Instrument Processing Technician

Regions Hospital; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Regions Hospital in Saint Paul is seeking a full-time Instrument Processing Technician to ensure safe handling, cleaning, and sterilization of medical instruments. The technician will operate sterilizers, maintain sterilization records, and handle sterile instruments to support the Operating Room.

A high school diploma and completion of an associate degree program is required. Prior experience in a sterile processing department is preferred. This role is crucial for patient safety and sterilization adherence.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Completion of an associate degree program or higher is preferred.
• Prior experience in sterile processing departments is necessary.

Responsibilities

• Operates sterilizers and maintains monitoring paperwork.
• Ensures proper handling and cleaning of instruments and equipment.
• Prepares and organizes instrument sets for sterilization.

Skills

Sterilization processes

Decontamination procedures

Instrumentation handling

Education

High school diploma/equivalent

Completion of an associate degree program

Job description

Regions Hospital is looking for a full-time evening Instrument Processing Technician. The Instrument Processing Technician works under the direction of the Sterile Processing Manager and is responsible for the proper handling, cleaning, disinfecting, assembly, and sterilization of instrumentation and patient-related equipment to render items safe for handling and use.

Sterilization

• Loads, unloads and safely operates all sterilizers according to policies and procedures
• Completes all monitoring paperwork, sterilization records and records of instrument sets within required timeline
• Maintains sterility of equipment and supplies
• Transports, handles and stores sterile instruments and supplies per appropriate standards

Decontamination

• Treats all instruments and equipment in the decontamination areas appropriately
• Follows proper cleaning procedures for items being cleaned
• Organizes and sorts instrument sets and equipment for proper cleaning, decontamination and ensures appropriate method of cleaning is used
• Performs presoaking, loading of instruments in the ultrasonic/medivator, and washer/disinfector, and performs manual cleaning/washing
• Prioritizes work according to direction and Operating Room demand, monitoring flow and timing

Instrumentation

• Inspects and reassembles clean instrumentation and equipment according to standard operating procedures
• Sorts instruments according to type
• Assembles instruments according to appropriate recipe
• Prepares instrument sets and appropriately places in either rigid containers or prepares for wrapping with proper identification, entering into queue for sterilization
• Maintains appropriate levels of sterile instrument sets and individual instrumentation relative to Operating Room scheduling

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma/equivalent
• Completion of an associate degree program or higher
• Prior experience as a central service technician in a sterile processing department
• Enrollment in an associate degree program or higher with completion of clinical internship in sterile processing
• Successful completion of sterilization, decontamination, and instrumentation competencies required within 6 months of hire