Sterile Processing Technician II Certified

About the role

Under direct/indirect supervision, follows approved infection control, quality assurance and departmental policies and procedures. Collects, cleans, decontaminates, disinfects and/or sterilizes surgical instruments, trays and packs, reusable medical devices and patient care equipment for inpatient Nursing and Medical Office departments. Works a majority of time in a Sterile Processing Department cleaning, preparing, assembling, sterilizing, prepare packs, instruments, and trays for the medical center and/or medical office building. Processes inpatient operating room instruments. May assist in departmental in-services and training.

Responsibilities

• Infection Control - Standard Precautions: Adherence to hand washing requirements, workflow patterns, standard precautions, sterility assurance, biological monitoring, and dress code.
• Quality Assurance Monitoring: Validates and maintains: event-related protocols; disinfection and/or sterilization load parameters and records; inventory check sheet(s); and equipment monitoring.
• Documentation: Meets regulatory requirements for sterilization, high level disinfection, biological monitoring, and employee competencies. Accurately document and maintain daily records of all QA and sterilization functions according to regulatory agency and Infection Control standards.
• Policies and Procedures: Adheres to Organizational and Departmental policies and procedures.
• Staff Development: Participate in department employee orientation (DEO), meetings, and employee evaluation and competency programs. Maintain current Sterile Processing Technician Certification. May assist in departmental inservices and training.
• Decontamination Skills: Wears personal protective equipment. Inspects, disassembles, sorts, cleans, and processes reusable instrumentation and equipment. Selects and operates specialized cleaning equipment. Follows manufacturer recommendations for use of cleaning agents. Follows device manufactures cleaning guidelines. Maintains adequate cleaning supplies. As designated reprocesses endoscopes.
• Instrumentation Assembly: Identifies, inspects, and assembles all general and specialty instruments, various power equipment, laser and endoscopic instruments per specifications and manufacturer recommendations.
• Preparation and Packaging: According to manufacturer guidelines, selects and prepares packaging materials for the sterilization of reusable instrumentation.
• Principles of Sterilization: Selects appropriate method of sterilization. Maintains accurate sterilization records. Properly loads and unloads sterilization cart items. Verifies that sterilization parameters have been met before distribution of load.
• Equipment and Supply Management: Collect, clean, check, distribute, and track patient care equipment. As designated, order patient care equipment, inventory assigned supply areas for replenishment, and rotate stock appropriately and stocks general and surgical carts. Report all malfunctioning equipment to appropriate department.
• Workplace Safety: Demonstrates awareness of personal and work area safety at all times. Complies with facility safety policies and procedures, including those for bloodborne pathogens and communicable diseases. Takes prompt corrective actions when hazard identified (reporting or removing, as appropriate). Attends required safety training.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates effective written and oral communication skills. Actively supports and contributes teamwork in the workplace. Takes responsibility and is accountable for own professional work ethics. Demonstrate responsibility in adhering to posted work schedules. Assist in inservice and training. Supports departmental related computer programs. May assume interdepartmental liaison responsibilities.

Requirements

• One year experience in instrument processing.
• Knowledge of Medical Terminology to understand instrumentation, surgical procedures, and surgical schedule.
• Knowledge of various types of reusable surgical instrumentation, including power equipment and micro surgical instrumentation.
• Knowledge of how to operate Sterile Processing departmental equipment (i.e. washers, ultrasonic, steam, gas, and chemical sterilizer).
• Knowledge of cleaning of patient care equipment (i.e. I.V. pumps, feeding pumps, pneumatic pumps, CPM machines, PCA, and hypo/hyperthermia units, etc.).
• Knowledge of sterilization monitoring, record keeping, and quality assurance protocols.
• Ability to read and comprehend complex instructions, correspondence, and memos.
• Ability to write simple correspondence.
• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other incumbents of the organization.
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to follow organizational and departmental policies and procedures.
• Effective oral and written communication skills with co-workers, internal, and external customers.

Qualifications

• Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution - Ambulatory Surgery Technician Certification OR Instrument Specialist Certificate OR Registered Central Service Technician Certificate OR Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution - Technician Certification OR Flex Endoscope Reprocessor Certificate OR Surgical Instrument Processor Certificate
• Departmental related computer skills.