Instrument Tech

Where You'll Work

Founded in 1923, Dignity Health - St. Mary Medical Center is a 389-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in Long Beach, California. Serving over 80,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including a Level II Trauma Center, Level III NICU, heart care, and orthopedics. Additionally, St. Mary Medical Center has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. It is a Joint Commission-certified Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center and received a Healthgrades 5-Star Award for Heart Failure in 2026.

One Community. One Mission. One California


Job Summary and Responsibilities

As our Instrument Technician, you will be a highly specialized expert responsible for the meticulous inspection, maintenance, and repair of surgical instruments, ensuring their precision, functionality, and readiness for safe patient procedures.

Every day you will perform detailed inspections of surgical instruments for damage or wear, execute delicate repairs and adjustments, troubleshoot instrument malfunctions, and maintain accurate records of all repair activities. You will be expected to ensure all instruments meet stringent performance standards, collaborate closely with sterile processing and surgical teams, and contribute directly to patient safety and operational efficiency.

To be successful in this role, you must possess exceptional manual dexterity, a profound understanding of surgical instrumentation, and an unwavering commitment to precision and quality control in a critical healthcare support function.

• Demonstrates ability to assess/interpret age-specific data, especially as it pertains to instrumentation. Identifies safety and/or risk-management issues and reports them immediately. Establishes an optimum inventory level and ensures that its maintained. Responsible for all ordering of inventory and non-inventory items as required. Responsible for keeping track of instruments that are loaned out to other departments or other facilities. Efficiently locates and stores instruments and supplies as assigned.
• Checks and maintains instruments and supplies in good working order: - Assembling of instruments sets. - Caring for scopes. - Caring for air and electric-powered inst., oiling and air testing. Reports non-functioning equipment and instruments to the immediate supervisor. Knowledgeable of current sterility and infection control practices as related to sterile processing. Ability to access OneSOURCE web site to verify current manufacturers recommendations for cleaning and sterilizing instruments. Contributes to maintaining the Favorites List on the OneSOURCE sight.
• Demonstrates the ability to utilize aseptic technique in processing supplies, instruments and equipment during the following steps: - Cleaning. Packing. - Sterilizing. - Storing. - Handling. - Maintenance of the environment.
• Follows policy and procedure related to equipment such as: - Ultrasonic Cleaner. - Steam autoclaves - Washer- disinfector. - Heat sealer.
• Operates autoclaves, ultrasonic washer, washer-disinfector - Loads items in accepted manner. Uses appropriate settings. - Checks indicators for proper function. - Selects the proper cycle.
• Follow policy and procedures in cleaning, wrapping and sterilizing of supplies, and Instrument sets: - Cleans, assembles, packages, sterilizes and stores all instruments, basins, and trays. - Washes, rinses, dries, packs material for sterilization. - Clean autoclave. - Cleans, fills, sterilizes, and stores miscellaneous items.

Job Requirements

Required

• Current or within one year of date of hire, certification through the Certified Board for Sterile Processing (CBSPD) or International Association of Healthcare Central Services Materials Management (IAHCSMM)
• Certified Sterile Processing and Dist Tech
• Basic Life Support - CPR

Preferred

• Three years in a Central Service or Surgical instrument processing area.