Operating Theatre Technician
As well as giving technical support during an operation, an operating theatre technician is responsible for making sure the theatre and equipment are clean.
Need empathy and attention to detail.
Role Description:
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An operating theatre technician transports patients to and from the theatre and wards. They assist with moving patients when in the operating theatre and positioning the patient correctly for their procedure.
As well as giving technical support during an operation, an operating theatre technician is responsible for making sure the theatre and equipment are clean. They report on the malfunctioning of equipment and follow the hospital or day surgery’s health and safety procedures.
Where you might work:
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Operating theatre technicians work in operating theatres in public and private hospitals, and private day surgeries.
Personal attributes:
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You need to have good communication skills to work in this role. You need empathy to be able to assist patients who may be apprehensive about their surgery. It is essential that you can work in a team, show good attention to detail, and have the ability to follow operating theatre protocols.
Salary:
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Middle of the range salary in Australia: $46,800
(Reference: ABS Labour Force Survey, 2018).
Employment rates:
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17,000 job openings over 5 years in Australia (that’s about 3,400 a year) for the category “Medical Technician”. Medical technicians include anaesthetic technicians, cardiac technicians, medical laboratory technicians, operating theatre technicians, pharmacy dispensary technicians, specimen collectors and other medical technicians.
(Reference: ABS Labour Force Survey, 2018).
Industry growth:
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Across Australia, the number of Medical Technicians (which includes anaesthetic technicians, cardiac technicians, medical laboratory technicians, operating theatre technicians, pharmacy dispensary technicians, specimen collectors and other medical technicians) stayed about the same over the past 5 years. The numbers are expected to stay about the same over the next 5 years, from 26,400 in 2018 to 26,500 by 2023.
(Reference: ABS Labour Force Survey, 2018).
