Sterile Processing Technician

About the Role

A Sterile Processing Technician I ensures medical equipment and instruments are properly decontaminated, assembled, and sterilized to comply with safety standards and provide quality patient care.

Responsibilities

• Support team members with disassembling, assembling, packaging, and sterilization as needed.
• Apply comprehensive knowledge of disassembling, assembling, packaging, and sterilization processes.
• Determine appropriate methods for instrument care, including hand washing, mechanical washing, or high-level disinfection, focusing on protein removal, corrosion prevention, and sorting for repair.
• Ensure appropriate cleaning of mobile patient equipment.
• Inspect instruments and equipment for proper function and damage.
• Operate decontamination equipment, ensuring optimum cleaning, loading, temperature control, and troubleshooting malfunctions.
• Monitor quality control, identify and correct quality problems before products leave the department.
• Perform biological monitoring to ensure the efficacy of sterilization equipment.
• Test instruments and decontamination equipment for bioburden residual.
• Participate in a proactive quality assurance program, auditing sample trays and documenting failures.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation, including sterilization records and temperature logs.
• Perform and interpret efficacy test results for sterilization, high-level disinfection, and washer decontaminators.
• Follow protocols for releasing sterilized instrumentation, completing required tests and documentation.
• Follow up on process variations.
• Accurately fill supply requests from procedural areas and ensure timely delivery to the correct unit.
• Actively participate in maintaining departmental policies, procedures, objectives, quality improvement, safety, and infection control standards.
• Collaborate with team members and other departments to ensure effective and efficient patient care.
• Demonstrate flexibility in thinking and actions, understanding team dynamics.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent (required).
• Associate's Degree (preferred).
• Six months of experience in a hospital environment or sterile processing department (preferred).