A Texas Health pilot program to train licensed vocational nurses to become operating room surgical technicians and another to train new sterile processing technicians began Oct. 10 at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.
Both Texas Health Resources University apprenticeship courses are aimed at alleviating shortages.
“Perioperative positions in general are much harder to fill than other positions at hospitals,” said Chris Bejil, D.N.P., R.N., CNOR, CSSM, CENP, NE-BC, director, perioperative services, at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.
“The great thing about building a program around LVNs is that they already have a nursing license,” he said. “Adding surgical tech skills and competencies is a great way to enhance their career paths.”
A total of nine LVNs are in the pilot at Texas Health Fort Worth, along with one who will go to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. A total of six sterile processing tech recruits are in training to earn their certification. The techs sterilize surgical instruments and make sure they are distributed as needed to the operating rooms.
A third-party provider will teach both courses, which will last about a month before individualized skills training with preceptors begins for the L.V.N.s and SPD technicians, said Candy Baptist, director, THRU career transformation center. Applications are not available because this is a small pilot program.
“We are happy to do elbow-to-elbow training with them,” Bejil said. He said Kasey Crabtree, B.S.N., R.N., CNOR, program coordinator of perioperative services at the hospital, has been dedicated to making sure the training is complete and meaningful to the apprentices.
“She has already engaged with many of them, working on career pathways that will benefit them most in the future,” he said.
Mark Morales, chief learning officer, said the pilot is another way THRU continues to be responsive to hospitals’ needs, which shifted during the pandemic and have changed again.
“People left for traveling jobs or left healthcare entirely in the past two years,” he said. “We have moved quickly to establish programs that will benefit Texas Health and our patients for years to come.”
Published October 18, 2022
