Sterile Processing Technician II - Equipment Sterilization - Per Diem - Shift

Kern Medical•Bakersfield, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Kern Medical is seeking a Sterile Processing Technician II to join their team on a per diem basis. This role is crucial for maintaining the sterility and availability of surgical and medical instrumentation and equipment. The Sterile Processing Technician II is a certified level position that requires a high level of surgical conscience and a thorough understanding of decontamination, assembly, and sterilization principles. The position involves working with a variety of instruments and equipment, including endoscopy equipment, and requires adherence to manufacturer instructions and departmental protocols. This role also involves inventory management, environmental maintenance, and effective communication with various departments.

Requirements

High School Diploma/GED required
Completion of an approved Sterile Processing course or equivalent Surgical Services related experience required
Sterile Processing Technician certification required by either: Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA) (previously known as the International Association Healthcare Central Services Material Management (IAHCSMM))
Appointees not possessing the American Heart Association Responder or Provider Basic Life Support (BLS) card at time of hire must successfully complete appropriate training and qualify for the RQI Responder certification within 60 days of employment.
As a continued condition of employment, employee must maintain RQI Responder certification and competency.
Must possess thorough knowledge of surgical instrumentation.
If position responsibilities require driving a personal vehicle, then possession of a current valid California Driver’s License and adherence to the Kern County Hospital Authority Vehicle Use and Driving Standard Policy (ENG-EC-119) is required.
If position responsibilities require driving a vehicle owned, leased or rented by Kern Medical, then possession of a current valid California Driver’s license, a signed authorization for Release of Drivers Record Information and adherence to the Kern County Hospital Authority Vehicle Use and Driving Standard Policy (ENG-EC-119) is required.

Nice To Haves

Per Diem employees supplement department staffing needs, with no guarantee of minimum hours.
Per Diem minimum scheduling expectation is four (4) shifts per four-week schedule.

Responsibilities

Performs decontamination, cleaning, assembling, packaging, scanning, sterilization, storage, and distribution of reusable surgical/medical instrumentation and equipment.
Maintains a high level of surgical conscience in professional behavior, demonstrating understanding and application of principles to ensure high-quality decontamination, assembly, and sterilization of medical/surgical supplies and instrumentation.
Demonstrates knowledge related to maintenance, cleanliness, and sterilization of instruments and equipment.
Demonstrates awareness of appropriate sterilization method required for different instruments in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
Demonstrates knowledge of high-level disinfection and sterilization of endoscopy equipment.
Maintains daily log, testing for efficacy of disinfecting solution with each cycle, performs biological tests and completes log, as per Kern Medical policies.
Receives all soiled instrumentation and implements the appropriate decontamination process per manufacturer instructions.
Practices Standard Precautions and utilizes required Personal Protective Equipment.
Prepares the Decontamination and Assembly Room with supplies and equipment needed.
Tests operational efficiency of Instrumentation prior to reprocessing and reports problems to Leadership.
Wraps trays and individual items according to established departmental protocols.
Labels each item with name and processing date.
Monitors all instrumentation for proper sterilization prior to releasing for use.
Places sterilized instruments on appropriate shelving and rotates accordingly.
Prioritizes and organizes instrumentation, equipment, and supplies.
Implements manual cleaning cycle for autoclaves and Steris machines and other sterilizing/disinfecting machines.
Performs required quality controls (e.g., Bowie Dick, DART, Biological Monitoring, Disinfecting Solution Efficacy Testing, Test Strips as indicated).
Maintains instruments/trays/scopes inventory and associated count sheets.
Anticipates high priority turn-around requests for specialized instrumentation to meet daily volume demands.
Reviews schedule daily for case instrumentation needs.
Remains abreast of changes made in the OR schedule.
Maintains a clean and orderly central processing area (e.g., shelves, counters, equipment).
Utilizes supplies and resources in a cost-effective manner.
Appropriately handles the disposal of biohazardous materials.
Orders, restocks, and maintains essential inventory for departmental efficiency.
Performs departmental environmental maintenance duties ensuring a clean and organized work environment.
Communicates with Material Management and Departmental Leadership any requests for equipment maintenance, repair, or replacement, and removes defective equipment.
Maintains current knowledge of advances and current trends in Sterile Processing.
Demonstrates attention to detail by ensuring that all documentation is legible, complete, accurate, and factual.