Select History of Surgical Technology Timeline

Question 1

Late nineteenth century - London Hospital

Answer 1

Mr. Rampley employed in the operating room (OR) as “surgery beadle” (theater technician)

Question 2

1948 - Britain

Answer 2

Formation of the Operating Theater Technicians

Question 3

Early 1950s - United States

Answer 3

Early development parallels Britain:

Many OR technicians educated in the military

Civilian education predominantly on the job and widely varying in expectations

Question 4

1954 - American Hospital Association

Answer 4

Publication of the first book focused on OR technicians: Surgical Technical Aide—Instructor’s Manual (Ginsberg)

Question 5

1959 - Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN) Board of Directors

Answer 5

Forms a survey group to study the needs of OR technicians

Question 6

December 1967 - AORN Manual Committee

Answer 6

Put out a new publication: Teaching the Operating Room Technician

Question 7

February 1969 - AORN House of Delegates

Answer 7

Released a critical proposal: “The Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc. (AORN) shall structure an associated organization for Operating Room Technicians, under the auspices of AORN. This organization will be known as the Association of Operating Room Technicians (AORT) and the two associations shall relate to each other through an Advisory Board at both the Local and National levels”

Question 8

July 19–20, 1969 - New York Conference

Answer 8

Formed a formal organization called the Association of Operating Room Technicians (AORT)

Question 9

1972 - American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates

Answer 9

Fundamentals of an education program for the OR technician adopted

Question 10

December 1970 - AORT Board of Directors and Advisory Committee

Answer 10

Certification selected over licensure

First examination given

Question 11

1972 - AORT

Answer 11

First edition of O. R. Tech magazine

Question 12

1973 - AORT and AORN

Answer 12

National Advisory Board dissolved “as AORT was able to assume the responsibilities of managing its own association.”

Question 13

1974 - The Liaison Council on Certification for Surgical Technology (LCC-ST)

Answer 13

LCC becomes an arm of AST responsible for certification

Question 14

1974 - Accreditation Review Committee on Education in Surgical Technology (ARC-ST)

Answer 14

ARC on Education for the ORT appointed (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs [CAAHEP] system)

Question 15

1978 - AORT National Conference

Answer 15

AORT changes name to Association of Surgical Technologists (AST); O. R. Tech changes to a journal called The Surgical Technologist

Question 15

1981 - AST

Answer 15

First edition of the Core Curriculum for Surgical Technology; published

Question 16

1985 - AST

Answer 16

Code of Ethics published

Question 17

November 1986 - The Surgical Technologist

Answer 17

Claire Olsen introduces associate degree discussion

Question 18

May 1988 - AST House of Delegates

Answer 18

First edition of the AST Standards of Practice adopted

Question 19

2006 - LCC-ST

Answer 19

LCC-ST changes name to National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA)

Question 20

2006–present - AST

Answer 20

Comprehensive “Guidelines for Best Practices in Surgical Technology” published

Question 21

2009 - ARC/STSA

Answer 21

ARC-ST changes name to the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA)