Sterile Technician

Job Description:

Summary: The Sterile Processing Technician performs and participates I decontamination, cleaning, assembling and disassembling, packaging, sterilization, storage and tracking, and distribution of reusable medical and surgical equipment.

The technician also manages durable medical equipment. Records location of new equipment and trains staff in safe use, performs maintenance, tracks major repairs on equipment, and returns equipment to use.

Areas of Responsibility:

· Follow guidelines, policies, and procedures for sterilization to ensure that medical instruments are completely decontaminated before use.

· Maintains current knowledge of best practice for cleaning and sterilization according to Joint commission, CDC, and AST (Association of Surgical Technologists). Maintains certification through continuing education requirements.

· Responsible for autoclave heat sterilization and cold sterilization of heat sensitive equipment.

· Understands the use of Standard Precautions for personal protection and basic infection control.

· Operating and monitoring steam autoclaves, sonic washers, and other sterilizing equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

· Reviews, troubleshoots, and repairs medical equipment failures.

· Cleaning and preventative maintenance sterilizing equipment per protocol by manufacturer and documentation by Joint Commission standards.

· Collect all instruments from the team areas and organize surgical instrument sets.

· Taking inventory and reporting instrument loss, stocking all supplies for sterile processing of instruments.

· Records sterilizer test results daily M-F.

· Cleans and reassembles and tests instruments after decontamination and sterilization.

· Reports sterilized HLD failures or errors to supervisor immediately.

· Maintenance of eye wash stations.

· Maintaining personal protection per OSHA guidelines as it pertains to personal safety, i.e., protective clothing, eyewear, gloves.

· Monitor biological indicators by using indicators in each package, daily Point of Care sport testing; records and tracks all results to ensure patient safety.

· Maintain the supply of liquid nitrogen and refill portable bottles for team.

· Monitors temperatures for refrigerated controls used for point of care laboratory tests.

· Tracking and maintenance of existing and new medical equipment.

· Validates the functionality after equipment is returned from being repaired.

· Ensures that all periodic calibration is completed for equipment used for patient care such as digital blood pressure monitors, scales, and sterilizing equipment.

· Other duties as required by the organization

Experience and Skills:

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.

Education/Experience:

· Bachelors of Arts or Science preferred

Desired Skills:

· Must have the ability to follow detailed instructions.

· Organizational skills, problem solving skills, communication and customer service skills.

· Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast paced environment.

Licenses and Certifications:

· Certification as a sterile processing technician required; candidates without certification must complete certification within one year of hire and have experience in the job role or medical assisting or CNA.

· Candidate must be able to successfully meet PHC’s credentialing and privileging requirements.

Language Skills: English, both written and verbal is required. Bilingual in English and Spanish, both written and verbal preferred.

Mathematical Skills: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to recognize problems, collect data and establish facts.

Computer Skills: MS Office (Word, Excel and Outlook) and web applications.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

· Movement within health center complex environment repeatedly throughout the day.

· Ability to write by hand, use phone, use computer keyboard and mouse extensively to perform general office functions.

· Manual wrist and finger dexterity and wrist-finger speed sufficient to perform repetitive actions for extended periods of time.

· Ability to effectively communicate by hearing continuously and speak in a manner which can be understood by a diverse population.

· Ability to give and follow verbal and written instructions with attention to detail and accuracy.

· Must have visual acuity near and far (20 inches to 20 feet), depth perception, field of vision, ability to focus on an object, ability to identify and distinguish colors.

· Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time (minimum periods of one (1) hour at a time).

· Ability to frequently walk, bend, squat, stoop, kneel, twist, crouch, and climb with the use of a step stool.

· Ability to grasps, hold and pick up and reach with hands and arms.

· Ability to frequently lift and or move up to twenty (20) pounds.

· Ability to coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously.

· Ability to travel to and from other health center sites and community locations.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to Health Center areas and general office environment. This job position may have exposure to fumes, chemicals, noise, blood and body fluids, and infectious diseases. The work environment is a clean, well-lit, well-ventilated, and temperature controlled environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The hours of duty are lengthy and irregular.