Job Description: CERTIFIED STERILE TECH at UNM Hospital

Receive 17% weekday nights, 26% weekend nights, or 15% weekend day shift differentials!

Department: Sterile Processing

FTE: 1.00
Full Time
Shift: Rotating

Position Summary:
Provide operational support to Surgical Services to include processing and terminal sterilization, inventory control, and case preparation functions for the Operating Room. Operational support also includes instrument processing and terminal sterilization, inventory control and case preparation functions for the nursing units and other Hospitals departments requiring sterilization. Provide clean and functional Patient Care Equipment to all areas. Ensure adherence to Hospitals and departmental policies and procedures. No patient care assignment.

Detailed responsibilities:
* STERILE PROCESSING - Receive, unload and sort contaminated instruments the completed cases; separate and load instruments into carriers/racks for processing and place instruments and supplies on storage racks and case carts; determine which instruments require special care and handling and utilized other means of cleaning (i.e., sonic, hand wash)
* STERILE PROCESSING - Inspect instruments for cleanliness; check decontaminated instruments; ensure complete assembly; reassemble instruments sets, power equipment, retractors, and other equipment; reassemble consignment instrument set and other orthopedic specialty sets; set up, prepare, wrap, and label sets and services for sterilization
* STERILE PROCESSING - Operate sterilizers and load sterilization carts with instrument containers, bowls and basins, etc; loads sterilizers with carts and initiate the appropriate sterilization cycle; maintain autoclaves by cleaning and monitoring them; educate others in the proper use and monitoring of the equipment
* STERILE PROCESSING - Prepare and control instruments for rapid turnaround for the next case prepare containers for sterilization in the required order; educate others in the proper use priority board
* ROLE MODEL - Act as a clinical resource and role model for department personnel
* RECORDS - Record required information for monitoring every load of sterilized items to ensure all parameters of the sterilization cycle were met and the items were sterilized
* STERILE PROCESSING - Clean, decontaminate, test, and distribute PCE (Patient Care Equipment) to patient care areas; record equipment information for tracking
* STERILE PROCESSING - Pick suppliers, instrumentation, and other required items for the completion of Operating Room cases; arrange the supplies in the case carts according to set procedures ensuring accuracy and proper documentation; deliver complete case carts to the appropriate locations as determined by the Surgical Services Department
* ENVIRONMENT - Keep all Central Supply Departments neat and clean, stocked, and in a workable order
* REPAIR - Report instrument malfunction and place instruments in the appropriate location to be sent for repair
* COMMUNICATION - Report discrepancies, problems, and concerns to management using proper chain of command
* DEVELOPMENT - Enhance professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, reading current literature, attending in-services, meetings and workshops
* PATIENT SAFETY 1 - Follow patient safety-related policies, procedures and protocols
* PATIENT SAFETY 2 - Demonstrate proactive approach to patient safety by seeking opportunities to improve patient safety through questioning of current policies and processes
* PATIENT SAFETY 3 - Identify and report/correct environmental conditions and/or situations that may put a patient at undue risk
* PATIENT SAFETY 4 - Report potential or actual patient safety concerns, medical errors and/or near misses in a timely manner
* PATIENT SAFETY 5 - Encourage patients to actively participate in their own care by asking questions and reporting treatment or situations that they don't understand or may "not seem right"

Qualifications

Education:
Essential:
* High School or GED Equivalent
* Training
Education specialization:
Essential:
* Sterile Processing Technician

Experience:
Essential:


Nonessential:
2 years directly related experience

Credentials:
Essential:
* Sterile Processing Certification
* Flexible Endoscope Reproc Cert w/in 1 year of position

Physical Conditions:
Heavy Work: Exerting 50 to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 25 to 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or 10 to 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects or people. Physical Demand requirements are in excess of those for Medium Work.

Working conditions:
Essential:
* Sig Hazard: Chemicals, Bio Hazardous Materials req PPE
* May perform subordinate tasks in high census/vol