Job Description
Find your calling at Mercy!
Position Details:
Certified Surgical Technologist First Assist (CSTFA)
Main Operating Room | Level I Trauma Center
Mercy Hospital St. Louis | St. Louis, Missouri
Position Summary
The Certified Surgical Technologist First Assist (CSTFA) functions as an integral member of the perioperative team, providing skilled surgical assistance during operative and invasive procedures. Working under the direction of the surgeon and in collaboration with anesthesia providers, nurses, and surgical staff, the CSTFA supports surgical procedures by maintaining a sterile environment, assisting with tissue exposure, hemostasis, wound closure, and other first-assist responsibilities.
The Main Operating Room at Mercy Hospital St. Louis is a high-acuity, fast-paced Level I Trauma and Burn Center serving patients across all age groups, including pediatrics, and supporting a wide range of surgical specialties.
Essential Responsibilities
- Serve as the surgical first assistant during operative procedures in accordance with hospital policy, surgeon preference, and scope of practice.
- Assist with patient positioning, preparation, draping, and surgical site exposure.
- Provide hemostasis through clamping, cauterization, pressure, and other approved techniques.
- Utilize retractors, suction devices, and instrumentation to optimize surgical visibility.
- Assist with tissue handling, suturing, stapling, wound closure, and dressing application.
- Anticipate surgeon needs and ensure equipment, supplies, and instruments are readily available.
- Maintain sterile technique and adhere to infection prevention standards throughout procedures.
- Perform surgical technologist duties before, during, and after surgery, including room setup and turnover.
- Participate in trauma activations, emergency surgeries, and complex surgical cases as assigned.
- Collaborate effectively with surgeons, registered nurses, anesthesia professionals, and support personnel to ensure positive patient outcomes.
- Ensure proper handling, counting, and documentation of supplies, instruments, and specimens.
- Support quality improvement, patient safety, and regulatory compliance initiatives.
Qualifications
Education
- Graduate of an accredited Surgical Technology program required.
Certifications
- Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA) or Certified Surgical Technologist First Assist (CSTFA) credential required or obtained within a specified timeframe.
- Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required.
Why Mercy?
From day one, Mercy offers outstanding benefits - including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, tuition support, and matched retirement plans for team members working 32+ hours per pay period.
Join a caring, collaborative team where your voice matters. At Mercy, you'll help shape the future of healthcare through innovation, technology, and compassion. As we grow, you'll grow with us.
Numbers & Facts
| Location | Saint Louis, MO |
| Industry | Healthcare Services |
| Company Size | 10,000 employees or more |
| Year Founded | 1986 |
| Website | https://www.mercy.net/ |
About Company
Our Mercy health system was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1986. But our heritage goes back more than 185 years. It began with an Irish woman named Catherine McAuley, who wanted to help the poor women and children of Dublin. Though Catherine had a modest upbringing, she received an unexpected inheritance that allowed her to fulfill her dreams. In 1827, she opened the first House of Mercy in Dublin, intending to teach skills to poor women and educate children. Many volunteers came to help. A few years later, Catherine founded the Sisters of Mercy, the first religious order not bound to the rules of the cloister, whose Sisters were free to walk among the poor and visit them in their homes. By the time Catherine died in 1841, there were convents in Ireland and England, and in 1843, the Sisters of Mercy came to the United States. In 1871, they traveled to St. Louis and from there throughout the Midwest, beginning what would, today be known as Mercy.
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2018, 2017 and 2016 by IBM Watson Health, serves millions annually. Mercy includes more than 40 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, 800 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 44,000 co-workers and 2,100 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In addition, Mercy's IT division, Mercy Technology Services, supply chain organization, ROi, and Mercy Virtual commercially serve providers and patients in more than 20 states coast to coast.
Skills
- Acute Careunmatched
- Anesthesiologyunmatched
- Basic Life Support (BLS)unmatched
- Documentationunmatched
- Healthcareunmatched
- Hemostasisunmatched
- Hospitalunmatched
- Infection Controlunmatched
- Instrumentationunmatched
- Patient Careunmatched
- Patient Safetyunmatched
- Pediatricsunmatched
- Quality Managementunmatched
- Registered Nurse (RN)unmatched
- Regulatory Complianceunmatched
- Surgical Nursingunmatched
- Wound Careunmatched
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