MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –
Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Geneva in French
Focus on two complementary medical-technical professions: operating room technician and medical device technologist.
Start of the day in the operating room. The operating room technician (OT) goes through the patient’s file being cared for by the care team. In this work, it is essential to be prepared for any eventuality, to think about the complications that may arise during a surgical procedure.
The TSO is one of the links in the treatment chain, guaranteeing hygiene, safety and good care. This is why checking the patient’s identity and identifying any allergies and medical history are the first essential steps before any procedure in the operating room. Then, she puts on her sterile pajamas and proceeds to surgical hand washing.
Unite around the patient
Continuation of the adventures in the operating room. The final preparations are finalized: the surfaces disinfected, the devices necessary for the intervention checked.
The operation can then begin. Silence takes over the operating room. The interdisciplinary team is focused, hypervigilant. “Like an orchestra conductor, the TSO coordinates each step precisely,” explains Luzia Stettler, a teacher at the École supérieure de la santé. “She anticipates the surgeon’s actions by presenting him with the instruments and, in particular, guarantees that the operations go smoothly. Given the complexity of the profession, it requires three years of higher education after a secondary II diploma.”
Now comes the reprocessing of medical devices, “an activity that occurs after their use on the patient,” explains Hervé Ney, sterilization expert at HUG and president of the Swiss Society for Hospital Sterilization. Coordination between TSOs and medical device technologists is therefore essential.”
During this time
A stone’s throw from the operating room, Djésika Anani is busy at Steriswiss, an outsourced sterilization company for clinics and medical centers. She is an apprentice medical device technologist (MDT) in her third and final year. A job that is also behind the scenes, straddling care and technology.
After the crucial step of hand washing, she puts on her personal protective equipment and joins the sterilization team. Sorting, washing, disinfecting, packaging and sterilizing the medical instruments used now hold no more secrets for the apprentice.
“After the TSO sends the used equipment for sterilization, there are several steps in three separate areas, from the dirtiest to the cleanest,” Djésika specifies. “In a rigorously followed order, we check the proper functionality and cleanliness of the medical devices after they have passed through the washer-disinfector. Then, we package them and sterilize the instrument sets that will be part of the surgeon’s instrument tray.”
Four hours have passed since the beginning of the day. Time for the new patient.
“All TSO ES students find a job before the final exams”
Three questions for Luzia Stettler, TSO teacher at the École supérieure de la santé.
Can a medical device technologist (CFC) continue in the “higher education” program as an operating room technician?
Yes, directly after validating their CFC. Currently, we have two students who have gone through this route. They are exempt from courses and exams concerning sterilization, which represents an entire module (out of the nine in the training plan).
What about employability?
100%! All TSO ES students find a job before the final exams, as the shortage of manpower in care, and particularly in the operating room, is significant.
Are there other opportunities to enter such a profession?
Of course! However, you don’t improvise as a TSO: providing patients with services with a high degree of quality and safety remains our leitmotif. Nursing graduates who wish to specialize in the operating room field can have their acquired experience recognized and valued, thus validating one year of TSO training, and therefore train in two years. Exemptions are also possible for people who have worked in the operating room for several years and do not have an officially recognized qualification.
Career focus dedicated to medical-technical care.
Operating room professionals, TSO students and TDM apprentices will share their experience on Wednesday, October 9 between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), at 4, rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil, in Geneva. Zoom professions by registration (45 places).
To learn more and register: http://www.devenirtso.ch
All information on vocational training:http://www.citedesmetiers.ch
Text: Laurie Josserand, OFPC-SISP, DIP / Photo: Laurent CrottetArticle also published in the Tribune de Genève on September 26, 2024
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.