Sterile Processing Technician I PHX Trauma

Banner Health Corporate; Glendale (AZ); On-site; USD 36,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Banner Health is seeking a Sterile Processing Technician in Glendale, Arizona, to support the operating room team by ensuring sterile instrumentation is ready for procedures. You will handle decontamination, assembly, packaging, and sterilization of surgical instruments, while maintaining logs and quality records.

The role requires the ability to read schedules and instrument terminology, communicate effectively, and rotate shifts as needed.

Qualifications

• Minimum one (1) year experience as a Sterile Processing Technician OR certified as an SPD Technician (CSPDT) or CRCST with less than one year of experience.
• Must have mechanical aptitude with the ability to break down moving parts, clean, lubricate and reassemble, problem solve incomplete trays and missing instrumentation and have effective organizational, communication and human relation skills.

Responsibilities

• Provides decontamination and sterile processing support to PeriOp Services, ED, ICU, hospital wide departments, and clinics both on and off campus, and ambulatory surgery centers.
• Responsible for the decontamination, assembly, and packaging of surgical instruments following established protocols, instructions for use (IFU) and performs required quality assurance, repairs, reassembly, documentation, sterility handling, and storage of specialized surgical instruments.
• Maintains required sterilization logs and quality assurance records relating to all equipment associated for the purpose of decontamination, HLD disinfection, and sterilization.
• Utilizes specialized equipment for the decontamination, high-level disinfection, and sterilization of surgical instrumentation according to the device and equipment manufacturer’s recommendations and hospital policy.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Effective communication

Organizational skills

Education

High school diploma/GED

Job description

Sterile Processing Technician

Primary City/State: Glendale, Arizona

Department Name: Sterile Processing Dept-Hosp

Job Category: Clinical Support

Shift details: Employment Type: Full time; Hours per Week: 40; Shift: Evening; Schedule: Monday – Friday, 2:30pm – 11:00pm; Weekend rotation: yes; On Call: yes.

Banner Health’s premier West Valley Level I Trauma for adults and Tertiary Care destination for all ages. Banner Thunderbird Medical Center (BTMC) and Banner Children’s Hospital at Thunderbird provide a preferred destination for surgical, oncological, cardiovascular, neuroscience, orthopedic, pediatric, and women and infant services achieved through best-in-class 5-star CMS rating to provide patients with high quality, safe care for the best possible experience. Our campus is one of the largest campuses in the Banner network with over 3000 employees. BTMC was voted Best of the Best in 2023 by Banner Health out of 30 hospitals. This is the most prestigious award one of our largest hospitals can receive for consistently meeting our annual targets. If you would like to contribute to truly leading edge caring, we invite you to bring your experience and skills to Banner Thunderbird.

Position Summary

This position performs as an integral part of the OR team with limited supervision. Demonstrates accountability for operating room readiness ensuring sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable supplies are complete and ready for a procedure prior to the preceding patient leaving the operating room. Responsible for the proper care and handling of all general and specialty instrumentation including the cleaning, decontamination, disassemble/reassembly, quality assurance, instrument identification, set assembly, packaging, sterilization, and distribution of surgical instrumentation for PeriOp Services, hospital departments, and clinics. This position requires well manner communications and the ability to communicate effectively through reading, writing, and speaking in person.

Core Functions

• Provides decontamination and sterile processing support to PeriOp Services, ED, ICU, hospital wide departments, and clinics both on and off campus, and ambulatory surgery centers. Provides various levels of service for the management of sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable patient care supplies. Support may-or-may-not include, decontamination of surgical instruments, assembly/sterilization, sterile instrument storage, partial or complete case cart support, OR core tech support and high-level disinfection.
• Responsible for the decontamination, assembly, and packaging of surgical instruments following established protocols, instructions for use (IFU) as well as performs required quality assurance, repairs, reassembly, documentation, sterility handling, and storage of specialized surgical instruments. Maintains required sterilization logs and quality assurance records relating to all equipment associated for the purpose of decontamination, HLD disinfection, and sterilization.
• Ability to identify interpret the surgical schedule and medical terminology as it pertains to procedures requiring sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable supplies. Able to address and communicate special needs to minimize delays to surgery. Responds to emergent calls from the Operating Room and performs preliminary investigations. Determines priority level of instrumentation requests and other hospital needs. Directs services in a competent and professional manner while assuring OR priorities are completed in a timely manner.
• Able to differentiate surgical instrumentation that is surgery owned, consignment/loaner, hospital depart, surgeon, ambulatory surgery center, and clinics both on and off campus. Completes necessary tracking of surgical instruments with a paper log sheet or computer process for instrumentation leaving the area. Reports needed replacement of surgical instruments to maintain the inventory and support readiness of sets.
• Utilizes specialized equipment for the decontamination, high-level disinfection, and sterilization of surgical instrumentation according to the device and equipment manufacturer’s recommendations and hospital policy. Operates steam and hydrogen peroxide sterilizers of various sizes. Operates automated surgical instrument washers, ultrasonics, flush pumps, visualization devices, and cart washers to include high-level disinfectors where supported.
• Operates various quality assurance testing equipment associated to flexible endoscopic scopes, transesophageal ultrasound probes, and electro-surgical insulation defect detector for laparoscopic and energy provided surgical instrumentation. Utilizes heat detection devices to allow steam sterilized surgical instrumentation to be released for use without risking burns to staff and patients. Operates demagnetizers of stainless-steel instruments for ophthalmic and delicate cardiac surgical instrumentation for safe use on patients. Utilizes various borescope devices to inspect inner channels of lumened surgical instrumentation and flexible scopes.
• Maintains a clean and safe environment by adhering to Standard Precautions and Infection Control practices. Staff follow protocols for proper donning of personnel protective equipment (PPE) while completing the decontamination process referencing IFU’s supplied by the manufacturers.
• Maintain flexibility to rotate shifts and adjust hours as needed, maintain a work record of regular attendance, timely arrivals, and departures, maintain professional appearance appropriate to position and function.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma/GED or equivalent working knowledge.
• Minimum one (1) year experience as a Sterile Processing Technician OR certified as an SPD Technician (CSPDT) or Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) with less than one year of experience.
• Must have mechanical aptitude with the ability to break down moving parts, clean, lubricate and reassemble, problem solve incomplete trays and missing instrumentation and have effective organizational, communication and human relation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Instrument management tracking system.
• Complete national certification as an SPD Technician (CSPDT) or Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) within one year of hire.
• Additional related education and/or experience preferred.

EEO Statement: EEO/Disabled/Veterans

Our organization supports a drug-free work environment.

We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefit package for all benefit-eligible positions.