STERILE PROC TECH I

Covenant Health; Knoxville (AL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, part of Covenant Health, seeks a Sterile Processing Technician for a full-time day-shift role to decontaminate, inspect, assemble and high-level disinfect instruments.

You will operate processing equipment and follow AAMI standards while documenting activities and supporting quality initiatives in a busy surgical services department.

Qualifications

• Minimum Education: None specified; HS diploma or GED preferred.

Responsibilities

• Decontaminates surgical instruments per manufacturer instructions and uses washer/disinfectors, ultrasonic cleaners, cart washer, and AER.
• Inspects instruments after decontamination for cleanliness, integrity, and functionality.
• Assembles trays ensuring sterility and uses count sheets; interfaces with instrument tracking system.
• Packages instrument sets according to manufacturer guidelines and AAMI standards for aseptic OR use.
• Loads and operates sterilizers, conducts daily sterilizer tests, and monitors biological indicators.
• Documents load contents and updates tracking system with cycle data and results.
• Unloads sterilizers and stores items correctly; maintains department cleanliness and equipment.
• Follows endoscope processing instructions and safety guidelines; participates in quality initiatives.

Education

HS diploma or GED

Job description

Overview

Sterile Processing Technician

Full Time, 80 Hours Per Pay Period, Day Shift

Fort Sanders Regional Overview:

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is a 444-bed hospital recognized for pairing clinical expertise with advanced medical technology to deliver exceptional care. As a Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center, we provide leading-edge treatment for stroke recovery. Our facility also offers specialized services in bariatric surgery, robotic surgery, minimally invasive spine procedures, and advanced orthopedic care.

Fort Sanders Regional is part of Covenant Health, East Tennessee’s largest nonprofit health system and a Becker’s “Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare.” Covenant Health includes nine hospitals and nearly 150 service locations, offering employees a comprehensive benefits package with tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, certification bonuses, and leadership development programs.

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.

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.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

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. 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.