October 1, 2010
Grades 4-7 This offering in the Cool Careers: Career and Technical Education series provides an overview of the duties performed by these allied health professionals, requirements and training for the job, and the anticipated future of this occupation. Mullins describes a typical operating room and the roles that surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and surgical techs play in helping patients. He also details a typical workday, including the number of surgeries performed, usual tasks, and professional expectations. Full color, captioned photographs (depicting personnel and equipment but little blood) appear on most spreads, clarifying the text. Frequent sidebars note the history of this profession (beginning with beadles in the 1500s); current practices (including the differences between scrub, circulating, and surgical first assistant techs); and the variety of jobs available in this field (for example, in veterinary clinics). The font is not oversized, but wide spacing between lines will aid younger readers. Appended with further information about some famous surgical technologists, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index, this will make a useful addition to the career shelf.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)