Upon successful completion of the learning experience, students will be able to: identify and apply the principles of communication in a surgical setting; trace the historical development of surgical technology; recognize members of the surgical team and their roles; describe the surgical technology professional organizations: AST, ARC/STSA, and NBSTSA; compare and contrast the various roles of the surgical technologist; interpret the components of a job description for the surgical technologist; analyze the components of effective teamwork and communication; discuss the meaning of surgical conscience and its application to surgical technology; summarize the different types of health care facilities; analyze a typical hospital organizational structure; classify hospital departments and their relationship to surgical services; analyze the legal concepts that pertain to surgical technology; interpret the legal responsibilities of the certified surgical technologist and other surgical team members; compare and contrast criminal and civil liabilities and the consequences of these acts; analyze the American Hospital Association’s Patient Care Partnership; describe the need for professional liability insurance policies; analyze the key elements related to the development of a surgical conscience; assess the resources available to the certified surgical technologist to interpret and follow professional standards of conduct; develop an increased sensitivity to the influence of ethics in professional practice; analyze the role that morality plays during ethical decision making; cite examples of ethical situations and problems in the health professions; analyze scope of practice issues as they relate to surgical technology; interpret prevention, correction, and documentation techniques that may positively affect risk management issues; analyze the recommended practices and legal elements of proper documentation; apply principles of problem solving to ethical decision making; assess the errors that may occur in the operating room and devise a plan for investigation, correction, and notification; assess the patient’s response to illness and hospitalization; demonstrate awareness that all surgical patients have the right to the highest standards and practices in asepsis; distinguish and assess the physical, spiritual, and psychological needs of a patient; distinguish and assess cultural and religious influences of the surgical patient; compare and contrast the patient’s responses to the process of death; discuss the procedure for a patient death in the operating room; compare and contrast the surgical care considerations for pediatric patients and patients who are obese, diabetic, pregnant, immunocompromised, disabled, or geriatric, as well as trauma patients; evaluate the unique physical and psychological needs of each special population; compare and contrast the intraoperative considerations for pediatric patients, trauma patients, and patients who are obese, diabetic, immunocompromised, or geriatric that relate to postoperative wound healing; evaluate the role of the CST for the surgical care of each special population; assess the ethical commitment that is required of CSTs as it relates to special populations care; determine the general needs associated with special populations of surgical patients; recognize the hazards to the patient in the operative environment; distinguish among the support services that work with the operating room team in the care of the patient; review the type of air-handling system required in the operating room and the temperature and humidity required to maintain a sterile field; indicate cleaning procedures, traffic patterns, and routines required in the operative environment; analyze the role of the surgical technologist in the protection of self, patients, and others from hazards in the operative environment; recognize the design types of the operating room; classify hospital departments that relate to surgical services; recognize the working environment of the operating room; determine the physical components of the operating room; explain the relationship between instrumentation, equipment, and supplies and quality patient care in the operating room; explain the relationship between instruments, equipment, and supplies and the operating room environment with safety concepts; indicate items that require sterilization prior to use in the sterile field; recognize basic instruments by type, function, and name; demonstrate proper care, handling, and assembly of instruments; differentiate the types of special equipment utilized in operating room practice and demonstrate proper care, handling techniques, and safety precautions; cite the names and functions of accessory equipment and demonstrate proper care, handling, and assembly; collect and prepare supplies used in the operating room; analyze the role of the surgical technologist in caring for the surgical patient; verify the preoperative routines that must be completed; demonstrate the transportation of the surgical patient; apply the principles of surgical positioning; demonstrate techniques of opening and preparing supplies and instruments needed for any operative procedure with the maintenance of sterile techniques at all times; summarize the methods of preparation of the operative site for surgery; demonstrate the application of thermoregulatory devices; interpret the principles and demonstrate the taking and recording of vital signs; interpret the principles of urinary catheterization and demonstrate the procedure; analyze how the principles of operative site preparation and urinary catheterization are related both to patient care and to the principles of asepsis; demonstrate the proper techniques for the surgical hand scrub, gowning, gloving, and assisting team members; demonstrate the proper technique for preparing supplies and instruments on a sterile field; demonstrate and explain in detail the procedure for counting instruments, sponges, needles, and other items on the sterile field; demonstrate the initial steps for starting a procedure; demonstrate intraoperative handling of sterile equipment and supplies; and summarize and demonstrate postoperative routines.