Certified Sterile Processing Technician

About the role

This position demonstrates accountability for operating room readiness ensuring sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable supplies are complete and ready for a procedure prior to the preceding patient leaving the operating room. Responsible for the proper care and handling of all general and specialty instrumentation including the cleaning, decontamination, disassemble/reassemble, quality assurance, instrument identification, set assembly, packaging, sterilization, and distribution of surgical instrumentation for PeriOp Services, hospital departments, and clinics.

Responsibilities

• Provides decontamination and sterile processing support to PeriOp Services, ED, ICU, hospital wide departments, clinics both on and off campus, and ambulatory surgery centers.
• Supports the management of sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable patient care supplies.
• Maintains required sterilization logs and quality assurance records relating to all equipment associated for the purpose of decontamination, HLD disinfection, and sterilization.
• Interprets the surgical schedule and medical terminology as it pertains to scheduled procedures requiring sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable supplies needed.
• Able to address and communicate special needs to minimize delays to surgery.
• Determines priority level of instrumentation requests and other hospital needs.
• Directs services in a competent and professional manner while assuring OR priorities are completed in a timely manner.
• Differentiates surgical instrumentation that is surgery owned, consignment/loaner, hospital department, surgeon, ambulatory surgery center, and clinics both on and off campus.
• Completes necessary tracking of surgical instruments with a paper log sheet or computer process for instrumentation leaving the area.
• Reports needed replacement of surgical instruments to maintain the inventory and support readiness of sets.
• Utilizes specialized equipment for the decontamination, high-level disinfection, and sterilization of surgical instrumentation according to the device and equipment manufacturer’s recommendations and hospital policy.
• Operates steam and hydrogen peroxide sterilizers of various types.
• Operates automated surgical instrument washers, ultrasonics, flush pumps, visualization devices, and cart washers to include high-level disinfectors where supported.
• Operates various quality assurance testing equipment associated to flexible endoscopic scopes, transesophageal ultrasound probes, and electro-surgical insulation defect detectors for laparoscopic and energy provided surgical instrumentation.
• Utilizes heat detection devices to allow steam sterilized surgical instrumentation to be released for use without risking burns to staff and patients.
• Utilizes various borescope devices to inspect inner channels of lumened surgical instrumentation and flexible scopes.
• Maintains a clean and safe environment by adhering to Standard Precautions and Infection Control practices.
• Follows protocols for proper donning of personnel protective equipment (PPE) while completing the decontamination process referencing IFU’s supplied by the manufacturers.

Requirements

• High school diploma/GED or equivalent working knowledge.
• Mechanical aptitude with the ability to break down moving parts, clean, lubricate and reassemble, problem solve incomplete trays and missing instrumentation.
• Effective organizational, communication and human relation skills.
• Complete national certification as an SPD Technician within one year of hire (preferred).

Qualifications

• Minimum qualifications: High school diploma/GED or equivalent working knowledge.
• Must have mechanical aptitude with the ability to break down moving parts, clean, lubricate and reassemble, problem solve incomplete trays and missing instrumentation.
• Effective organizational, communication and human relation skills.

Skills

• Knowledge of sterile processing techniques and equipment.
• Ability to interpret surgical schedules and medical terminology.
• Effective communication and problem-solving skills.
• Attention to detail and organizational abilities.

Benefits

Not specified.

Pay

Not specified.

Schedule

Full-time Evening Shift, Monday to Friday 3pm-11:30pm.