Covenant Health

Sterile Processing Technician

PRN/OCC, Variable Hours & Shifts

Must become certified within 24 months of hire date. Some weekend and holiday call required.

Parkwest Overview:

Parkwest is West Knoxville’s premier medical facility and a top performing heart hospital. In addition to providing the area’s leading cardiac services, Parkwest has been nationally recognized for award-winning care throughout our facility. For 2020-21 Parkwest received recognition from U.S. News & World Report as one of the “Top 10” hospitals in Tennessee.

Sterile Processing:

The Sterile Processing Department is a fast paced environment serves multiple specialties for patient care. To be a successful SPD Technician, individuals need to be able to multi task, critically think, and be very detail oriented; and have a good working knowledge of a variety of sterilization techniques and be able to work with fragile equipment. SPD technicians’ roles effect patient care and outcomes. This role is recognized by the state of Tennessee and healthcare professionals and therefore does require certification upon completion of requirements set by CBSPD and/or IASCHM.

Responsibilities include the following:

• Manually cleaning supplies of contaminants, removing waste matter, and operating and maintaining decontamination equipment.
• Preparing and packing decontaminated supplies for sterilization.
• Monitoring and operating sterilization equipment.
• Examining supplies meticulously to ensure they are properly cleaned and sanitized.
• Testing and reporting any issues or problems with the sterilization equipment.
• Sterilizing, preparing, wrapping, and organizing equipment into instrument trays for patient care procedures.
• State and federal documentation of sterilization procedures, sterilized items, equipment maintenance, and supplies.

Position Summary: 

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.

Recruiter: Jason Shubert || jshuber1@covhlth.com || 865-374-5393

• 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.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

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. Preference may be given to individuals possessing a HS 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.