CERTIFIED SURGICAL TECHNOLOGIST 2026
COMPLETE CST EXAM PREPARATION AND
PRACTICE READINESS NOTES
◉ ACS.
Answer: American College of Surgeons. A professional organization
that establishes educational standards for surgeons and surgical
residency programs.
◉ Allied Health Profession.
Answer: A profession that follows the principles of medicine and
nursing but that focuses on an expertise set apart from those
practices.
◉ AORN.
Answer: Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. The
professional organization for surgical nurses; originally known as
the Association of Operating Room Nurses.
◉ AMA.
Answer: American Medical Association. Association founded in 1847
made up of medical doctors whose mission is to promote healthy
lifestyles across all patient populations.
, ◉ ARC/STSA.
Answer: Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical
Technology and Surgical Assisting. The ARC/STSA establishes,
maintains, and promotes quality standards for education programs
in surgical technology and surgical first assisting.
◉ ANSI.
Answer: American National Standards Institute. Organization that
creates business and health standards to serve as a baseline for
assessment.
◉ Assistant Circulator.
Answer: The surgical technologist in the nonsterile role of the
surgical team responsible for monitoring conditions in the operating
room as related to patient care, safety, documentation, distribution
of sterile supplies and counts. A registered perioperative nurse in
this role would be considered a circulator and will have additional
responsibilities.
◉ AST.
Answer: Association of Surgical Technologists. The professional
association for surgical technologists that strives to uphold and
support the standards of patient care and the profession.
COMPLETE CST EXAM PREPARATION AND
PRACTICE READINESS NOTES
◉ ACS.
Answer: American College of Surgeons. A professional organization
that establishes educational standards for surgeons and surgical
residency programs.
◉ Allied Health Profession.
Answer: A profession that follows the principles of medicine and
nursing but that focuses on an expertise set apart from those
practices.
◉ AORN.
Answer: Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. The
professional organization for surgical nurses; originally known as
the Association of Operating Room Nurses.
◉ AMA.
Answer: American Medical Association. Association founded in 1847
made up of medical doctors whose mission is to promote healthy
lifestyles across all patient populations.
, ◉ ARC/STSA.
Answer: Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical
Technology and Surgical Assisting. The ARC/STSA establishes,
maintains, and promotes quality standards for education programs
in surgical technology and surgical first assisting.
◉ ANSI.
Answer: American National Standards Institute. Organization that
creates business and health standards to serve as a baseline for
assessment.
◉ Assistant Circulator.
Answer: The surgical technologist in the nonsterile role of the
surgical team responsible for monitoring conditions in the operating
room as related to patient care, safety, documentation, distribution
of sterile supplies and counts. A registered perioperative nurse in
this role would be considered a circulator and will have additional
responsibilities.
◉ AST.
Answer: Association of Surgical Technologists. The professional
association for surgical technologists that strives to uphold and
support the standards of patient care and the profession.
