• PA Legislature House Bill 81 was enacted 10/29/2020 and became effective 12/27/2020.
• Candidates must have 2 years of current surgical technician experience demonstrating advanced knowledge of at least 2 surgical specialties.
• Surgical specialties include, but are not limited to: general, orthopedic, vascular, plastic and reconstructive, obstetrics and gynecology, thoracic, ophthalmic, neurosurgery, organ procurement, and endoscopic surgical settings.
• Access to medications is limited to the distribution of the medication to the nurse.
• In addition to the 2 years of experience, candidates must meet one of the following:
  • Completed a program sponsored by a nationally recognized institutional or programmatic accreditation and maintains certification, or
  • Completed an appropriate military training program, or
  • Maintains certification from an accredited program, or
  • Was employed as a surgical technologist in a healthcare facility on or before 12/27/2020, or
  • Was employed as a surgical technologist at another healthcare facility two years before 12/27/2020.
• Exception (PA): A healthcare facility may employ individuals who do not meet certification requirements if, after a diligent and thorough effort, they are unable to employ enough qualified, certified surgical technologists and maintain a written record of these efforts.
  • All recruitment efforts must be documented and available.
  • The supply of certified or certification-eligible surgical technologists does not meet operational needs.
• Continuing education requirements (PA):
  • Certified individuals must comply with the CE requirements of their credentialing organization.
  • Individuals not certified must complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years.
• NY State Law: Public Health Law 2824, Chapter 292 of the Laws of 2013, enacted 01/01/2015:
  • A healthcare facility may employ a person who does not meet the certification requirements if:
    • After a diligent and thorough effort, it cannot employ enough qualified surgical technologists;
    • The facility creates and retains a written record of these efforts;

    • The individual meets the certification requirements within two years of starting employment or contracting.

       

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:

• CPR required based on AHA standards that include both a didactic and skills demonstration component within 30 days of hire
• Certification for Surgical Technologist. 
• Certification Details – Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) or Technologist Surgery Certified (TSC) within 6 months of program completion: Note: Staff employed to practice surgical technology by the health care facility on or before the effective date of the law (12/27/2020) or who were employed as a surg tech at another health care facility two years before effective date of the law are grandfathered and therefore not required to have certification. New graduates of a program sponsored by nationally recognized institutional or programmatic accreditation can work for six months prior to certification, but must be certified within six months of program completion. Exception: A health care facility may employ individuals who do not meet the certification requirements if after a diligent and thorough effort has been made they are unable to employ a sufficient number of qualified surg techs who meet the requirements (i.e. certification) and a written record of efforts is made and retained at the health care facility. (1. Recruitment efforts are documented and can be supplied for this record. 2. The supply of certified or eligible to be certified surg techs does not meet the needs of the organization.).
• Basic Life Support (BLS) OR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Certified Surgical Technologists (CST) OR Tech in Surgery-Certified (TSC)
• Act 31 Child Abuse Reporting with renewal
• Act 33 with renewal
• Act 34 with renewal
• Act 73 FBI Clearance with renewal

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran