Your CST certification from NBSTSA, state surgical tech certification (where required), BLS, and any specialty credentials (Surgical First Assistant, robotic surgery certification) should appear at the top of your resume. Most hospitals and surgery centers require CST certification as a condition of employment, and credentialing teams verify it before interviews are scheduled.

Surgical techs who are scrub-trained in multiple specialties are far more valuable to OR schedulers. List every specialty in which you have performed the scrub role: general, orthopedics, neurosurgery, cardiac, urology, OB/GYN, plastics, or ENT. Note your competency level (primary scrub versus trained backup) and the average case volume in each specialty.

A perfect sterile count record is the most compelling safety metric on a surgical tech resume. If you have zero retained surgical item events over a significant case volume—say, 1,000+ cases—state it explicitly. Participation in quality improvement projects, root cause analyses, or AORN-guideline adherence initiatives also signals a safety-conscious professional that OR leadership trusts.