Sterile Processing Technician

Job description
Job Description

This position will support the US Department of Veterans Affairs Critical Staffing Program. The person in this position will represent International SOS and provide services outlined below:

International SOS is looking for an individual who is an experience Sterile Processing Technician to provide services for VA members and their families. A Medical Supply Technician is responsible for managing and maintaining the inventory of medical supplies and equipment in healthcare settings, ensuring that items are properly sterilized, organized, and readily available for use by medical staff. They play a critical role in supporting patient care by making certain that the necessary supplies are available and in compliance with safety and regulatory standards.

The primary purpose of the Sterile Processing Technician (SPS –Sterile Processing Service) is to provide the operating room, dental service, interventional procedural areas, various clinics, wards, departments, CBOCS and other hospital facilities with sterilized and/or high level disinfected (HLD) critical and semi critical reusable medical equipment (RME) such as surgical instruments, instrument sets and flexible endoscopes. Reprocesses (disassembles, cleans, decontaminates, assembles, HLD or sterilized) critical, semi-critical and a few non-critical RME in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, Joint Commission (JC) standards, VHA directive 1116, VA handbooks, Center for Disease Control (CDC), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AMMI), International Association of Healthcare Central Service Material Management (IAHCSMM) and local SPS policies and procedures.

Key Responsibilities

Perform aseptic principles and techniques, including characteristics of various types of detergents, cleaning techniques, sterilizing mediums; and tests to determine effectiveness of sterilization.

Use, operation, maintenance, assembly, and disassembly of complex surgical instruments, and reusable medical equipment and the specific cleaning, sterilizing and storage requirements of each to ensure RME is sterilized and stored according to manufacturer's specifications.

Interpret written material, technical material, regulations, instructions, and report.

Decontamination Area

Transport contaminated reusable medical equipment (RME) from point of use biohazard areas to Decontamination area of Sterile Processing Service. Sort and decontaminate RME based on manufacturer’s instructions and facility standard operating procedures, utilizing correct dosage of chemicals.
Wear proper protective apparel and equipment.
Disassemble and position all parts of RME to ensure removal of bioburden.
Manually and mechanically clean.
Remove bioburden/contamination by soaking, manually wiping or using appropriate scrubbing brush for added cleaning.
Place RME in automatic RME cleaning machines as recommended by the SOP and manufactures instructions.
Remove instrument stains using appropriate chemicals.
Disinfect all critical, semi-critical and non-critical RME.
Perform all functions of the decontamination process including but not limited to manual and mechanical cleaning of surgical, reusable medical equipment, and dental instrumentation.
Transport contaminated reusable medical equipment (RME) from point of use biohazard areas to Decontamination area of Sterile Processing Service. Sort and decontaminate RME based on manufacturer’s instructions and facility standard operating procedures, utilizing correct dosage of chemicals.
Follow Manufacturer’s Instructions/Instructions for Use (IFU) and safely operate and trouble shoot decontamination equipment including but not limited to washer/disinfectors, cart Washer, Dental handpiece maintenance system, ultrasonic cleaners, automated endoscopic reprocessors and chemical cleaning/decontamination agents.
Conduct visual inspections of all RME items to ensure cleanliness prior to being sending to SPS preparation area for processing.
Perform all the functions for the reprocessing of flexible endoscopes to include the operating of an endoscope preprocessor according to manufacturer's instructions.
Accomplish the inspection, assembly, packaging, and terminal sterilization or HLD) of all RME and flexible endoscopes throughout the medical facility and CBOCs.
Read, understand, and follow all manufacturers’ instructions on cleaning RME and department established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Read and understand Material Safety Data Sheets.
Perform and document quality assurance checks for reprocessing equipment as well as RME.
Preparation Area

Perform all functions of the prep/packaging and sterilization process including documentation and quality assurance procedures.
Examine and visually inspect instrumentation and appropriate functioning, and cleanliness.
Assemble instrument sets according to count sheets. Place sets in appropriate outer container or wrap sizes.
Inspect assemble, package, and document the contents of a wide variety of surgical and dental trays and instruments according to count sheet.
Inspects, prepares, assembles, and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam, low temperature gas plasma sterilizer (Sterrad), Automated Endoscope Reprocessors (AER) and manual high-level disinfecting procedures.
Properly and safely load, operate and trouble shoot a variety of sterilizers including but not limited to steam, low temperature gas plasma sterilizer (Sterrad), Automated Endoscope Reprocessors (AER). Additionally, perform all quality assurance testing and documentation required for each sterilizer in accordance with facility requirements.
Store and/or deliver to end user in accordance with facility protocols.
Always wear proper protective apparel and equipment.
High Level Disinfection Area (HLD)

Always wear proper protective apparel and equipment.
Properly transports all items for HLD process before and after processing in accordance with facility protocols.
Inspect items for HLD process, and process following all MI for reprocessing.
Properly stores items after HLD process in accordance with facility protocols.
Perform all functions of the HLD process including documentation and quality assurance procedures.

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