Sterile Processing Technician

HCA Healthcare • San Antonio, TX

13d

About The Position

The Sterile Processing Technician cleans, decontaminates, assembles, sterilizes, and stores reusable surgical instruments and supplies for patient care. The role provides instruments for surgery and other hospital departments, helps ensure infection prevention and patient safety, and maintains compliance with applicable national standards and hospital procedures. The technician also operates and maintains sterilization equipment, reprocesses flexible endoscopes as needed, prepares surgical sets and case carts, responds to instrument needs during surgical cases, and keeps accurate records related to instruments, inventory, sterilization, and infection control.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) or Certified Registered Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (CSPDT); a two-year grace period is stated.

Nice To Haves

• One year of experience.

Responsibilities

• Apply aseptic principles to help prevent infection and maintain optimum patient care.
• Follow patient safety initiatives, National Patient Safety Goals, universal precautions, and hospital and OSHA policies.
• Monitor daily surgery schedules and identify general, specific, and potential instrument needs for cases.
• Inspect, assemble, and test general and specialty instruments; identify tray types and malfunctioning or missing instruments, and arrange replacement or report repair needs.
• Assemble instrument packs and trays for sterilization; wrap, seal, and accurately label items.
• Manage the sterilization process, including receiving, decontaminating, preparing, packing, sterilizing, documenting, and storing supplies, instruments, and equipment.
• Operate and maintain autoclaves, ultrasonic washers, cart washers, and other sterilization equipment.
• Document washing, sterilization, machine testing and post-repair testing, environmental parameters, early implant releases, and eyewash station testing.
• Decontaminate, reprocess, and maintain flexible endoscopes as needed.
• Prepare, assemble, and package instruments for surgery and other hospital departments.
• Prepare surgical sets, instruments, and trays according to prescribed procedures and verify their accuracy.
• Pull customized case cart sheets and prepare case carts for surgical procedures.
• Inventory, maintain, and supply operating room storage areas, specialty lockers, carts, and equipment.
• Respond to instrument needs during surgical cases.
• Audit trays for decontamination, washing, assembly, sterilization, implant usage, and instrument count sheets; track loaner equipment.
• Check packaging condition before items are sent to sterile storage, the operating room, or a Nursing Care unit.
• Maintain accurate records of inventories, instrument set contents, sterilized goods, biological test results, sterilization, and washing.
• Maintain required department temperature, humidity, and air-pressure parameters.
• Attend in-service presentations on topics including infection control, patient safety, quality improvement, SDS, and OSHA standards.
• Perform other duties as assigned and adhere to the Code of Conduct and Mission and Value Statement.

Benefits

• Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, behavioral health, and telemedicine coverage.
• Wellbeing support, including free counseling and referral services.
• Paid time off, paid family leave, long- and short-term disability coverage, and leaves of absence.
• 401(k) plan with a 100% match on 3% to 9% of pay, based on years of service.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan, flexible spending accounts, preferred banking partnerships, retirement readiness tools, rollover support, and financial wellbeing counseling.
• Tuition assistance, student loan assistance, certification support, dependent scholarships, and a partnership with Galen College of Nursing.
• Fertility and family-building benefits and adoption assistance.
• Life insurance and supplemental health protection plans.
• Auto and home insurance, legal counseling, identity theft protection, and consumer discounts.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: High school or GED