Certified Surgical Technologist First Assist
Pasadena, Texas
HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast

Job Opportunity: CST/ORT - First Assist (Travel Assignment)

Location: Pasadena, Texas
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Position Overview

Seeking a Certified Surgical Technologist/Operating Room Technician (CST/ORT) for a First Assist role in a busy surgical unit. The unit supports a variety of surgical specialties including general surgery, robotics, neurosurgery, orthopedics, ENT, urology, gynecology, vascular, and labor & delivery.

Unit Information

• Number of Beds: 10
• Staffing: 51 total OR staff; 7 First Assistants (FAs)
• Shifts:

  • Day Shift: OR Admin Director, OR Director, OR RN CNCs, RNs, CSTs, FAs, OR aides, anesthesia techs
  • Night Shift: Not applicable (on-call coverage only)
• Equipment: Da Vinci Xi Robots (2), Velys Robot
• EMR System: Meditech
• Business Hours:

  • Monday-Friday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
  • After 7:00 PM: Urgent/emergent cases only
  • Weekend staffing covered by on-call team

Required Skills & Experience

• Certifications:

  • CST (Certified Surgical Technologist)
  • BLS (Basic Life Support)
  • ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support)
  • CSFA (Certified Surgical First Assistant)
• Experience: Minimum 1 year in specialty (First Assist)
• Technical Skills:

  • Proficient in circulating general surgery, robotics, neurosurgery, orthopedics, ENT, urology, gynecology, and vascular procedures
  • Experience with adult and pediatric patients
  • Labor and delivery experience (vaginal deliveries, C-sections) required
  • Meditech EMR experience required

Preferred Skills

• Vascular procedures
• AV fistula creation
• Femoral popliteal artery bypass

Typical Procedures Performed

• Laparoscopic, open, and robotic general surgery (appendectomies, cholecystectomies, hernia repairs, abdominal procedures)
• Spinal and craniotomy procedures, VNS stimulators
• Venous access procedures (AV grafts, AV fistulas, femoral/popliteal bypass)
• Urology procedures (cystoscopies, stent placement, laser procedures, lithotripsy, TURBT, TURPT)
• Plastic surgery procedures
• Orthopedics (hips, shoulders, knees)
• Obstetrics (labor and delivery support)

Work Environment & Expectations

• Dress Code: Hunter green scrubs
• Schedule:

  • First case starts at 7:00 AM; staff expected to arrive by 6:30 AM
  • Call required for nights, weekends, and holidays with a 30-minute response time
  • No set schedules; workdays may vary based on organizational needs
  • Time off requests must be submitted within the travel contract period; additional time off granted based on staffing coverage
• Floating: May support main OR for general surgery, OB/GYN, urology, and robotics if no vascular or heart cases are booked
• Personality Fit: Receptive to feedback, open to collaboration, and experienced in labor & delivery

Additional Notes

• Prior travel experience is not explicitly required for this role.
• Call coverage includes nights, weekends, and holidays.
• The role supports both labor & delivery and general OR cases.