Certified Sterile Processing Float Technician, Sterile Processing (Full Time, Evenings)

Socket.dev; Bethlehem (Northampton County); On-site; USD 34,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Luke's University Health Network seeks a Certified SPD Float Technician for a late evening/night shift, with start times 7pm–11pm, Monday through Friday.

The role will float among Bethlehem, Allentown, and Anderson/ASP, performing decontamination, sterilization and distribution of medical devices and supplies used in patient care. The technician will cover varying sites, assist in training and mentoring, manage instrument tracking, and ensure quality control per SOPs.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent required.
• SPD certification is required.
• Must be a Certified and Registered Technician through an approved organization.

Responsibilities

• Provides Technician coverage at varying sites and workstation assignments to meet operational needs.
• Assists in training and orientation of new employees and mentors students and externs.
• Retrieves, decontaminates, cleans and assembles instruments and supplies.
• Operates decontamination equipment and ensures proper sterilization cycles and documentation.
• Maintains instrument tracking system entries and ensures accuracy of records.

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

SPD certification

Job description

St. Luke's is proud of the skills, experience and compassion of its employees. The employees of St. Luke's are our most valuable asset! Individually and together, our employees are dedicated to satisfying the mission of our organization which is an unwavering commitment to excellence as we care for the sick and injured; educate physicians, nurses and other health care providers; and improve access to care in the communities we serve, regardless of a patient's ability to pay for health care.

This position is for a late evening/night shift position. Start times will range from 7pm through 11pm at night M-F. This position will float between Bethlehem, Allentown, and Anderson/ASP.

The Certified SPD Float Technician is primarily responsible for temporary assignments for scheduled and unscheduled SPD Technician vacancies within the SPD network. Retrieves, decontaminates, cleans, assembles, processes, sterilizes, stores and distributes medical devices, equipment, procedure trays and supplies used in the care of patients.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides Technician coverage at varying sites and workstation assignments to meet the operational needs of the department.
• Assists in the training and orientation of new employees as well as teach and mentor students as well as externs from affiliated health career programs.
• Retrieves, sorts and decontaminates used materials, instruments, medical devices and equipment from the nursing units, Operating Room, Emergency Department, Delivery Rooms, Nurseries, Outpatient Departments, etc., according to established procedures.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the function and operation of the decontamination equipment for optimum cleaning, loading, temperature and troubleshooting. Utilizes appropriate personal protective equipment according to departmental policy. Demonstrates the understanding of the difference between decontamination, sanitized, cleaned, disinfected in the prevention of cross contamination.
• Assembles, after checking for cleanliness, sharpness and proper functioning, various procedure trays, surgical instrument sets, etc. and wraps items in correct type of packaging material. Ensures accuracy when assembling multiple parts instruments, power equipment and scopes to ensure functionality. Thoroughly inspects instruments for bioburden debris, alignment, sharpness and functionality. Observes written procedures for preparation, assembling, inspecting and packaging instruments as stated in the instrument count sheet. Ensures that missing or broken instruments are replaced according to protocol. Demonstrates ability to maintain a quality to error rate within the set threshold.
• Sterilizes wrapped and packaged items by appropriate means of sterilization such as steam, hydrogen peroxide or EtO
• Demonstrates knowledge of sterilization processes and documentation and delivery of sterile packages. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding by explanation of the functional operation of the steam, gas, plasma and pareacidic acid processor and sterilizers in terms of time, temperature, pressure, and humidity. Describes what happens during each phase of the complete sterilization cycle.
• Demonstrates the operation of the sterilizers in terms of: selection of cycle, temperature selection, sterilizing time selection, drying time selection, closing and opening of door at beginning and completion of cycle. Is able to describe the function of all dials and gauges on the sterilizer panel. Recognizes alarms and follows through on corrective action.
• Demonstrate the use and function of the sterilizer recording print out report in terms of reading the parameters to verify the correct functioning of the sterilizer, initialing the print out, and filing the print out and documenting the results in the appropriate documentation recording log. Documents and reports any discrepancies with the load. Demonstrates an ability to perform and read test results for the sterilization indicators in terms of: placement in the sterilizer and reading of the Bowie Dick test pack results, placement of biological indicators in the sterilizers and documenting in the electronic record keeping system. Incorporates quality control procedures to record and label packs to be sterilized with the sterilization date, load and lot number record of each load. Accurately documents all transactions and packages to be sterilized and provides documentation and justification on rejected loads.
• Effectively and accurately enters, modifies and searches information in the instrument tracking system. Thoroughly understands the function and purpose of the Instrument tracking system.

PHYSICAL AND SENSORY REQUIREMENTS:

Ability to operate a motor vehicle to travel between St Luke’s University Health Network to work at assigned SPD departments. Standing for up to 4 hours per day, up to 2 hours at a time. Walking for up to 4 hours per day, up to 2 hours at a time. Sitting for up to 2 hours per day, 1 hour at a time. Frequently uses fingers and hands for data entry, assembling instrument trays, picking items for case carts and packaging items. Frequently uses upper extremities to lift up to 50 pounds. Hearing ability sufficient to hear above noise level of operating equipment (sterilizers). Must be able to hear alarms and telephone. Seeing as it relates to general vision, near vision, peripheral vision (must be able to detect defects in instruments, such as nicks, burrs, etc.). Frequently pushing and pulling carts weighing up to 200 pounds.

EDUCATION:

High School diploma or equivalent required. SPD certification is required.

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

Must be a Certified and Registered Technician through an approved organization. A minimum of 2 years as a certified technician preferred.

St. Luke's University Health Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer.