Sterile Processing Technician III

Sterile Processing Technician

Primary City/State: Tucson, Arizona

Department Name: Sterile Processing Dept-Hosp

Work Shift: Weekend

Job Category: Clinical Support

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Central Sterile Processing is an ancillary department of the Operating rooms within a healthcare facility in which medical/surgical supplies and equipment, both sterile and non-sterile, are decontaminated, processed, sterilized, stored and used for patient care. All this takes place behind the scenes in a sterile lab type setting.

Our ideal candidate will have CRCST or CSPDT certification, and a minimum of 1 year of working SPD Tech experience.

Shift Details:

Weekend night shift

Friday, Saturday & Sunday

4:00pm – 4:30am

Enjoy a $1/hour weekend shift differential and an 18% night shift differential, when applicable.

POSITION SUMMARY

This position performs as an integral part of the OR team with limited supervision. Demonstrates accountability for operating room readiness ensuring sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable supplies are complete and ready for a procedure prior to the preceding patient leaving the operating room. Responsible for the proper care and handling of all general and specialty instrumentation including the cleaning, decontamination, disassemble/reassembly, quality assurance, instrument identification, set assembly, packaging, sterilization, and distribution of surgical instrumentation for PeriOp Services, hospital departments, and clinics.

CORE FUNCTIONS

1. Provides decontamination and sterile processing support to PeriOp Services, ED, ICU, hospital wide departments, and clinics both on and off campus, and ambulatory surgery centers. Provides various levels of service for the management of sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable patient care supplies.

2. Responsible for the decontamination, assembly, and packaging of surgical instruments following established protocols, instructions for use (IFU) as well as performs required quality assurance, repairs, reassembly, documentation, sterility handling, and storage of specialized surgical instruments.

3. Ability to identify interpret the surgical schedule and medical terminology as it pertains to procedures requiring sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable supplies. Able to address and communicate special needs to minimize delays to surgery. Responds to emergent calls from the Operating Room and performs preliminary investigations. Determines priority level of instrumentation requests and other hospital needs. Directs services in a competent and professional manner while assuring OR priorities are completed in a timely manner.

4. Able to differentiate surgical instrumentation that is surgery owned, consignment/loaner, hospital depart, surgeon, ambulatory surgery center, and clinics both on and off campus. Completes necessary tracking of surgical instruments with a paper log sheet or computer process for instrumentation leaving the area. Reports needed replacement of surgical instruments to maintain the inventory and support readiness of sets.

5. Utilizes specialized equipment for the decontamination, high-level disinfection, and sterilization of surgical instrumentation according to the device and equipment manufacturer's recommendations and hospital policy. Operates steam and hydrogen peroxide sterilizers of various sizes. Operates automated surgical instrument washers, ultrasonics, flush pumps, visualization devices, and cart washers to include high-level disinfectors where supported.

6. Operates various quality assurance testing equipment associated to flexible endoscopic scopes, transesophageal ultrasound probes, and electro-surgical insulation defect detector for laparoscopic and energy provided surgical instrumentation. Utilizes heat detection devices to allow steam sterilized surgical instrumentation to be released for use without risking burns to staff and patients. Operates demagnetizers of stainless-steel instruments for ophthalmic and delicate cardiac surgical instrumentation for safe use on patients. Utilizes various borescope devices to inspect inner channels of lumened surgical instrumentation and flexible scopes.

7. Maintains a clean and safe environment by adhering to Standard Precautions and Infection Control practices. Staff follow protocols for proper donning of personnel protective equipment (PPE) while completing the decontamination process referencing IFU's supplied by the manufacturers.

8. Maintain flexibility to rotate shifts and adjust hours as needed, maintain a work record of regular attendance, timely arrivals, and departures, maintain professional appearance appropriate to position and function.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

High school diploma/ GED or equivalent working knowledge.

Minimum one (1) year experience as a Sterile Processing Technician

Requires national certification as an SPD Technician (CSPDT) or Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) and relevant experience with sterilizing instruments which qualifies the candidate for the national certification exam or certified registration.

Must have mechanical aptitude with the ability to break down moving parts, clean, lubricate and reassemble, problem solve incomplete trays and missing instrumentation and have effective organizational, communication and human relation skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Instrument management tracking system experience.

Additional related education and/or experience preferred.