BRENDA LEE BENAVIDES
San Antonio
Summary
Highly skilled and dedicated Certified Surgical Tech, with 3 years experience at Westover Hills Baptist San Antonio, STHS-Heart and STHS-McAllen in efficiently assisting surgeons in the O.R. with surgical procedures. Seeking an opportunity for professional growth and development as a surgical tech, committed to maintaining highest standards of patient care and safety. Willingness to learn new procedures and help improve the department's performance and patient outcomes.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Certified Surgical Technologist
Westover Hills Baptist Hospital
05.2024 - Current
- Assessed the O.R. schedule to ensure availability of supplies and equipment before each procedure.
- Setup surgical suites by preparing necessary equipment, supplies, tools, and instrumentation according to surgeon's preferences.
- Helped transport, position and drape patients, prioritizing patient safety
- Ensures strict adherence to sterile techniques, minimizing the risk of infection.
- Delivered exemplary assistance and support to surgeons during general, gynecological, orthopedic, robotic and G.I. procedures.
- Assisted with manipulation of laparoscopic camera and robotic arms.
- Anticipated surgeon needs during high-risk, time-sensitive operations.
- Collected, handled, and disposed of medical specimens.
- Assisted in application of sterile dressing, ensuring proper wound care post-surgery.
- Assisted in transferring patients after surgery to promote timely operating room turnover.
- Prepared instruments for terminal sterilization.
- Maintained supplies, implant, and instrumentation inventories, and stocked sterile core and operating rooms.
- Worked with vendors for speedy procurement of services, supplies, and equipment.
- Proved successful while working within tight deadlines and a fast-paced environment.
- Introduced new staff members to training protocols regarding operating room procedures, infection control, safety standards, and overall facility policies.
- Created, updated and maintained preference cards and pick lists after each case.
- Contacted new surgeons to remain proactive
- Cleaned and maintained operating equipment to keep resources in good working condition and ready for use.
- Contributed team-based problem-solving to resolve issues that arose
Certified Surgical Technologist
McAllen Heart
10.2021 - 04.2024
- Pick and gather appropriate supplies, instrumentation, and checked for properly functioning equipment necessary for surgery
- Open, set up and maintain sterile back table and label medications/solutions accordingly
- Perform sponge, sharps and instrument counts, both prior and after surgery with circulating RN
- Drape the sterile working site and secure any tubing, sterile cords, and electrocautery while using aseptic technique
- Gown and glove the surgeon and CFA and participate in time-out
- Assist surgeon/CFA by handing instruments, suctioning working site, retracting, counting, cutting sutures as directed, while anticipating surgical steps.
- Maintained high infection control standards.
- Created unobstructive operative fields by using retractors, sponges, and suction and irrigating equipment.
- Respond efficiently to unexpected emergent situations arising in the O.R.
- Handled, labeled and handed-off specimens
- Prepare and apply dressing following surgery
- Assist with terminal cleaning and decon.
- Case counts include endo, general, plastic, vascular, robotics and some cardio-thoracic
- Assist with ordering and restocking of supplies
- Create and update surgeon's preference cards, pick-lists and charges.
- Familiar with CensiTrac, Surginet and McKesson software
Materials Management Technician
McAllen Heart
11.2022 - 04.2023
- Determined inventory quantity needs, ordering more materials based on minimum or maximum levels.
- Maintained detailed documentation regarding inventory movements including receipts, issues, transfers, adjustments and returns.
- Collaborated with purchasing department on sourcing new vendors/representatives as well as negotiating pricing contracts.
- Investigated discrepancies between actual stock levels and system records in order to identify root causes.
- Created spreadsheet reports detailing inventory levels, shortages or surpluses.
- Performed physical inventories on a periodic basis in order to validate system data accuracy.
- Maintained par levels and advised of back order items to proper personnel and looked for substitutes.
- Assisted in developing monthly budgets.
- Utilized McKesson to coordinate material management activities and utilized handheld scanner to identify items needed and retrieve merchandise from inventory bins.
- Arranged supplies and unloaded cargo from containers.
- Arranged stock and materials for easy access by inventorying by size, weight and shape.
- Restocking of supplies, rotated inventory and removed damaged or outdated inventory items from store shelves.
- Ordered and handled tissues/implants (mesh's, cryo veins, valves) accordingly
Certified Surgical Technologist
Mcallen Medical Center
08.2023 - 11.2023
- Organized room, ensuring scopes and equipment were calibrated, white balanced and functioning prior to procedure
- Cleans and prepares patient care area
- Help transfer, prepare and position patient for endoscopic procedure
- Placed devices such as blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeter sensors, nasal cannulas, surgical cautery pads, and cardiac monitoring electrodes on patients to monitor vital signs
- Talked to patient, letting them know what I was doing to make them comfortable
- Participated in time-out Identified any potential problems or complications that could arise during an endoscopic procedure and took corrective action when needed
- Collect and label multiple specimens accordingly
- Input patient information onto Olympus to capture photos and recordings for proper patient charting
- Helped clean patient after procedures and help transfer to recovery
- Transfer and discarded soiled equipment/supplies in accordance with established policies and procedures.
- Maintained inventories of endoscopic equipment and supplies.
- Washed and processed endoscopes accordingly
- Successfully performed endoscopic procedures including esophageal dilation, upper endoscopies, colonoscopies
- Trained and mentored new endo techs upon hire
- Kept daily track of endoscope sterilization, flushes and scope logs
Education
Associate of Applied Science -
TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Harlingen, TX08-2021
Skills
- Patient Advocacy
- Stress Management
- Expertise Problem Solving Adaptability and Flexibility
- Effective Communication & Team Collaboration
- Critical Thinking
- Organizational Skills
- Professionalism and Ethics
- Aseptic and sterilization techniques
- Stock Rotation & Inventory Management
Certification
- NBSTSA- Certified Surgical Technologist (exp. 9/2025)
- American Heart Association-BLS (exp. 8/2026)
Languages
English
Spanish
References
- Gerardo Rojas, CST, SENIOR/LEAD TECH, WESTOVER HILLS BAPTIST- (210)328-7104 Email: Jxrojas@baptisthealthsystem.com
- Braulio De La Garza, RN, SURGERY DIRECTOR, STHS-HEART- (956)648-3584 Email: Braulio.delagarza@uhsrgv.com
- Scott Fylling CATH LAB DIRECTOR, STHS-HEART- (989) 297-0294 Email: Scott.fylling@uhsrgv.com
- Jaime Ramirez, RN, SURGERY SUPERVISOR/CHARGE NURSE, STHS-HEART- (956)905-3503 Email: Jaime.ramirez@uhsrgv.com
- Marivel Gonzales DIRECTOR OR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT, STHS-HEART- (956)341-4746 Email: Marivel.gonzales@uhsrgv.com
Timeline
Certified Surgical Technologist
Westover Hills Baptist Hospital
05.2024 - Current
Certified Surgical Technologist
Mcallen Medical Center
08.2023 - 11.2023
Materials Management Technician
McAllen Heart
11.2022 - 04.2023
Certified Surgical Technologist
McAllen Heart
10.2021 - 04.2024
Associate of Applied Science -
TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE
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