Sterile Processing Tech II

General Summary

Under general supervision, decontaminates, disinfects, assembles, packages, stores and issues medical/surgical instruments, supplies and equipment in accordance with UMMCs policies and industry best practices and standards. Fulfillment of the job duties requires the employee to have access to medication storage areas.

II.
Principal Responsibilities and Tasks

• The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. Depending on departmental needs, individual interest and skill set, the incumbent may be assigned to perform duties in certain categories but not others. These are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel in this classification.
  
  Preceptor for trainees after demonstrated and documented proficiency. e.g.
  
  - decontamination, prep and pack, sterilization; TOR; case cart assembly, sterile storage and distribution. May assist with basic trouble shooting of equipment used with flexible endoscopes.

• Decontamination/Retrieval of Soiled Instruments from Patient Care Units
• Performs decontamination activities, to render instrumentation and other medical devices clean and safe for handling.
• Adheres to dress code required for the handling of soiled medical devices and decontamination activities.
• Chooses the correct cleaning tools to include brushes, sponges and detergents. Uses chemicals in proper dilution for effective cleaning and disinfection.
• Correctly operates mechanical decontamination equipment according to departmental procedures and following the manufacturer’s operating instructions.
• Exercises safe handling practices to prevent cross-contamination such as following a one-way work flow and in the handling of sharps to prevent injury to self and others.
• Performs routine cleaning and disinfection activities to ensure a clean work environment.
• Retrieves contaminated instrument sets from patient care areas for processing; practices proper techniques in the identification, containment and handling of contaminated instruments in transport to prevent spills and other cross contamination events.

• Prep and Pack/Assembly
• Inspects, assembles and prepares instrumentation for terminal sterilization in accordance with established sterile processing practices and standards.
• Inspects instruments for cleanliness and functionality using tools such as lighted magnification and sharpness testing materials.
• Assembles instrument trays and sets according to departmental established procedures.
• Prepares instrument trays and sets for sterilization by selecting the correct packaging type and method(s) that are compatible with the devices to be sterilized. Labels packaged devices accurately.

• Performs sterilization activities in accordance with established procedures utilizing high and low temperature sterilization methods and related equipment.
• Selects the correct sterilization method(s) for the items(s) being sterilized.
• Loads packages in a manner to facilitate proper sterilant contact for the devices in the load.
• Monitors the sterilization process using mechanical, chemical and biological indicators to include accurate documentation of the results of such monitoring devices.
• Operates sterilizers and related equipment according to departmental procedures and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions for use. Recognizes equipment malfunctions and immediately takes appropriate action such as reporting to CS Leadership.
• Documents electronically (manually if SPM is down) date, load contents and sterilizer lot numbers to facilitate retrieval of items on the load in the event of a sterilization failure.
• Verifies the load contents against the load record before closing the load to make sure all items have been documented accurately.
• Complies with safety requirements regarding thermal and chemical exposure; wears personal protective equipment when handling chemical sterilants and hot instrumentation or equipment.
• At cycle completion, verifies cycle parameters, documents and processes biological monitoring. When available, immediately documents chemical indicator and biological test results. Promptly initiates the recall process in the event of a sterilization failure such as wet load, aborted cycle, wrong parameters, positive BI, unresponsive chemical indicator.

• Responsible for accurately assembling and delivering case carts to the surgical suite; this includes…