Sterile Processing Technician- Sterilization- PRN

Mercyhealth • Crystal Lake, IL

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Comprehensive Care in a Fully Equipped Community Hospital. Crystal Lake Hospital is a community-focused hospital dedicated to providing high-quality, patient-centered care with advanced emergency, inpatient, and surgical services. Our facility offers a dynamic and supportive environment, combining strong clinical presence with excellent leadership support. We offer:
• 7-Bed Emergency Department (plus a dedicated triage area)
• Awaiting EDAP (Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics) Designation (scheduled for this fall)
• Awaiting ASRH (Acute Stroke Ready Hospital) Designation
• 11 Inpatient Rooms + 2 ICU Rooms
• 4 Operating Rooms (ORs)
• Hospitalists On-Site 24/7 – Continuous inpatient care presence
• Emergency Physicians On-Site 24/7
• Leadership Support: Nurse leaders on-site Monday–Friday during business hours. RN House Coordinators covering nights, weekends, and leadership gaps.
At Crystal Lake Hospital, you’ll join a collaborative, mission-driven team delivering exceptional care in a well-equipped setting.
This position cares for and reprocesses surgical instrumentation, including disassembly, decontamination, disinfection, inspection, testing, assembly, packaging, labeling, high-level disinfection, and sterilization. Cares for and operates ultrasonic cleaners, washers, sterilizers, and other equipment. Completes quality monitoring and documentation. Picks supplies and instruments to prepare case carts for surgery. Assists with supply inventory management and clinic instrument rounds. Performs all duties with a commitment to excellence in quality and customer service.

Requirements

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED)
• Passing the WI Caregiver Background Check and/or IL Health Care Workers Background Check.
• Must be able to follow written/oral instructions.

Responsibilities

• Follows department procedures and manufacturer's written instructions for use (IFU) to perform the following duties with exceptional accuracy:
• Disassembles, inspects and prepares instruments for manual or mechanical decontamination following Universal Precautions and proper use of PPE at all times.
• Loads and operates mechanical washers and ultrasonic cleaners. Manually decontaminates and disinfects instruments as appropriate.
• Inspects clean instruments for damage and tests for proper function and sharpness.
• Assembles all instrument procedure sets according to the prescribed manner using tray lists. Replace missing instruments as required to complete instrument sets.
• Prepares instruments for sterilization using an aseptic technique, including wrapping or packaging for sterilization, using chemical indicators, and properly marking packages with identifying data.
• Loads and operates steam and hydrogen peroxide sterilizers.
• Uses biological, chemical, and process indicators appropriately and reviews and documents results in appropriate logs. Review physical monitoring printouts to confirm cycle parameters.
• Picks supplies and instruments to prepare case carts according to procedural preference lists. Inspects packaging for damage to ensure the integrity of sterility for all items and inspects all items for outdated items before distributing them to customers.
• Performs high-level disinfection of endoscopes. Loads and operates automatic endoscope reprocessors.
• Answers telephone and responds to customers' routine and urgent requests for supplies, instruments, and case carts professionally and expediently at all times.
• Notifies department leadership of facility and equipment problems and submits work requests as needed.
• Maintains assigned work areas and equipment in a clean and organized condition to meet standards for handling clean and sterile items and to maintain a safe work environment.
• Maintains a working knowledge of all surgical instrumentation. Maintains a working knowledge of instrument assembly and tracking software.
• Performs rounds to nearby clinical departments to deliver sterile instrumentation and retrieve used instrumentation.
• Cleans non-critical patient care equipment between uses.
• Assists with counting and stocking surgical supply inventory.
• Learns, understands, and is aware of all regulatory standards and bodies that make recommendations (FDA, AAMI, Joint Commission, to name a few).
• Must learn about the different chemistries they use, the effect they have on instrumentation, and what they are used for.
• Learn the proper use of the SPM Instrument tracking system.
• Learn how to prep and prepare instruments using the One Tray System for sterilization.
• Learn how to prep and reprocess N95 masks as recommended by the FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) standards.
• Learns how to read and interpret instrument and equipment IFUs to ensure the proper reprocessing steps and assembly.
• Actively assist with the onboarding of new partners

Benefits

• For eligible partners who hold an FTE of 0.5 or higher we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes is but not limited to health, dental and vision insurance, a retirement plan with a competitive matching contribution and generous paid time off that increases with longevity.
• Mercyhealth offers several education assistance programs and tuition reimbursement to support employees in their career advancement.
• Mercyhealth employees have access to our internal and external employee assistance programs, a variety of paid and non-paid leaves, and on-demand pay.
• We have a wide array of supplemental benefits including pet insurance, legal and identity protection, auto and home insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees