Sterile Processing Technician Associate

Job Title

Surgical Instrument Technician

Company

Allegheny Health Network

Job Description

General Overview:

This role is responsible for decontaminating, cleaning, assembling, sterilizing, and distributing surgical instruments and equipment. This role ensures that surgical instrumentation and equipment is properly processed and available for use in procedural and patient care areas, adhering to established policies, procedures, and regulatory standards. This role works under direct supervision, learning and applying the principles of sterile processing to maintain a safe and effective healthcare environment.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Follows all safety and infection control policies, procedures, and protocols and uses personal protective equipment (PPE) as required.
• Receives and sorts contaminated instruments and equipment from various departments.
• Disassembles instruments and cleans them using appropriate cleaning agents and equipment.
• Inspects cleaned instruments for cleanliness, proper function, and damage.
• Assembles instrument sets according to established count sheets and tray lists.
• Wraps or packages instruments and sets for sterilization.
• Monitors sterilization cycles and interprets printouts to ensure proper sterilization parameters were met.
• Operates and maintains automated washing and decontamination equipment.
• Loads and operates appropriate sterilization equipment.
• Documents sterilization cycles and maintains accurate records.
• Delivers sterile items to requesting departments in a timely manner.
• Maintains a clean and organized work environment.
• Other duties as assigned or requested.

Qualifications

Required:

• High School/GED
• For SPTs hired after 12/29/2020: Pass a nationally accredited central service exam within 18 months of hire; maintain Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) or Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (CSPDT) certification.
• A Surgical Technologist holding an active Certification of Surgical Technologist (CST) or Tech in Surgery Certified (TSC) meets this license requirement.