I often get the sense that I’m in the only one here doing manual labor but I’m sure there are others.

Identify yourselves.

  • Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world
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    19 days ago

    Hands themselves stay clean, but through my gloves/gown, I’m regularly elbow-deep into blood, guts, and poop.

    Surgical technologist. It gets pretty nasty.

    Pay is kinda shit though, so I’m trying to switch over to nursing.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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      19 days ago

      Damn, I wouldn’t expect the words “surgical” and “shit pay” to go together, especially when a basic surgery gets billed at $40,000+. From what you described your day at work to involve, you deserve all the money! Especially since you’re helping people.

      • Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world
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        19 days ago

        We’re ultimately ‘just a tech’. We make enough to pay the bills, but not enough to make things like the check engine light not-terrifying.

        It’s a good foot-in-the-door job, especially if your path of entry is like mine (enlisted USAF, they just told me “You’re going to be a surgical tech!” and I was like “Cool! …what the fuck is a surgical tech?” and they covered all my training for it).

        I generally discourage people from actually paying to go through a surgical tech school, cuz if you can afford that, then you can afford to go to nursing school, and nurses make about twice what we do.

        Super cool experience, but not a good long-term career choice.