Sterile Processing Technician Lead

Advocate Health; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocate Health seeks a skilled Central Sterile Processing Technician to join our team in Milwaukee. You will perform sterilization, decontamination, packaging, and delivery of instruments, while ensuring quality control and safety standards are met.

Required certifications include CRCST, CSPDT, or CFER, along with a high school diploma and typically 3 years of sterile processing experience. This role involves handling high-cost instrumentation in a fast-paced hospital setting.

Qualifications

• High School graduate.
• Typically requires 3 years of experience in sterile processing.
• Must have thorough knowledge of sterilization principles and requirements.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills are necessary.

Responsibilities

• Sterilizes instruments and equipment using aerator, gas sterilizer or steam sterilizer and operates glass dryer.
• Packages items in steri/peel as required and conducts quality assurance testing for all sterilization methods.
• Receives, sorts and processes soiled instruments; maintains proper handling and storage.
• Receives case carts from central service and delivers them to the operating room.
• Monitors inventory and asset management for sterile supplies and ensures proper usage and reporting of shortages.
• Provides training and guidance to staff on sterilization procedures and safety.

Skills

Sterilization knowledge

Inventory management

Quality assurance

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Problem solving

Education

CRCST certification

CSPDT certification

CFER certification

Job description

Major Responsibilities:

• Acts as a resource to employees, which includes training/orienting, providing day-to-day work direction, and giving input on performance. Assigns, monitors, and reviews progress and accuracy of work, directs efforts and provides guidance on more complex issues.
• Assists with human resource responsibilities, which may include: interviewing and selection of new employees, orientation, staff development, providing performance feedback, resolution of employee concerns, and employee morale.
• Monitors general department operations, establishes work schedules, issues daily work assignments and responds to requests for service.
• Receives soiled and contaminated items in decontamination area. Sorts equipment, rinses as needed, places equipment through sonic tanks and washers, reassembles trays, performs safety checks, hangs and sorts instruments, wraps sets according to set policy, and wraps towels and basins appropriately.
• Sterilizes instruments and equipment using the aerator, gas sterilizer or steam sterilizer and operates glass dryer. Packages items in steri/peel as required. Performs quality assurance testing for all methods of sterilization to ensure sterility of supplies.
• Ensures proper care and handling of high cost instrumentation and equipment to include items requiring special handling, laser instrumentation, orthopedic implants, cardiac assist devices, endoscopic and microscopic instrumentation.
• Hand cleans miscellaneous instruments (Baxter pump, hypothermo units, etc.) and operates the cart cleaner.
• Checks incoming trays and follows up with departments as to missing instruments or parts.
• Receives or picks up case carts from central service, using physician's preference cards and delivers them to the operating room.
• Takes immediate and appropriate action if a question of sterilizer failure occurs.

Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required:

• Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) certification issued by the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA), or
• Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (CSPDT) certification issued by the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution, Inc. (CBSPD), or
• Flexible Endoscope Reprocessor (CFER) certification issued by the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution, Inc (CBSPD).

Education Required:

• High School Graduate.

Experience Required:

• Typically requires 3 years of experience in sterile processing.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• Must have thorough knowledge of sterilization principles and requirements, inventory and asset management, and quality assurance activities.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills necessary.
• Ability to function in a stressful and fast paced environment.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

• Must stand, walk, lift, squat, bend, twist and reach above shoulders various times throughout the workday.
• Must be able to:
• lift up to 15 lbs. from floor to overhead.
• lift up to 50 lbs. from floor to waist.
• lift and carry up to 50 lbs. at waist height a reasonable distance.
• Must be able to:
• push/pull with 20 lbs. of force.
• push/pull objects weighing 200+ lbs. during the workday.
• Atmosphere in work environment may contain fumes and dust.
• Exposed to chemical hazards as well as blood and body fluids. Thus, protective clothing must be worn as necessary.
• Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.