgical patient.
• Perform proficiently and competently as an entry-level surgical technologist in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning domains.
• Value the professional attributes of the Surgical Technologist.

 

Surgical Technology Clinical Case Requirements

Surgical Specialty	Min #1st Scrub	Min #2nd Scrub	Total # Cases Required
General Surgery	20	10	30
Surgical Specialties Cardiothoracicc, ENTT, Eyes, GU, Neuroo, ObGYNN, OMFSS, Orthopedics, Peripheral Vascular, Plastics, Procurement/Transplant	60	30	90
Diagnostic Endoscopy Bronchoscopy, Colonoscopy, Cystoscopy, EGDD, ERCPP, Esophagoscopy, Laryngoscopy, Panendoscopy, Sinoscopy, Ureteroscopy		10 (2nd scrub only)
Labor and Delivery		5 vaginal deliveries (2nd scrub only)
Totals	80	40	120

 

Students must complete 120 cases with a minimum of 240 clinical hours. 30 cases in General Surgery with 20 cases minimum in the first scrub role. 90 cases must be completed in various surgical specialties. 60 in the first scrub role. 15 cases in any one specialty is the most that can be counted toward the 120 case total. Once the student has reached the minimum requirements, they can continuing with any cases available and must keep a record of those cases.

All clinical cases must be documented on the clinical case log, including observation cases (although these cases do not count toward the 120 total cases).

10 endoscopy and 5 vaginal deliveries can be counted toward the maximum number of second scrub cases (maximum number being 40), but these are not required. 

If you know you are qualified

• a grade of C or better in BIOL 2010/2011 and BIOL 2020/2021
• completed computer competency
• grade point average of at least 2.0 excluding developmental courses
• completed all required developmental courses

Your name is most likely on an alternate list. If space becomes available, you will be notified by the first day of class of the semester.

 

If you think you might not have been qualified

Please contact a health program advisor to assist you in planning your course work to increase your chance of success next year. 

Advisors are available Monday thru Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Please call 865.286.2782 to schedule an appointment

 

If you were qualified but not accepted

You will need to reapply for the next admission period.

• It is the student's responsibility to make sure transcripts are forwarded from transferring institutions to WSCC Admissions Department promptly.
• Only completed applications will be considered for admission.

Surgical Technology Outcomes

	2021	2022	2023
Retention	94%	81%	76%
CST Pass Rate	86%	92%	69%
Graduation Placement	87%		100%