Surgical technologist resumes collapse into the same three vague categories on nearly every application: "general surgery, orthopaedics, and laparoscopic procedures." A perioperative manager reading that description has no information about what the candidate can actually scrub on day one. The specificity that actually answers the hiring question is: which procedures (laparoscopic cholecystectomy, total knee arthroplasty, CABG), which implant systems (Stryker Triathlon, Zimmer Biomet NexGen, Arthrex SwiveLock), and which surgical specialties with what case volume. The difference between an ST who has scrubbed 300 total knee replacements across three implant systems and one who has scrubbed 20 is significant — and both resumes say "orthopaedics."

What OR Managers Look for in a Surgical Technologist in 2026

Surgical technologist job descriptions in 2026 consistently specify: CST (Certified Surgical Technologist — NBSTSA) as the baseline credential; CAAHEP-accredited programme completion; BLS current; specialty-specific procedure experience; implant system familiarity; and AORN (Association of periOperative Registered Nurses) practice standard competency.

The credential landscape: CST (NBSTSA) is the primary national credential — required or strongly preferred by most hospitals and ASCs; recertification requires 60 CE credits every 4 years or re-examination. TS-C (NCCT) is an alternative accepted at some facilities. CSFA (Certified Surgical First Assistant — NBSTSA) is the advanced credential for experienced STs expanding into first-assist scope: cutting sutures, controlling bleeding, retraction, wound closure — requires 2+ years as CST before CSFA eligibility; command premium in cardiac, vascular, and neurosurgery settings.

State licensure: Texas (STST — Surgical Technologist State of Texas), South Carolina, Idaho, Indiana, Nevada, and Oregon require ST state licensure — list state licence number, issuing state, and expiry date on resume. Most other states do not yet require licensure, but this is an evolving area — always check for recent legislation in your target state.

UK: Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) is the equivalent role — HCPC registered; BSc Operating Department Practice (CODP — currently transitioning to DipHE); College of Operating Department Practitioners (CODP) membership. Do not use "Surgical Technologist" in UK applications — "ODP" or "Scrub Practitioner" is the correct title.

ATS Keywords for Surgical Technologist Resumes

  • Title variants: Surgical Technologist, Surgical Tech, Scrub Tech, Operating Room Technologist, OR Tech, Certified Surgical Technologist, Surgical First Assistant, Operating Department Practitioner (UK), ODP, Scrub Practitioner
  • Credentials: CST, NBSTSA, CSFA, TS-C, NCCT, CAAHEP, BLS, ACLS, state surgical tech licence, HCPC, CODP
  • Specialty areas: general surgery, laparoscopic surgery, orthopaedics, total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, arthroscopy, spine surgery, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic, cardiac surgery, obstetrics, gynaecology, plastics, trauma surgery, robotic surgery, da Vinci
  • Implant/instrument brands: Stryker, Zimmer Biomet, Arthrex, Smith+Nephew, DePuy Synthes, Medtronic, Ethicon, Covidien, Intuitive Surgical, da Vinci, Harmonic scalpel, Endo GIA, Kerrison, LigaSure
  • Technical terms: sterile field, aseptic technique, surgical count, sponge count, sharps count, instrument count, AORN, retained surgical item, RSI, surgical draping, gowning, gloving, sterile processing, autoclave, STERRAD, instrument decontamination, turnover time, Epic OpTime, Cerner SurgiNet
  • Long-tail phrases: surgical technologist resume, surgical tech resume, CST resume, scrub tech resume, operating room technologist resume, surgical technologist resume examples, surgical tech resume 2026, surgical technologist cv, how to write a surgical tech resume

Placement: CST with recertification cycle year at top. State licence if applicable. Surgical specialties and procedures listed explicitly (not just categories). Implant systems named in each relevant specialty entry. Count accuracy in quality metrics.

Surgical Technologist CV Structure and Three Example Bullets

Section order: 1. Credentials — CST (NBSTSA, recertification year); CSFA if held; state licence with number and expiry; BLS with expiry; ACLS if required for cardiac cases 2. Specialty Competencies — list by surgical specialty with key procedures and implant systems 3. Experience — chronological; facility type (trauma centre, ASC, community hospital, teaching hospital); OR suite count; specialties and approximate case volume; on-call responsibilities; first-assist duties if applicable 4. Quality / Efficiency — count accuracy record, turnover time, RSI protocol participation 5. Education — CAAHEP-accredited AAS/BS; AORN CE credits for recertification

Example 1 — Orthopaedic and general surgery scrub tech:

"Certified Surgical Technologist, CST (NBSTSA, recertification [year]) — [Hospital name] (Regional Medical Centre; 18 OR suites; Level II Trauma; high-volume orthopaedic and general surgery service): orthopaedics (primary): total knee arthroplasty (TKA): 320+ cases scrubbed (primary and revision); implant systems: Stryker Triathlon PS/CR, Zimmer Biomet NexGen CR-Flex, Smith+Nephew Journey II; power tools: Stryker System 7 (sagittal and oscillating saw, reamer, drill); tibial and femoral cutting block positioning; cement preparation (Palacos R with gentamicin; SmartSet GMV — mixing, loading, and delivery timing); component sizing and trial reduction; patellar resurfacing; tourniquet management (250–350 mmHg, 90-minute max — surgeon alert at 60 min); total hip arthroplasty (THA): 180+ cases; posterior and direct anterior approach; Stryker Accolade TMZF (uncemented); Zimmer Biomet Taperloc Microplasty (uncemented primary); revision with acetabular cage augments; arthroscopy: knee ACL reconstruction (patellar bone-tendon-bone and hamstring autograft — Smith+Nephew Recon System; Arthrex TightRope fixation; 4.5mm and 5.5mm interference screws; shoulder rotator cuff repair — Arthrex SwiveLock 5.5mm double-row PASTA repair); spine: lumbar discectomy and microdiscectomy (Kerrison rongeurs 1mm–4mm; Woodson probe; nerve root retractor; Leksell rongeur; thoracic decompression); general surgery: laparoscopic cholecystectomy (Veress needle insufflation; 0° and 30° scopes; Ethicon Harmonic ACE+7; laparoscopic clip applier; EndoCatch retrieval bag; 250–280 lap chole cases per year); appendectomy (laparoscopic and open); inguinal hernia repair (laparoscopic TEP — Tacker fixation; polypropylene mesh); surgical counts: 100% first-count-pass rate over 24 months (0 incorrect counts requiring re-exploration — Epic OpTime QA review confirms; count protocol: pre-incision, body cavity closure, final skin closure; SurgiCount Safety-Sponge RFID-assisted); turnover time: average 18 minutes (standard laparoscopic cases — patient out to next patient positioned and draped; department target 22 minutes); instrument setup time: 10–12 minutes for laparoscopic cholecystectomy standard back table (independent setup without circulator assistance)."

Example 2 — Cardiac/cardiothoracic surgical technologist:

"Surgical Technologist, CST (NBSTSA, recertification [year]) — [Medical centre name] (Cardiac Surgery programme; 4 cardiac ORs; 350–420 open-heart cases per year; 2 CV surgeons; Level I Trauma certified cardiac facility): coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG): 180+ cases scrubbed; off-pump CABG (OPCAB — Medtronic Octopus tissue stabiliser; Starfish heart positioner) and on-pump CABG (cardiopulmonary bypass — perfusionist coordination on CPB initiation; ACT >400s confirmed before bypass); LIMA harvesting assist (direct vision robotic-assisted LIMA — Intuitive da Vinci Si Surgical System — back-table preparation for robotic arm exchange); saphenous vein harvest (open and endoscopic — Terumo VirtuoSiti endoscopic vein harvesting system); sternal management: Stryker sagittal saw sternal divide; Farabeuf retractor initial exposure; Rultract sternal retractor (Buchwalter-type); aortic cannulation assist (Medtronic DLP — 24Fr aortic cannula; straight venous 36Fr; tourniquet placement); valve surgery: AVR (aortic valve replacement — tissue: Medtronic Mosaic, Edwards PERIMOUNT; mechanical: St. Jude Regent; valve sizers; pledgeted Prolene 2-0 suture technique; MVR — mitral valve replacement and repair: Carpentier-Edwards Physio II annuloplasty ring; PTFE suture P2 prolapse repair); TAVR back table: transcatheter aortic valve — Edwards SAPIEN 3 crimping preparation; balloon sizing; catheter table setup; structural heart back table; LVAD assist: HeartMate 3 (Abbott) implant cases — driveline tunnelling; chest closure; mediastinal drainage; pericardial patching; instrument mastery: cardiovascular instruments (DeBakey forceps, Debakey clamp, Satinsky clamp, Cooley clamp, Bulldog clamps, angled clamps — 45°/90°; Potts scissors; Jacobson scissors; Castroviejo needle holder; double-ended pledget fork; suture organiser); hemostatic agents: Surgicel Fibrillar, Gelfoam soaked in thrombin, Avitene Ultrafoam, BioglueAvitar bone wax; sternotomy closure: Sternal wire (7 wires — Synthes; figure-8 technique; twist tie); MITEK anchors for fascial repair; cardiac surgical count accuracy: 100% first-pass rate (0 count discrepancies in 18-month record — cardiac cases use expanded count protocol: sponges, needles, pledgets, pledget forks, and all disposable components)."

Example 3 — Obstetrics and gynaecology scrub tech:

"Surgical Technologist, CST (NBSTSA, [year]) — [Women's hospital name] (Women's and Infants' Centre; 6 OB ORs + 4 GYN ORs; 1,200+ caesarean sections and 800+ GYN cases per year): caesarean section (primary specialty — 450+ cases scrubbed): Pfannenstiel incision (Rampley sponge forceps; Allis tissue forceps; Mayo scissors bladder flap; uterine incision — low transverse Kerr technique; bandage scissors blunt extension; bladder retractor; DeLee suction bulb; cord clamping and cutting — delivery of neonate; placenta delivery; uterine closure: Vicryl 1 continuous suture ×2 layers; fascia: Vicryl 1; skin: Indermil tissue adhesive or stapler; newborn hand-off protocol — warming mat + paediatric clamp set + ID bands applied before hand-off to NICU team); STAT caesarean: scrub setup time <5 minutes (STAT C/S tray pre-laid per AORN recommendation; 3-count pre-pop of sterile field; all STAT cases completed within 30-minute delivery decision-to-incision interval); hysterectomy: total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH — Heaney clamps; Heaney needle holder; Jorgenson scissors; Heaney forceps; Cheaney clamp; uterosacral ligament division; vaginal cuff closure; uterine manipulator); total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH — Stryker 1588 AIM camera system; LiNA CloseFast disposable uterine manipulator; Ethicon Harmonic ACE; Endo GIA 60mm 2.5mm staple load for vaginal cuff; colpotomy cup sizing); GYN laparoscopy: diagnostic, salpingectomy (for ectopic pregnancy — STAT setup: 8-minute average from STAT call to scope insertion for ectopic protocol; 12 ectopic STAT cases in 18 months — 0 complications from instrumentation); myomectomy (intracapsular fibroid dissection; Myosure tissue removal system; Hyskon irrigation); D&C: Sharp (Sims curette, Hegar dilators #5–#13); saline infusion sonohysterography (SIS); hysteroscopy (Storz Karl Storz Hopkins II; 5mm and 4mm operative hysteroscope; Omniguide CO2 laser; ResectScope 26Fr); ovarian: laparoscopic salpingo-oophorectomy, cystectomy; count accuracy: 100% first-count accuracy — all OB/GYN cases (AORN protocol: pre-incision + cavity closure + final closure; RF Assure Detection System for all C-sections — SurgiCount compatible)."

Three Surgical Technologist CV Mistakes That Cost OR Positions

CST listed without recertification cycle year. CST certification requires 60 CE credits every 4 years or re-examination — it is not a lifetime credential. A perioperative manager or credentialing coordinator looking at an OR technologist application will ask at interview (or before) whether CST is current. A resume that states "CST (NBSTSA, 2021)" in 2026 raises an immediate question — is the 4-year cycle current? The format that eliminates the ambiguity is "CST (NBSTSA, current cycle 2023–2027; 48 of 60 CE credits completed)" or "CST (NBSTSA, recertification 2027)". If you have met the CE requirements or passed re-examination before the cycle ends, saying so provides a hiring manager the assurance they need without a separate phone call.

Surgical specialties listed by category, not by procedure and implant system. "Orthopaedics" on a surgical technologist resume tells a perioperative manager almost nothing. The OR manager for a joint replacement centre needs to know: do you know Stryker Triathlon, Zimmer Biomet NexGen, or both? Have you scrubbed anterior approach THA or only posterior? How many total knees have you done? These are the first questions asked in every surgical tech interview. Procedure counts and implant system names convert a category label into a skills claim that can be directly matched to the facility's OR schedule. A resume entry that says "total knee arthroplasty: 320+ cases; Stryker Triathlon and Zimmer Biomet NexGen; cement and cementless technique" answers those questions before the interview.

Count accuracy not documented. Incorrect surgical counts are a sentinel event risk — retained surgical items (RSI) are tracked by The Joint Commission as a reportable safety event. Perioperative departments audit count accuracy at the scrub technologist level, and a 100% first-count-pass rate over 24 months is the strongest single quality credential an ST can present. This data is retrievable from Epic OpTime, Cerner SurgiNet, or the department's count incident log. A candidate who can state "100% first-count-pass rate over 24 months (0 incorrect counts requiring re-exploration — Epic OpTime QA review confirms; 1,600+ cases)" has delivered the most consequential safety credential available to any surgical technologist — and almost no competing applicant includes it.

If you are a certified surgical technologist applying for general surgery, orthopaedic, cardiac, neuro, OB/GYN, or trauma OR positions and want your resume rebuilt around your CST credential, specialty-specific procedure volume, implant system proficiency, and surgical count record, Resumegpt generates your surgical technologist resume from your work history in under 60 seconds — CST with recertification cycle documented, procedures and implant systems named, count accuracy quantified, and ATS-optimised for hospital, ASC, and trauma centre surgical tech positions in 2026.