Trade Schools with Sterile Processing Programs
Sterile processing technicians, also known as central service technicians, play an essential role in the day-to-day operations of the medical field. These valuable employees are in charge of preventing the spread of disease and illness through the decontamination of medical equipment and supplies. While actual patients are not likely to meet these technicians during a hospital stay, they are nonetheless directly impacted by their duties.
Hopefuls with an interest in sterile processing jobs must enroll in a training program at a physical campus or through an online school. While there is no specific sterile processing degree, attending a program is a requirement. Upon completion of the program, students must pass an exam and perform 400 hours of hands-on experience to demonstrate their knowledge. Annual recertification is a requirement for workers to maintain their employment.
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What Is Sterile Processing?
Put simply, sterile processing careers involve cleaning surgical tools to keep viruses and infectious diseases from spreading. Successful surgeries depend not just on the actual operation and skill of the surgeon, but also the cleanliness of the medical instruments used. These tools often become soiled with blood and other bodily fluids, which a sterile processing tech must clean using a variety of methods.
What Are Sterile Processing Job Duties?
While cleaning is a major focus for sterile processing techs, they are responsible for many other tasks. A few common daily duties these employees perform include:
- Decontaminating medical instruments and devices
- Packaging sterilized equipment
- Shipping, storing and transporting tools
- Cleaning new tools and checking them for damage
- Distributing instruments to exam and operating rooms
- Keeping daily logs of sterilized items
- Taking inventory of medical instruments
What Types of Skills Should Sterile Processing Technicians Possess?
Sterile Processing jobs require workers to be experts in the sterilization of tools and devices. One part of that is knowing how to operate various decontamination equipment and in what order. There are many steps to this process, though a few common methods include:
- Manually clean the tool by hand if possible
- Place the tool in an ultrasonic cleaner for heavy-duty sterilization
- Insert the tool in a washer/disinfector for a final round of cleaning
- Securely package the tool in a sterile container
- Return the tool to the operating room or place it in sterile storage for later use
Employees must also know how to properly wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk of exposure to harmful bacteria. Some germs can spread easily through the air, while others live on surfaces for days at a time. Using the proper face masks and shields, scrubs, goggles and gloves is essential when handling surgical tools before and after sanitization. PPE is also regularly cleaned through the sterilization process to ensure a consistent, bacteria-free operation.
How Do Sterile Processing Technicians Maintain Their Workspace?
In many ways, the entire medical facility is a sterile processing technician’s workplace. Cleanliness is important to each and every room of a hospital, and avoiding the potential spread of illness is the number one goal of every tech. In addition to cleaning the many instruments a surgeon uses during an operation, techs also wash their hands regularly and change soiled scrubs.
Why Do Sterile Processing Technicians Need to be Versatile?
Sterile processing tech job duties vary day-to-day and require workers to adapt quickly to new environments, directions and responsibilities. A tech might be sterilizing scalpels, forceps and instrument tables one day only to store gloves and syringes during their next shift. Most medical facilities are also fast-paced, making it important for techs to adjust to the demands of specific doctors and medical staff.
What are Useful Skills for People in This Field?
- Ability to work alone and as a team member
- Possessing a close attention to detail
- Ability to work under pressure
- Organizational skills
- Filing and report writing skills
- Knowledge of computers
- Intermediate math skills
- Knowledge of how disease spreads
Are There Special Requirements for Sterile Processing Jobs?
Since there is no specific sterile processing school, hopefuls must instead pass the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) exam. Upon completion of their coursework in a program, and an intense 400-hour internship, taking this test is the final step to entering the field. Many employees attend a sterile processing trade school program directly out of high school and obtain their certification soon after.
What Is
the Outlook of Sterile Processing Jobs?
As with many careers in the medical field, demand is consistently growing. As more and more surgical operations are developed and performed, the need for sterile processing jobs increases. Depending on where a sterile processing tech works, the average annual income is between 30k and 40k. A vast majority of sterile processing techs find stable work in hospitals and surgical centers in large metropolitan areas.
A significant portion of this increase in growth is directly related to the baby boomer generation. As this age group develops the need for more surgical operations, so too does the need for techs. There is a projected 20% growth of medically-necessary surgeries within the next five years. Due to this, there has been no better time to pursue a career in sterile processing.
What Should Workers Expect?
As is the case with many jobs in the health field, sterile processing careers often involve long and irregular hours. Employees should expect to accommodate a hospital’s schedule and adapt to the needs of the surgical team. There are also certain seasons that show a spike in the amount of surgeries being performed. This surge often occurs late in the year though can occur at any time.
Where Can Prospects Find Work?
Thanks to the universal use of surgical tools across the medical field, sterile processing jobs are available in a range of settings. Workers are often able to find jobs all throughout the country in places such as:
- Hospitals
- Outpatient care centers
- Specialty care centers
- Dental clinics
- Ambulatory service centers
- Veterinarian offices
- Universities with on-site medical facilities
Can You Work Remotely?
Sterile technicians perform their job duties on-site at a hospital or other medical facility, making remote work impossible. Employees must be physically available for hands-on cleaning, inspecting and packaging of health care equipment. However, workers in supervisory roles may instruct a team of employees over a video conference call or other long-distance method.
Do Sterile Processing Technicians Have Any Other Options?
Due to the broad use of medical equipment in a wide range of health fields, sterile processing jobs are available wherever surgical instruments and devices are used. Also, workers receive extensive training in microbiology, human anatomy, surgical terminology and infection control. These skills equip workers with a solid foundation for pursuing other medical careers in the future if they choose.
What are Alternate Careers for Sterile Processing Technicians?
If a sterile processing tech decides to pursue further education, they can choose to become a clinical laboratory technician or a medical laboratory technologist. These employees are responsible for handling and studying delicate samples of blood, urine and tissue to search for abnormalities. Some people may also pursue a career as a surgical tech or phlebotomist, though these careers require additional training and a college degree in their respective programs.