Sterile Processing Technician (Pool)

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Decontaminates and sterilizes instruments, medical supplies, and equipment, and assembles, wraps, and sterilizes trays of instruments.
• Follows proper Standards Precautions while in decontamination and sterilization areas.
• Maintains a clean work area.
• Makes available to sterile processing customers in a timely manner, sorted mismatched sets of instruments, trays, and medical equipment.
• Restocks, labels, and maintains inventory, submits requisitions, collects and distributes instruments, trays, and facility medical equipment.
• Performs environmental maintenance duties and assists in maintaining inventory levels in sterile processing, the operating room, and in equipment storage areas.
• Verifies that equipment functions properly, requisitions for equipment maintenance, repair or replacement, and removes defective equipment.
• Recognizes and anticipates the needs of the surgical team assuring instrument availability.
• Recognizes abnormal functioning of autoclave equipment, Steris system, and notifies appropriate person or company regarding company.
• Reviews par levels of supplies and equipment, to ensure that the resources necessary for patient safety are available.

EDUCATION

• A high school diploma or equivalent.

REQUIREMENTS

• Three years of Sterile Processing Technician preferred.
• Certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) is preferred.
• Requires current national certification as a SPD technician, Certified Registered Central Service Technician or Surgical Instrument Processor within six months.

KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledgeable of guidelines and techniques for cleaning and sterilizing equipment, as well as aseptic technique.
• Must have mechanical aptitude with the ability to break down moving parts, clean, lubricate and reassemble.
• Must have effective organizational communication and human relation skills.
• Knowledge of basic Sterile Processing and Standard Precautions.

SKILLS

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate professionally both verbally and in writing and the skill to listen.
• Must maintain clinical and skills competencies per position requirements, participating in growth through in-service and continuing education.
• Skills required to provide excellent customer service not only to our patients, but physicians, visitors, and other health care teammates, promoting a positive work environment.

ABILITIES

• Must have a strong attention to detail and physical stamina to handle long arduous work hours.
• Ability to work in an environment that frequently produces a high level of stress and mental fatigue, and a willingness to maintain a flexible work schedule as needed.
• Ability to multi-task and manage multiple work priorities and support to teammates.

ENVIRONMENTAL/WORKING CONDITIONS

• Normal and emergent clinical environment.
• Patient care environment with potential exposure to unpleasant odors, blood and body fluids, infectious disease and to chemical or electrical hazards.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS

• Good visual acuity, accurate color vision.
• Ability to transfer patients in excess of 100 pounds.
• Ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and/or crawl.
• Ability to reach, grasp, use fine finger movement and feel fine sensation to discern temperature, texture, size, and shape.
• Ability to speak and hear.