ST. GEORGE— Dixie State University’s surgical technology department will be holding an open house from 3-7 p.m. Thursday during which students and community are invited to see the operating room and tour the department’s surgery lab, all located at Room 337 of the Russell Taylor Health Science Building, 1526 E. Medical Center Drive in St. George.
This will be a unique opportunity for the public to attend, since hospitals typically only allow patients and employees in operating rooms. The surgery lab is modeled after a real operation room. Those in attendance will be given the opportunity to both see and touch instruments used in surgery.
The primary purpose of the open house is to give attendees a glimpse of whether or not they might enjoy a career in surgical technology. Attendees can choose to participate as much or as little as they desire in stations set up to teach simple skills performed by surgical technologists.
A surgical technologist is an essential part of the surgical team and is responsible for patient care before, during and after the surgery.
“We find our satisfaction knowing that we were part of the team that helped a patient, even though the patient might not know that we were there,” Kathy Snyder, DSU surgical technology department chair, said.
Dixie State’s two-year program teaches students to not only know the name and usage of the tools to be handed to a surgeon, but to know all the steps for every procedure and the anatomy involved so they can anticipate every move of the surgeon and make the surgery go as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
“This is a profession that few people know about simply because few people ever see the operating room,” Snyder said. “We hope to open some eyes and minds to new possibilities.”
For more information about the surgical technology program, please visit Dixie State’s surgical technology department Web page.
The first thing I thought of when reading the headline: Jerry, Kramer and an errant “Junior Mint”.