Sterile Processing Tech - Full Time - Days

About the role

At Nebraska Methodist Health System, we focus on providing exceptional care to the communities we serve and people we employ. Our culture, known as The Meaning of Care, sets us apart by emphasizing the importance of delivering personalized, compassionate care.

Responsibilities

• Sorts, disassembles, cleans, and disinfects contaminated instruments and equipment to render items safe for handling, by using special techniques and procedures of Universal Barrier Precautions.
• Fulfills the manual and automated cleaning processes as per departmental procedures.
• Uses proper chemicals and understands Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) forms.
• Adheres to universal precautions, infection control policies, and maintains safe work practices.
• Communicates potential risks to appropriate personnel and operates decontamination machinery strictly according to departmental procedures.
• Wears personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly while working in decontamination.
• Prepares instrument sets/trays and other reusable patient equipment by following recipe sheets to ensure completeness and accuracy of each item.
• Replaces lost or damaged instruments as needed to complete the set/tray.
• Conducts quality checks on instruments for cleanliness, function, defects, breakage, and overall condition.
• Flushes all instruments with lumens or cannulated.
• Performs sterile linen processing according to established guidelines to ensure availability of sterile linen.
• Packages each set/tray/item as directed on each recipe sheet and per the department's policy.
• Keeps sterile linen stocked to the set par levels and uses proper wrapping techniques for non-woven wrappers and packaging techniques for paper peel pouches and rigid containers.
• Loads sterilization cart/chamber according to method of sterilization and set policies and procedures and unloads sterilization carts to ensure smooth and timely processing and delivery of sterile instruments and supplies by carefully and properly handling items on the cart as outlined in department procedure manual.
• Operates sterilizers in strict accordance with departmental procedures, following policies and procedures for steam sterilization, Ethylene Oxide sterilization, and Gas plasma sterilization.
• Understands and interprets mechanical, chemical, and biological indicators, prepares sterilization loads according to sterilization method and policies, and incubates self-contained biologicals according to protocol.
• Maintains accurate records of sterilization and equipment in the department by utilizing the instrument tracking system, following departmental policies and procedures to comply with federal and other external regulations.
• Maintains accurate sterilization records/documentation, follows protocol for scanning bar-coded items, scans items to the proper stations and locations, and enters sterilization records accurately into the sterilization module.
• Consistently records accurate load control numbers and consistently verifies and initials all records according to policy.
• Distributes instruments sets to ensure receipt by departments in a timely manner.
• Delivers sterile cart to Operating Room (OR)/Outpatient Surgery (OPS) in a timely manner and accurately delivers sterile items in the correct location as designated in Sterile Processing Department (SPD).
• Responds to Operating Room (OR)/Outpatient Surgery (OPS)'s requests in a timely manner.
• Performs UV cleaning of used equipment following established procedures.

Requirements

• High School diploma or General Educational Development (G.E.D.) preferred.
• 1 – 2 years previous experience in Sterile Processing preferred.
• No licenses/certifications required.

Skills/Knowledge/Abilities

• Knowledge of decontamination of surgical instruments preferred.
• Skilled in appropriate surgical instrument sterilization methods preferred.
• Skilled in proper handling and packaging of instruments preferred.
• Strong verbal communication skills for positive interaction with staff and customers required.
• Able to read, write, and comprehend various written reports and documents required.

Physical Requirements

• Weight Demands: Medium Work - Exerting up to 50 pounds of force.
• Physical Activity: Not necessary for the position (0%), occasionally (34%-66%), frequently (67%-100%).
• Job Hazards: Not related to explosives, electrical shock/static, radiation, biological agents, blood/body fluids, chemical agents, physical hazards.

About Methodist

Nebraska Methodist Health System is made up of four hospitals in Nebraska and southwest Iowa, more than 30 clinic locations, a nursing and allied health college, and a medical supply distributorship and central laundry facility. Founded in 1891, our mission centers around service to our communities, financial assistance, health education, outreach to diverse populations, and community benefit activities.

Employer Information

Nebraska Methodist Health System is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by Federal, state or local law.