Working as a surgical tech in a hospital delivery room can be both demanding and exciting. If you are trained as a surgical tech, you'll be the person responsible for making sure that not only that the mother in labor is doing okay (and of course the baby, too!), but that the obstetrician has all the supplies and instruments he or she needs to perform a safe delivery.
Common Supplies in a Delivery Room
Before a patient is delivered to the room where she will have her baby, appropriately called the delivery room, a surgical technician will be responsible for ensuring that the delivery room is clean, along with making sure that the supplies and tools the doctor needs are readily available. The supplies required in a delivery need to be conveniently located near you, as the surgical tech on the scene, so they can be handed quickly to the doctor. Additionally, instruments, such as needles and scalpels, need to be properly sterilized before they are used on a patient. If you have a surgical tech job, you may want to ensure that some "creature comforts" are available for moms giving birth. An extra pair of socks to warm a mother's feet or a blanket are also good to have on hand.
Taking Care of a Mom-To-Be
As a surgical tech, you may be responsible for transporting the mom-to-be from where she's been in labor to a surgical delivery room. You may have to put her in a clean gown (especially if her water broke) and make sure she is covered in sterile drapes. You may also be responsible for washing, as well as shaving the pubic area, for a vaginal delivery.
Besides making sure that the soon to be mom is as comfortable as possible, surgical techs may also monitor a her vital signs (including heart rate and blood pressure) during a delivery, especially if the mom is heavily medicated. You may also have to make sure, if she has an IV, that her fluids are sufficient to get her through the delivery.
Baby Comes Next
Once the baby has been delivered, surgical technicians may also be responsible for cleaning off the baby and wrapping the baby in a sterile blanket. Additional responsibilities include putting eye drops in a baby's eyes, weighing the baby and helping the doctor perform any other newborn tests that are required.
Cleaning Up is Key
After the delivery, a new mom will have to be cleaned up before she is transported back to a recovery room. Additionally, the instruments that were used during the delivery need to be sterilized, the supplies that were used need to be replaced and any towels or sheets that were used must be put in laundry bins. Finally, the delivery room needs to be totally sanitized from top to bottom to prepare for the next mom and baby!
