How to Become a Surgical Tech in Tennessee

Are you interested in pursuing an occupation as a surgical technician and residing in Tennessee?

Surgical technicians play a vital role in ensuring the surgery process runs as smoothly as possible.

They are responsible for several duties, with the main one being assisting surgeons during surgery.

If this sounds like something you’d like to do, this guide will provide you with information on where to start your career path, in addition to both licensing and educational requirements.

Licensing Requirements to Become a Surgical Tech

To become a surgical tech in Tennessee, individuals must enroll and complete a surgical tech program that’s accredited.

Following graduation from this program, students will earn an associate’s degree.

These programs can take anywhere from 9 to 24 months to complete, depending on the type of school, program, and whether students already have previous education.

During these programs, students will receive both hands-on clinical experience and instruction in the classroom.

Following completion of a surgical tech program, students must pass the CST (Certified Surgical Technologist) exam.

Earning this certificate is legally mandatory for all surgical techs working in the state of Tennessee.

Once students have earned the necessary certification, they can go on to look for job opportunities.

As an individual looking for work in Tennessee as a surgical technician, one can look in the following places:

• Doctor’s Offices – Many surgical techs work in doctors’ offices that perform minor surgery.
• Hospitals – The most common place of employment for surgical techs is the surgery departments in hospitals.
• Outpatient Surgical Centers – Surgical techs also have the option of working in outpatient surgical centers that specialize in surgeries that don’t require the patient to stay overnight in the hospital.

5 Surgical Tech Schools in Tennessee

1. Concorde Career College

5100 Poplar Ave #132 l Memphis, TN 38137 l 901-881-2694

In just as little as 18 months, you can complete the surgical tech program at Concorde Career College in Memphis, TN.

As a result, students will receive an associate’s degree.

This program is only open to those who already hold a CST along with a diploma from an accredited surgical technology program.

In this program, students will experience hands-on learning and coursework that will challenge them.

The cost for this program is $44,200.

2. FORTIS College

3354 Perimeter Hill Dr. Suite 105 l Nashville, TN 37211 l 615-320-5917

FORTIS College has a campus in both Nashville and Cookeville.

In this program, students will gain knowledge and hands-on skills that they are required to have when working under a surgeon.

Students will be offered a balanced and comprehensive curriculum to prepare them as an entry-level surgical technician.

The program takes about 18 months to complete and has a cost of $32,993.

3. Miller-Motte College

6397 Lee Hwy Suite 100 l Chattanooga, TN 37421 l 423-800-7863

Another option for Tennessee students is to take advantage of Miller-Motte College’s surgical tech program.

This program is a total of 18 months long and students will receive an AAS in surgical technology once completed.

This program also includes a clinical rotation within a workplace environment.

The cost for this program is $33,160.

Students will learn all about different surgical techniques and procedures, microbiology, anesthesiology, pharmacology, and more.

4. South College

3904 Lonas Dr. l Knoxville, TN 37909 l 865-214-6020

South College in Knoxville also offers a surgical tech program where students can earn an associate’s degree.

Students will be taught all about sterile processing, patient care, decontamination, and much more.

Students will also gain practical clinical experience that is required when in operating rooms.

The program cost can range anywhere from $2,100 to $3,200, depending on the number of credit hours that are required.

The program takes 18 months to complete.

5. Tennessee College of Applied Technology

1100 Liberty Street l Knoxville, TN 37919 l 866-545-5567

Tennessee College of Applied Technology has several campuses throughout the state for students to take advantage of.

This program will prepare all students for cognitive psychomotor, education, and much more.

The cost can range anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 annually.

Students will take various courses including:

• Anatomy & Physiology
• Microbiology
• Med and Surgical Terminology
• Patient Care
• Pharmacology

This program takes 12 months to complete.

Surgical Technician Schools in Alaska – Summary Table

Salary

The average salary for surgical technicians working in Tennessee is $48,700 per year.

Moreover, the range can fall anywhere between $43,800 to $53,800 per year, depending on various factors such as additional skills, certification, and education.

Regional Salary in Tennessee