Sterile Processing Technician

Methodist Healthcare System; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Retirement savings plan with company 4

Education support and certification

Employee benefits program

Job summary

Methodist Hospital Stone Oak, part of HCA Healthcare, is seeking a Sterile Processing Technician. You will clean, decontaminate, assemble and sterilize instruments for surgery and other departments, ensuring all trays are accurate and ready for procedures.

Your role emphasizes asepsis, infection control, and adherence to safety standards, with responsibilities spanning instrument testing, packaging, and maintaining meticulous records for compliance and patient safety.

Qualifications

• Highschool/GED required; CRCST or CSPDT certification is required or grace period applies.
• Experience with sterilization and instrument processing preferred.
• Understanding of infection control and safety policies.

Responsibilities

• Applies asepsis principles to prevent infection and protect patient care.
• Follows patient safety initiatives and universal precautions.
• Inspects, assembles, tests, and prepares instruments for surgery.
• Operates autoclaves and other sterilization equipment.
• Maintains accurate records of washing, sterilization, and inventory.
• Prepares instrument packs, labels, and case carts for procedures.

Skills

Asepsis principles

Infection control

OSHA compliance

Patient safety initiatives

Sterilization processes

Education

Highschool/GED

1 year experience (preferred)

Job description

Are you passionate about the patient experience? At HCA Healthcare, we are committed to caring for patients with purpose and integrity. We care like family! Jump-start your career as a(an) Sterile Processing Technician today with Methodist Hospital Stone Oak.

Job Summary And Qualifications

The Sterile Processing Technician is responsible for cleaning, decontaminating, assembling, sterilizing, and storing all reusable surgical instruments for patient care. The Sterile Processing Technician also provides all needed instruments for surgery and outside departments.

Major Responsibilities

• Applies the principles of asepsis to ensure the prevention of infection and maintain optimum patient care.
• Demonstrates compliance with the Patient Safety Initiatives, National Patient Safety Goals (i.e. infection control, hand washing, etc.). Follows universal precautions as required by hospital and OSHA policies.
• Monitors surgery schedules daily, identifying general, specific and potential needs for all cases.
• Inspects, assembles, and tests general and specialty instrumentation for proper functioning. Identifies tray type by contents of instrument tray. Identifies malfunctioning instruments and replaces or reports instruments that need repair or that are missing.
• Assembles instrument packs and trays for sterilization. Wraps, seals and accurately labels items that are to be sterilized.
• Controls the entire sterilization process. Receives, dsecontaminates, preps, packs, sterilizes, documents, and stores supplies, instruments, and equipment. Ensures compliance with national standards and recommended practices.
• Operates and maintains all sterilization equipment, such as autoclaves, ultrasonic washer, and cart washer. Maintains accurate and complete documentation of all washing, sterilization, daily machine testing, proper testing after a repair of machine, temperature, humidity, air pressure, early release of implants, and eye wash station testing.
• Decontaminates, reprocesses and maintains flexible endoscopes as needed.
• Prepares, assembles and packages all instruments for surgery and other hospital departments.
• Prepares surgical sets, instruments, and trays according to prescribed procedures, ensuring that all instrumentation is correct and accurate.
• Pulls customized case cart sheets for all surgical procedures and prepares case carts.
• Inventories, maintains and supplies OR storage areas, specialty lockers, carts and equipment used.
• Responds to instrument needs during surgical cases.
• Audits trays for decontamination, washing, assembly, sterilization, implant usage, and instrument count sheets and tracks loaner equipment.
• Checks condition of packaging prior to sending to sterile storage, operating room, and/or Nursing Care unit.
• Creates and maintains accurate records regarding inventories, instrument set content, sterilized goods, biological test results, sterilization, and washing records for infection control practice.
• Maintains proper department temperature, humidity and air pressure parameters.
• Attends in-service presentations, including but not limited to infection control, patient safety, quality improvement, SDS and OSHA standards.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Practices and adheres to the “Code of Conduct” and “Mission and Value Statement.”

Education & Experience

• Required: Highschool/GED
• Preferred: 1 year of experience

Licensure, Certifications, Training

• Required: Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) –or– Certified Registered Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (CSPDT) - Grace period: 2 years

Benefits

Methodist Hospital Stone Oak, offers a total rewards package that supports the health, life, career and retirement of our colleagues. The available plans and programs include:

• Comprehensive benefits for medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, behavioral health and telemedicine services
• Wellbeing support, including free counseling and referral services
• Time away from work programs for paid time off, paid family leave, long- and short-term disability coverage and leaves of absence
• Savings and retirement resources, including a 401(k) Plan with a 100% match on 3% to 9% of pay (based on years of service), Employee Stock Purchase Plan, flexible spending accounts, preferred banking partnerships, retirement readiness tools, rollover support and financial wellbeing counseling
• Education support through tuition assistance, student loan assistance, certification support, dependent scholarships and a partnership with Galen College of Nursing
• Additional benefits for fertility and family building, adoption assistance, life insurance, supplemental health protection plans, auto and home insurance, legal counseling, identity theft protection and consumer discounts

Learn More About Employee Benefits

Note: Eligibility for benefits may vary by location.

Methodist Hospital Stone Oak is equipped with the most modern technology available. With over 280 beds, services include emergency care, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, neonatology, oncology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, and acute rehab services.

Methodist Hospital Stone Oak is accredited by the Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center and Chest Pain Center. The stroke rehabilitation program has received the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification of Stroke Rehabilitation. We belong to the Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery. Our surgeons and technology offer minimally invasive options to patients. Surgeons from around the country come to train under our world class team. The hospital has been recognized by Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grade A and by Modern Healthcare as one of the Top 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare. We have also been recognized as a Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality Measures®. Finally, by Medicare.gov as #1 in San Antonio and #6 in the entire nation. The hospital is 1 of only 102 hospitals to receive Medicare.gov’s 5-star rating. Join our team to be part of the innovation.

"The great hospitals will always put the patient and the patient's family first, and the really great institutions will provide care with warmth, compassion, and dignity for the individual."- Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr.

HCA Healthcare Co-Founder

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.