Sterile Processing Department Liaison Coordinator

Brown Medicine•Cranston, RI

27d•$21 - $35•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Supervisor of Sterile Processing Operations, this role oversees the duties of day-shift reprocessing staff related to decontamination, cleaning, sterilization, assembly, and preparation of instruments and trays for use in the Hospital’s operating rooms. The position involves scheduling staff, conducting orientation and training, assigning work, and evaluating performance. It also establishes and updates priorities to meet anticipated and emergent needs under the direction of the supervisor. The role requires performing all duties related to operating room sterile processing staff as needed to meet customer needs or workload requirements. Brown University Health employees are expected to role model the organization's values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence.

Requirements

High School level of knowledge, including ability to operate a personal computer.
Additional formal coursework in sterilization techniques.
Certification as a central service technician (CRCST) within a year of acquiring the position.
Certified in a related field with two or more years’ experience.
Ability to obtain certification within 12 months.
Knowledge of human anatomy and medical terminology.
Knowledge and understanding of a variety of OR procedures' surgical instruments.
Knowledge of OR workflow, procedures, medical terminology, and instrumentation.
Knowledge of infection control and health & safety policies and procedures.
Ability to communicate effectively with supervisor, coworkers, and all levels of leadership, including the Operating Room and physicians.
Demonstrated customer-centric behavior.
Proficient analytical skills.
Demonstrated ability to identify, plan, and resolve issues in complex situations.
Ability to multi-task projects, including the ability to plan and organize.
Flexible and self-motivated.

Nice To Haves

Experience should demonstrate thorough knowledge of effective sterilizing techniques and experience in processing a variety of surgical instruments used in services such as cardiovascular, neurosurgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, pediatrics, genitourinary, and plastic surgery.
Demonstrated effective organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to patients with consideration of aging processes, human development stages, and cultural patterns in each step of the care process.

Responsibilities

Ensures continuity and quality of service by supporting SPD/OR in cooperation with ACM’s OR Leads and SPD supervisors through proper coordination of the case cart system, proper scheduling, and constant communication between the two departments.
Conducts daily communication with OR management and SPD leadership on instrument needs, turnovers, and frictions.
Meets with and works with Operating Room staff and surgeons as required.
Ensures accuracy and completeness of all administrative documents and functions related to the position, such as accurate preference cards, pick sheets, and other forms related to the case cart system.
Conducts instrument processing satisfaction survey audits as needed.
Keeps track of case-flow during the shift and notifies the Sterile Processing Supervisor of Operations in advance of additional needs, following up in a timely manner for completeness.
All requests/needs from the OR are funneled through the Coordinator to the Supervisor and vice versa to track instrument flow and needs throughout the shift, aiming for smoother workflow, accountability, and prevention of inefficiencies.
Assigns staff assignments as needed in collaboration with the SPD supervisors.
Assists with the planning and coordination of instrument turnarounds and communicates with the surgical team regarding information that may affect surgery start time.
Reviews the accuracy of surgical trays and resolves any discrepancies.
Performs data analysis to understand trends and identify operational issues within the Operating Room and Sterile Processing Department.
Assists the Instrument Management Supervisor in the routing of instrumentation for routine sharpening by obtaining and completing required forms for approval.
Documents and sends broken instrumentation out for repair.
Completes documentation as required for inventory/equipment requests, instrument sets, etc.
Orders and procures loaner instrumentation.
Shares knowledge with co-workers through open communication at huddles and in-services for continuous upgrading of skills.
Acts as preceptor as needed to ensure proper training of all new SPD Techs, especially in the CORE area and concerning case cart systems.
Ensures proper operational processes are followed by all members of the APD, OR, and Vendor team in conjunction with Department of Health, TJC, OSHA, CDC, AAMI, AORN standards, facilities policies, and procedures.
Covers for absent supervisors.
Performs SPD Tech duties as needed.
Performs other duties as needed.