Job Description

Sterile Processing Technician

Full Time, 80 Hours Per Pay Period, Night Shift

Parkwest Overview:

Parkwest Medical Center, Covenant Health’s flagship facility in West Knoxville, combines world-class cardiac expertise with the warmth of home in serving a vibrant East Tennessee community. Since 1973, Parkwest has grown into the region’s largest hospital in the area, offering advanced services like an all-digital catheterization lab, comprehensive breast health, emergency, and critical care. It’s consistently ranked among Tennessee's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and earns national recognition as a Top 100 Heart Hospital, as well as an “A” safety grade from Leapfrog. As part of Covenant Health, the region’s largest employer, Parkwest Medical Center, marries cutting-edge technology with compassionate, community-centered care, earning accolades for cardiology, stroke, surgical excellence, and patient safety.

To learn more about Parkwest Medical Center and our units, visit Covenant Health Parkwest Medical Center Opportunities.

Under the direction of department leadership, responsible for the proper decontamination, inspection, assembly, and high level disinfection and sterilization of surgical instruments. Operates processing equipment. Requires proficiency in instrument decontamination and assembly and knowledge of the sterilization methods available and which method is appropriate in correlation with the devices that are to be processed.

Responsibilities

• Decontaminates surgical instruments according to manufacturer’s instructions or advised by the department leader. Will operate all decontamination equipment including washer disinfectors, ultrasonic cleaners, cart washer, and automatic endoscope reprocessor (AER).
• Inspects instruments after decontamination, ensuring all items are clean, intact, functional, and accounted for.
• Assembles trays in a manner that ensures devise sterility as well as presenting a tray that is easy for the end user to access for use. Uses count sheets to ensure trays are assembled accurately. Interfaces with the instrument tracking system for all functions of processing.
• Packages or containerizes instrument sets according to manufacturer’s guidelines and Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standards. Packages in a neat and proper technique ensuring easy, aseptic opening in the operating room.
• Loads sterilizer carts in a way to ensure packaged items are not punctured or compromised, loads containers and wrapped goods as recommended.
• Runs daily sterilizer tests on all steam and low temperature sterilizers.
• Operates sterilizer according to manufacturer’s instruction, ensuring load biological monitoring.
• Documents all load contents, interfaces load to tracking system, loads cycle confirming correct parameters, monitors sterilizer to tracking system information, and records all pertinent information (biological, mechanical, and chemical).
• Unloads sterilizers, ensuring items are not compromised, and stores in correct location according to tracking system storage locations.
• Follows endoscope manufacturer’s processing instructions and accepted standards/ guidelines.
• Responsible for the cleanliness of the department and all processing equipment.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.

Qualifications

Minimum Education:

None specified; will accept any combination of formal education and/or prior work experience sufficient to demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skill and ability needed to perform the essential tasks of the job, typically such as would be equivalent to a high school diploma or GED.

Minimum Experience:

None.

Licensure Requirement:

If hired into this position after January 1, 2017, must take and pass an accepted Central Processing exam through either IAHCSMM (International Association for Healthcare Material Management) as a Certified Registered Sterile Processing Technician (CRCST) or through CBSPD (Certification Board for Sterile Processing Technicians) as a Certified Sterile Processing Distribution Technician (CSPDT) within 2 years of entry-level employment in the position.

If hired into this position before January 1, 2017, must complete a minimum of 10 continuing education credits annually in areas related to sterile processing.