Sterile Processing Technician

Highmark Health•Wexford, PA

11d

About The Position

The Sterile Processing Technician decontaminates, cleans, assembles, sterilizes, and distributes surgical instruments and equipment. The role ensures that instruments and equipment are properly processed and available for procedural and patient care areas in accordance with established policies, procedures, and regulatory standards. The technician applies sterile processing principles to support a safe and effective healthcare environment and maintain quality standards. The position also requires compliance with safety, infection-control, privacy, information-security, and business-conduct requirements. Employees may have access to protected health information, cardholder data, or other confidential customer information and must safeguard it in accordance with HIPAA, company policies, and applicable laws.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
CRCST or CSPDT certification required at hire, except for sterile processing technicians employed by a healthcare facility on or before 12/29/2020.
An active Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) or Tech in Surgery Certified (TSC) certification meets the certification requirement.
One year of experience in sterile processing.

Responsibilities

Receive and sort contaminated instruments and equipment from various departments.
Disassemble instruments and clean them using appropriate cleaning agents and equipment.
Inspect cleaned instruments for cleanliness, proper function, and damage.
Assemble instrument sets according to established count sheets and tray lists.
Wrap or package instruments and sets for sterilization.
Monitor sterilization cycles and interpret printouts to verify that proper sterilization parameters were met.
Follow safety and infection-control policies, procedures, and protocols, and use required personal protective equipment (PPE).
Operate and maintain automated washing and decontamination equipment, troubleshooting minor issues.
Load and operate sterilization equipment and troubleshoot minor issues as needed.
Document sterilization cycles and maintain accurate records.
Deliver sterile items to requesting departments in a timely manner and prioritize urgent requests.
Maintain a clean and organized work environment.
Assist in training new employees on department procedures and equipment.
Perform other duties as assigned or requested.
Comply with the code of business conduct, company policies, applicable laws and regulations, and required training.
Protect confidential information and comply with HIPAA and company privacy and information-security policies.