4N191 Career Guide
4N191: Surgical Services Apprentice
Career transition guide for Air Force Surgical Services Apprentice (4N191)
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Top civilian roles for 4N191 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Surgical Technologist
Registered Nurse (RN)
Skills to develop:
Medical Equipment Repairer
Skills to develop:
Sterile Processing Technician
Skills to develop:
Healthcare Administrator
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your 4N191 training built — and where they transfer.
Rapid Prioritization
In the OR, you're constantly triaging tasks and patient needs, deciding what requires immediate attention to ensure the best outcome during high-pressure situations.
Your ability to quickly assess urgency and importance translates to any fast-paced environment where decisions must be made swiftly under pressure.
Procedural Compliance
Your strict adherence to sterile procedures and protocols in the OR guarantees patient safety and prevents infections, a non-negotiable aspect of your job.
This meticulous attention to detail and commitment to following established guidelines makes you excellent at managing risk and ensuring quality control in any field.
Team Synchronization
As a surgical technician, you're an integral part of a surgical team, anticipating needs, and coordinating actions seamlessly to support the surgeon and ensure a smooth operation.
Your experience working in close coordination with others, predicting their needs, and communicating effectively makes you a valuable asset in collaborative environments.
Situational Awareness
You maintain constant awareness of the OR environment, anticipating potential problems, and proactively addressing them to maintain a safe and efficient surgical setting.
This proactive approach to identifying and mitigating risks translates into an ability to foresee challenges and implement solutions before they escalate into bigger problems.
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Quality Assurance Specialist
SOC 19-4041.00You've been trained to maintain the highest standards in a critical environment, making you exceptionally suited for ensuring quality control and compliance in manufacturing or other industries. Your attention to detail is unparalleled!
Emergency Management Specialist
SOC 29-9011.00Your experience in contingency operations and disaster response has equipped you with the skills to plan and coordinate responses to emergencies, ensuring the safety and well-being of others. You know how to perform under pressure!
Medical Equipment Repairer
SOC 49-9062.00Your familiarity with medical equipment, coupled with your understanding of surgical procedures, makes you uniquely qualified to troubleshoot, repair, and maintain medical devices. You already understand their critical role in patient care!
Sterile Processing Manager
SOC 31-9099.02You've already managed sterile supplies and environments in surgery, so you're well equipped to oversee all activities for instrument sterilization and decontamination to ensure a safe environment for patients and staff. Your ability to follow and enforce rigorous standards is a huge asset!
Training & Education Equivalencies
Surgical Service Apprentice Course, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX
Topics Covered
- •Surgical instrumentation and equipment
- •Aseptic techniques and infection control
- •Operating room procedures and protocols
- •Surgical patient care and monitoring
- •Sterile processing and supply management
- •Anesthesia assistance
- •Surgical specialty procedures (orthopedics, urology, ENT)
- •Medical readiness and disaster response
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
Requires study of CST-specific surgical procedures, instrumentation, and updated technologies not explicitly covered in the 4N191 curriculum. Focus on the latest AST Core Curriculum.
In-depth knowledge of sterile processing standards, advanced sterilization methods, and complex equipment maintenance. Requires further study of IAHCSMM standards.
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Steris System 1E Sterilizer | Steris Amsco V-Pro maX Low Temperature Sterilization System |
| Draeger Fabius GS Anesthesia Machine | GE Healthcare Aisys CS2 Anesthesia Delivery System |
| Olympus Endoscopy System | Stryker Endoscopy System |
| Operating Room Lights (e.g., Skytron Aurora) | Berchtold Chromophare F-Series Surgical Lights |
| Patient Monitoring System (e.g., Philips IntelliVue) | GE Healthcare CARESCAPE Patient Data Module |
| Electronic Health Record (EHR) - Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA) | Epic Systems, Cerner Millennium |
| Automated Dispensing Cabinet (ADC) - Pyxis MedStation | Omnicell Automated Dispensing System |
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