Sterile Processing Technician

LH Irmo Surgery
Full Time
Day Shift
0700-1530

Lexington Health is a comprehensive network of care that includes six community medical and urgent care centers, nearly 80 physician practices, more than 9,000 health care professionals and Lexington Medical Center, a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It was selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare and was first in the state to achieve Magnet with Distinction status for excellence in nursing care. Consistently ranked as best in the Columbia Metro area by U.S. News & World Report, Lexington Health delivers more than 4,000 babies each year, performs more than 34,000 surgeries annually and is the region's third largest employer.

Lexington Health also includes an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence, the state's first HeartCARE Center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, and an Alzheimer's care center. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies, as well as an informatics fellowship.

Job Summary

Responsible for supporting the daily operations that relate to the reprocessing of instrumentation including decontamination, cleaning, assembly, packaging, and sterilizing instruments, trays, and equipment for the hospital and affiliate physicians' offices. Responsible for case cart preparation and delivery as well as the replenishment of Operating Room supplies stored within the Sterile Processing Department. Sterile processing technicians will be cross trained in all areas of the department and may participate in precepting new employees if directed by the manager. Techs must have a high level of integrity by following all internal procedures and external regulatory processes.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education: High School Diploma or Equivalent
Minimum Years of Experience: None.
Substitutable Education & Experience (Optional): None.
Required Certifications/Licensure: Must obtain CBSPD-Technician from IAHCSMM or CBSPD from C.S.P.D.T certification within 1 year of employment.

**Employees employed in this role at LMC prior to 2002 are not required to obtain the above certifications.
Required Training: Basic computer skills and aptitude;

A willingness to learn, understand, and properly use decontamination and sterile processing equipment;

A willingness to learn and understand how to maintain surgical instrumentation (How they function, are processed, and how to clean and sterilize them.

Essential Functions

• Cleans instruments and supplies using accepted techniques and procedures.
• Prepares instruments, procedure trays and instrument sets for sterilization. Inspects instruments and wraps correctly and in the appropriate size wrapper or places in instrument sterilization containers.
• Uses knowledge of steam and Sterrad to determine proper method of sterilization. Follows proper loading techniques and operational procedures.
• Operates all equipment used in cleaning, decontamination and sterilization processes. This equipment includes, but is not limited to, steam and Sterrad sterilizers, sonic washers, washer decontaminators and cart washers.
• Assembles instruments and supplies for Operating Room procedures. Return un-used supplies and instrument trays from the OR to the proper location in the SPD sterile supply room. Restock supplies in OR suites from the SPD sterile supply room inventory.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Performs all other duties as assigned by the team lead or department manager.
• Reports all broken instrumentation and equipment and communicates low par levels of SPD consumable supplies to the team lead or department manager.
• Attends and participates in SPD department meetings and education.
• Proficient in using electronic instrument tracking system.
• Ability to act as a resource for staff in both SPD and OR regarding identification and assembly of specialty instruments and trays.

We are committed to offering quality, cost-effective benefits choices for our benefit eligible employees and their families:

• Day ONE medical, dental and life insurance benefits
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
• Employees are eligible for enrollment into the 403(b) match plan day one. LHI matches dollar for dollar up to 6%.
• Employer paid life insurance - equal to 1x salary
• Employee may elect supplemental life insurance with low cost premiums up to 3x salary
• Adoption assistance
• LHI provides its full-time employees employer paid short-term disability and long-term disability coverage after 90 days of eligible employment
• Tuition reimbursement
• Student loan forgiveness

Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of Lexington Health to provide equal opportunity of employment for all individuals, and to remain compliant with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Lexington Health strives to provide a discrimination-free environment, and to recruit, select, on-board, and employ all employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including but not limited to, lactation. Lexington Health endeavors to upgrade and promote employees from within the hospital where possible and consistent with the employee's desires and abilities and the hospital's needs.