Sterile Processing Technician

Key Essential Functions And Accountabilities Of The Job

• Responsible for all steps necessary for the proper decontamination, disinfection, sterilization and packaging of instruments and equipment for Juneau Specialty Clinic and Juneau Primary Care.
• Supports decontamination, disinfection, sterilization and packaging of instruments and equipment as needed for other SEARHC services as workload permits.
• Completely and thoroughly dissembles instruments and equipment to ensure the removal of any debris, surgical soil and bioburdens prior to sterilization or high-level disinfection.
• Performs multi-step procedures to effectively reprocess various instruments, including autoclaving.
• Performs and validates all cleaning of instruments using SEARHC policies and procedure, manufacturers’ instructions for use guidelines, along with the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) guidelines.
• Maintains records for all sterilization procedures that are processed including interpretation of all biological monitoring, validation of monitoring results, and quality assurance checks to ensure sterilization parameters are met.
• Effectively communicates with providers and staff to problem solve in the event of an instrument shortage and the need to substitute and/or offer alternatives.
• Verifies that equipment functions properly, requisitions for equipment maintenance, repair, or replacement, and removes defective equipment.
• Maintains competency in sterilization reprocessing by return demonstration and participating in continuing education as requested.
• Aids in the training and certification of members of the team on SEARHC sterilization process as needed.
• Performs additional supply handling duties for Specialty Care and Primary Care at ELMC as time permits secondary to sterilization/reprocessing responsibilities. Duties include: Product ordering and stocking, Inventory checks, Other basic inventory management functions as needed.

Additional Details

• Education, Certifications, and Licenses Required:
  • High school diploma/GED
  • Current BLS (Basic Life Support) certification or obtained within 60 days of hire
  • Certification in Sterile Processing and/or Technology required within one (1) year of hire date through either the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD) or Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HPSA).
  • Clinical Competency required within 3 months of hire and every three years
• Experience Required: One (1) year experience in a healthcare environment preferred
• Knowledge of:
  • Infection control
  • Surgical instrumentation and care/cleaning
  • Sterile techniques
  • Inventory management
• Skills:
  • Strong oral & written communication skills
  • Task and detail oriented
  • Self-Motivated
  • Ownership of project
  • Advanced levels of hand & eye coordination skills
  • Working level of organizational skills
  • Computer skills
  • Ability to Use aggressive patient management techniques to diffuse any patient/visitor/peer volatile situations.

Position Information

• Work Shift: OT 8/40