Surgical Technologist program boosts staffing, advances careers

An innovative new program based at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah is easing staffing shortages in our operating rooms and helping caregivers move forward in their careers.?

Intermountain Health launched its own surgical technologist training program in 2023. The intensive, 9-month program starts with coursework in a classroom or laboratory, and ends with a stint in an operating room.??

Those in the program are considered apprentices, and they are paid during training. Upon completion of the course, they are guaranteed a job.?

“This is about the fastest this training can be done,” said Mary Anne Douglas, RN, MS CNOR, the assistant vice president of nursing practice excellence in surgical services. “Most training programs require an 18- to 24-month commitment.”?

In 2024, Intermountain lost 50 techs and hired 75, 37 of whom were trained in-house. By June 2025, Mary Anne expects to have 51 surgical techs trained through Intermountain and working in our system, with more underway. Last month, 39 students were in the pipeline, and only 24 surgical tech jobs were open in our Utah and Idaho markets.

“We know we will lose more surgical techs based on historical attrition, so we are getting ahead of the game,” said Mary Anne. ”This is helping decrease the surgical tech shortage that has plagued us for a decade. The bathtub was draining faster than we were filling it up. For the first time in 10 years we are hiring more techs than we lose. This allows us to form surgical teams, replace traveler positions, and utilize nurses for circulating instead of scrubbing.”?

Classes are taught at LDS Hospital and St. George Regional Hospital in St. George, Utah, and are being made available remotely. The instructors are Shauna Jackson, Amber Forsyth, and Colin Bennett. In the next cohort, two students will join the training from Billings, Montana.?

“If that works, there is a huge need in Colorado,” Mary Anne said.?

Students finish the class with a national certification and credentials as surgical technologists. Many students have been Intermountain caregivers seeking a new career opportunity.??

M.J. Moreno is a recent graduate. Having worked at Intermountain for 20 years, most recently as an endoscopy technician, M.J. applied for surgical tech training.?

“I was at a point where my kids were basically raised, and I could focus more on growing my career,” M.J. said. “I had experience in the OR and found what the scrub techs were doing very intriguing.? I was almost capped out in salary as an endo tech and wanted to make sure I could continue to get raises to afford the rising economy. I also couldn't afford to quit working and go to scrub school through another route.”?

M.J. said the program was “very interesting and very challenging,” requiring her to learn new technologies and medical terminology. She considered the course demanding but manageable.?

“In the end, I feel like I have benefitted from doing this program,” she said. “I understand so much more about the human body and my new role in healthcare. It has helped me grow as a person and also given me the opportunity to continue growing my career.”?

Mary Anne said many caregivers who have reached the top in their current positions see surgical tech training as a “win-win,” as they get paid to study.?

“The caregiver gets a whole new skill set and a path for increased pay, and we get a loyal employee who fills a need,” she said. “But it is very competitive to get in. It’s a high-stress, fast-paced environment, and you need dexterity and fast thinking, and you have to have a passion for the work.”?

The concept of in-house training could be applied to other specialties, such as “anywhere we have a shortage,” Mary Anne said. That might include medical assisting, central processing, or phlebotomy.?

“This is a good example of how we use innovative training to meet our workforce needs,” she said.?