STERILE PROCESSING TECHNICIAN

Carilion Clinic•Christiansburg, VA

21h•Onsite

About The Position

The Sterile Processing Technician is responsible for the decontamination, assembly, sterilization, and distribution of instruments, supplies, and equipment for patient care. This role involves cleaning, culturing, testing, and operating various sterilizers. The technician collaborates with other members of the surgical team to ensure quality patient care and maintains assigned work areas and equipment in a clean and organized condition to meet required standards for handling sterilized and clean materials and to maintain a safe work environment. Key responsibilities include sterilizing instruments, equipment, linen, and supplies using various types of sterilizers, loading sterilizers, setting controls, verifying appropriate sterilization cycles, and completing documentation records. The technician identifies and assembles instrument procedure trays, wraps, packages, and handles all items following procedure, marks items with identifying data, and distributes or stores them in designated areas. They are also responsible for notifying appropriate CTL or Manager of equipment deficiencies, dispensing products requested for sterile and non-sterile equipment and supplies, assigning priority to emergency requests, and issuing required supplies and equipment based on knowledge of the intended procedure. The role involves assembling and wrapping materials, instruments, and supplies according to established aseptic technique, disassembling and cleaning instruments and equipment using approved chemical solutions, reassembling them after cleaning, and replacing lost or damaged parts. Applying aseptic technique in daily work assignments and safely operating selected equipment within the department are also crucial. The technician maintains accurate documentation related to activities, including the creation of lot numbers for all sterilized items for tracking and recall purposes. They must effectively function in crisis situations with appropriate actions based on sound judgment and submit appropriate communications. Additional duties may include preparing case carts for surgical procedures, performing charge duties, assisting in the orientation of new employees, problem-solving, involvement in process improvement initiatives, demonstrating knowledge of principles of growth and development, providing care at other Carilion facilities, reporting abnormal and critical information to the team Lead or manager, and assisting in the training of OR nurses and related staff, serving as a resource for other hospital departments.

Requirements

High school graduate or equivalent.
1 year experience.
Requires basic interpersonal skills.
Satisfactory completion of orientation.
Must be able to fulfill fundamental components/essential elements of position.

Responsibilities

Decontaminates, assembles, sterilizes, and distributes instruments, supplies, and equipment for patient care.
Cleans, cultures, tests, and operates various sterilizers.
Collaborate with other members of the surgical team to ensure quality patient care.
Maintain assigned work areas and equipment in a clean and organized condition to maintain required standards for handling sterilized and clean materials and to maintain a safe work environment.
Sterilize instruments, equipment, linen, and supplies using various types of sterilizers.
Load sterilizers in the prescribed manner and set controls to specified time and temperature according to material and requirements of items being sterilized.
Verify appropriate sterilization cycle to ensure all parameters have been met.
Complete appropriate documentation records.
Identify and assemble instrument procedure trays according to the prescribed manner.
Wrap package and handle all items following procedure.
Mark items with identifying data and distributes or store in designated area.
Notify appropriate CTL or Manager when unable to replace parts or with equipment deficiencies in the work area.
Dispense products requested for sterile and non-sterile equipment and supplies.
Assign priority to emergency requests and issue required supplies and equipment based on knowledge of procedure intended.
Assemble and wrap materials, instruments and supplies according to established aseptic technique.
Disassemble and clean instruments and equipment using approved chemical solution.
Reassemble instruments and equipment after cleaning.
Replace lost or damaged parts.
Apply aseptic technique in daily work assignments.
Cleans and/or safely operates selected equipment within the department.
Maintains accurate documentation related to activities, including responsibility for creation of lot numbers for all sterilized items for tracking and recall purposes.
Effectively functions in crisis situations with appropriate actions based on sound judgement and submit appropriate communications.
Prepares case carts for surgical procedures.
May perform charge duties as needed and/or assigned.
May assist in the orientation of new employees to each work assignment area and total department operations as needed and/or assigned.
Assists in problem solving.
May be involved in process improvement initiatives projects.
Demonstrates knowledge of principles of growth and development.
May be asked to provided care at other Carilion facilities to meet Clinic Mission, Values and Guiding Principles.
Reports abnormal and critical information to the team Lead or manager.
Assists in the training of OR nurses and related staff, as well as serving as a resource for other hospital departments.