Ambulatory Surgical Centers
What Are Ambulatory Surgery Centers? Ambulatory surgery centers, or ASCs, are facilities where surgeries that do not require hospital admission are performed. ASCs provide cost-effective services and a convenient environment that is less stressful than what many hospitals can offer. Patients who choose to have surgery in an ASC arrive on the day of their procedure, have their surgery in a fully equipped operating room, and recover under the care of highly skilled nurses, all without hospital admission. Whether they are young or old or somewhere in between, patients and their families benefit from the comfortable environment ASCs offer. ASCs may perform surgeries in several specialties or dedicate their services to one specialty, such as eye care or sports medicine.
What ASCs Are Not ASCs are not rural health clinics, urgent care centers or ambulatory care centers that provide diagnostic or primary health care services. ASCs treat only patients who have already seen a health care provider and selected surgery as the appropriate treatment for their condition. ASCs are not physicians’ offices either. All ASCs must have at least one dedicated operating room and the equipment needed to perform surgery safely and ensure quality patient care.
Pre-OP-PACU NURSES
Surgical Techs
Operating Room/Recovery
PACU nurses are highly trained critical care nurses who work in a hospital's post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). They look after patients who have recently had surgery and are recovering from the effects of anesthesia. Most patients are unaware that a specific registered nurse for the PACU is providing their post-op care, but they play an essential role in ensuring patients have a safe and quick recovery.
A surgical technologist is a medical professional who prepares an operating room (OR) prior to surgery. They are an essential part of the surgical care team, working alongside the surgeon, the surgeon's assistants, the nurses, and the anesthesia provider.
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Surgical technologists are surgical assistants, scrub techs, and operating room technicians.
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What Is the Role of a Surgical Technologist?
Surgical technologists are responsible for preparing operating rooms and patients for surgery and assisting during and after the procedure.