Salus Learning Institute | Surgical Technology Program
| Didactic 375 hrs | Lab 300 hrs | Clinical 585 hrs | Program Total 1260 hrs |
Course Listing
| Course | Title | Contact Hours | Prerequisite / Corequisite |
| ST 101 | Medical Terminology | 40 Didactic | None |
| ST 102 | Anatomy & Physiology | 80 Didactic | None |
| ST 103 | Introduction to Surgical Technology & Healthcare Environment | 45 Didactic | ST 101 and ST 102 |
| ST 104 | Surgical Microbiology & Infection Prevention | 60 Didactic | Coreq: ST 103 |
| ST 105 | Surgical Pharmacology & Anesthesia Concepts | 60 Didactic | Coreq: ST 103 |
| ST 106 | Surgical Procedures I | 45 Didactic | Coreq: ST 103 |
| ST 107 | Professionalism, Ethics, and Patient Safety | 30 Didactic | ST 103 and ST 106 |
| ST 201 | Aseptic Technique & Sterile Processing Lab | 100 Lab | ST 103, ST 104, and ST 107 |
| ST 202 | Surgical Case Management & Instrumentation Lab | 100 Lab | ST 201 |
| ST 203 | Surgical Procedures Lab | 100 Lab | ST 201 and ST 202 |
| ST 301 | Clinical Practicum I | 180 Clinical | ST 201, ST 202, and ST 203 |
| ST 302 | Clinical Practicum II | 180 Clinical | ST 301 |
| ST 303 | Clinical Practicum III | 180 Clinical | ST 302 |
| ST 304 | Hybrid Capstone & Certification Prep | 15 Didactic / 45 Clinical | ST 302 | Coreq: ST 303 |
Detailed Course Descriptions
Foundation Courses
ST 101 – Medical Terminology
Contact Hours: 40 Didactic | Prerequisite: None
Provides foundational instruction in the language of healthcare, including common prefixes, suffixes, root words, abbreviations, and terminology associated with body systems, procedures, diagnoses, and perioperative care documentation.
ST 102 – Anatomy & Physiology
Contact Hours: 80 Didactic | Prerequisite: None
Introduces the structure and function of the human body with emphasis on major body systems, homeostasis, organ relationships, and vocabulary needed to support safe practice in allied health and perioperative settings.
Core Didactic Courses
ST 103 – Introduction to Surgical Technology & Healthcare Environment
Contact Hours: 45 Didactic | Prerequisites: ST 101 and ST 102
Introduces the profession of surgical technology and the broader healthcare environment, with emphasis on the perioperative setting and operating room workflow. Students explore the roles and responsibilities of the surgical team, basic patient-care concepts, communication expectations, and standards of conduct expected of entry-level surgical technologists.
ST 104 – Surgical Microbiology & Infection Prevention
Contact Hours: 60 Didactic | Corequisite: ST 103
Provides foundational microbiology knowledge relevant to surgical practice and infection prevention in the perioperative environment. Topics include microorganisms, disease transmission, the chain of infection, aseptic principles, standard precautions, sterilization and disinfection concepts, and infection-control practices that protect patients and the surgical team.
ST 105 – Surgical Pharmacology & Anesthesia Concepts
Contact Hours: 60 Didactic | Corequisite: ST 103
Builds foundational understanding of pharmacology and anesthesia concepts used in surgical care. Students examine common medication classifications, medication labeling and safety, routes of administration, dosage awareness, and the indications, effects, and safety considerations associated with local, regional, and general anesthesia.
ST 106 – Surgical Procedures I
Contact Hours: 45 Didactic | Corequisite: ST 103
Introduces common surgical procedures, instrumentation, and case flow across the perioperative process. Students learn principles of preoperative preparation, instrument identification and handling, room setup, and the role of the surgical technologist in supporting safe and efficient operative care.
ST 107 – Professionalism, Ethics, and Patient Safety
Contact Hours: 30 Didactic | Prerequisites: ST 103 and ST 106
Examines the professional, ethical, and safety responsibilities of the surgical technologist. Emphasis is placed on communication, teamwork, legal and ethical decision-making, patient advocacy, accountability, quality assurance, and the application of safety standards that reduce preventable error.
Laboratory Courses
ST 201 – Aseptic Technique & Sterile Processing Lab
Contact Hours: 100 Lab | Prerequisites: ST 103, ST 104, and ST 107
This laboratory course emphasizes hands-on application of aseptic technique and sterile processing principles. Students practice surgical hand antisepsis, gowning and gloving, creation and maintenance of the sterile field, instrument decontamination and inspection, packaging and sterilization concepts, and appropriate storage and handling of sterile supplies.
ST 202 – Surgical Case Management & Instrumentation Lab
Contact Hours: 100 Lab | Prerequisite: ST 201
This laboratory course focuses on instrumentation, case setup, and workflow management in the surgical environment. Students practice instrument identification, supply and equipment selection, preparation of sterile back tables and mayo stands, counts, room turnover, and efficient organization of the operative field.
ST 203 – Surgical Procedures Lab
Contact Hours: 100 Lab | Prerequisites: ST 201 and ST 202
Applies prior didactic and laboratory learning through simulated surgical procedures. Students refine sterile technique, instrument passing, procedural sequencing, anticipation of surgeon needs, and overall case management skills while building efficiency, accuracy, and confidence in the scrub role.
Clinical Practica
ST 301 – Clinical Practicum I
Contact Hours: 180 Clinical | Prerequisites: ST 201, ST 202, and ST 203
This initial clinical practicum introduces students to the clinical surgical environment through supervised observation and guided participation in perioperative care. Emphasis is placed on professional behavior, sterile technique, basic case preparation, and the safe performance of beginning scrub responsibilities in the operating room.
ST 302 – Clinical Practicum II
Contact Hours: 180 Clinical | Prerequisite: ST 301
Advances the student’s performance in the scrub role through increased participation in surgical procedures under supervision. Students strengthen skills in case preparation, sterile field maintenance, instrumentation, communication with the surgical team, and efficient intraoperative practice.
ST 303 – Clinical Practicum III
Contact Hours: 180 Clinical | Prerequisite: ST 302
This advanced clinical practicum emphasizes consistent demonstration of entry-level competency in the scrub role. Students are expected to manage increasingly complex case responsibilities, complete required competencies and case experiences, and demonstrate readiness for transition to professional surgical technology practice.
Capstone Course
ST 304 – Hybrid Capstone & Certification Prep
Contact Hours: 15 Didactic / 45 Clinical | Prerequisite: ST 302 | Corequisite: ST 303
This culminating hybrid capstone course combines focused didactic review with supervised clinical validation. Emphasis is placed on comprehensive content review, mock examination analysis, case log and competency audit, transition-to-practice readiness, and final demonstration of entry-level performance in the scrub role. Students complete targeted certification review activities alongside final clinical case completion and competency validation.