If you’re interested in starting your career in healthcare, and you want to make an impact in people’s lives, then Sterile Processing Technician is the perfect career for you.
The Sterile Processing Technicians impact people’s lives by contributing to patient safety by preparing, sterilizing, installing, and cleaning medical instruments or equipment.
So, who are they, what do they do, how to become one, and why should you choose this career, we’ll discuss all of that in this article.
So, let’s get started –
What is a Sterile Processing Technician?
A Sterile Processing Technician is a healthcare professional responsible for ensuring the cleanliness, sterility, and availability of medical instruments and equipment used in patient care.
They play a crucial role in maintaining a sterile environment to prevent infections and ensure patient safety.
They work in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, surgical centers, and dental offices, and collaborate closely with other healthcare professionals to support the delivery of high-quality patient care.
What do they do?
Sterile Processing Technicians play a critical role in maintaining the safety and effectiveness of medical procedures by ensuring that instruments are clean, sterile, and readily available when needed.
Their attention to detail, technical proficiency, and dedication to quality assurance contribute to the overall quality of patient care in healthcare settings.
They start by decontaminating used medical instruments and equipment and removing any visible debris, blood, or other contaminants.
Following decontamination, they thoroughly clean the instruments using specialized equipment and cleaning solutions to ensure they are free from any remaining contaminants.
Once cleaned, they undergo sterilization to eliminate harmful microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, typically using autoclaves that utilize steam and pressure.
After sterilization, they carefully assemble the sterilized instruments into sets or kits needed for medical procedures, ensuring that each instrument is organized and readily accessible to healthcare professionals.
They are also responsible for managing inventory, including tracking supplies, ordering new instruments as needed, and maintaining adequate stock levels to support patient care.
Additionally, they adhere to strict protocols and guidelines to ensure that instruments meet regulatory standards and maintain a sterile environment, performing routine quality checks and inspections to ensure the effectiveness of the sterilization process.
Lastly, they collaborate closely with surgical teams, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to understand specific instrument needs and ensure a seamless flow of sterilized equipment during medical procedures.
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How to Become a Sterile Processing Technician?
Sterile Processing Tech is a rewarding career. They are the backbone of patient safety in healthcare facilities. So, they are an integral part of the healthcare team.
So, if you’re interested in pursuing this career and want to make a meaningful impact on patient safety, and if you think this career would be the perfect fit for you, then here’s a step-by-step guide to help you understand how you can become a Sterile Processing Technician.
Step 1: Obtain a High School Diploma or Equivalent
This is the basic requisite for this career. If you still don’t have your high school education or GED equivalent, you should go back to your school and acquire it.
Step 2: Get some Formal Education or gain 2 years of experience
To become a certified Sterile Processing Technician, you have 2 routes. Either you could enroll in a formal education or you could get some on-the-job training and gain experience for about 2 years.
To get formal training, you could enroll in a Sterile Processing Tech Associate Degree program, Certificate Program, or Online Program.
However, for faster course completion you could consider enrolling in an online sterile processing training program.
Step 3: Finish the Coursework
After you enroll in a program, you’ll learn topics like – Infection control and prevention, Decontamination and sterilization, Cleaning and disinfection, Using and storing surgical instruments, Inventory management, Microbiology, Medical and surgical terminology, Anatomy and physiology, and so on.
As you finish the coursework it’s time for the exams, and after you pass the exam, you’ll receive a university certificate that will help you a lot in your career.
Step 4: Obtain Certification
After you finish your training program you need to get certified because it enhances your career prospects. Also, many employers prefer to hire certified Sterile Processing Technicians.
Talking about certifications for Sterile Processing Technicians, the CRCST certification is the most popular one. Sterile Processing Technicians nationwide prefer this certification.
Step 5: Get Clinical Experience
So you’ve completed your education and are ready for the certification exam, it’s time to get some real-world clinical experience through an externship.
Externships help you gain real-world clinical experience which is very crucial for you to develop your skills.
During this period you will apply your knowledge in a healthcare setting and develop practical skills under the guidance of experienced professionals.
You can put this experience in your resume as well, and that’s gonna set you apart from the competition.
Step 6: Start applying for entry-level Sterile Processing Technician Jobs
So now, you have a certificate of course completion, a certification, and some experience, now it’s time to start looking for employment opportunities as an entry-level Sterile Processing Technician.
Explore job openings at the desired healthcare facilities in your area. Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your education, certification, and relevant experience, and be prepared for the interviews.
So, these are the general steps to becoming a Sterile Processing Technician. But, if you want to start your Sterile Processing Technician career faster, what should you do? We’ll discuss about that in the next section.
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Become a Sterile Processing Tech Faster with This New Approach
To become a Sterile Processing Technician faster you need a new approach. Because with the older ones, you either need 1 to 2 years to finish the program and as you get experience and become certified it would take longer.
If you’re wondering why, well, an associate degree would take you 2 long years to complete, you need to drive to classes multiple times a week, the tuition costs are very expensive, and that would only push you toward student loan debt.
Most of the certificate or online programs are also no different. Their tuition costs are high, they take longer at least 8 to 12 months to finish, and most of them are not accredited, which is again a big issue.
So, a new approach was the need of the hour.
An approach where you could get done with the course at your own pace and finish it in 6 months or less.
You get your education from an accredited source, you get a non-profit, reputed university certificate, you get ready for the certification exam, and you get an externship opportunity.
Now, if you could get all of that at an affordable cost, that would be simply amazing. Isn’t it?
So to fix all these problems, and offer you everything we just mentioned, Preppy has partnered with a 150-year-old non-profit accredited university – Auburn University.
We curated an online, self-paced Sterile Processing Tech certification training program, and students nationwide are enrolling in it in large numbers.
So, if you want to start your career as a Sterile Processing Technician in less than 180 days, minus expensive costs, minus any added expenses, minus student loans, and minus traveling to campus to get a formal education; then You should check out Preppy’s Sterile Processing Technician Certification Training Program.
Or, if you want to become a Sterile Processing Technician faster, enroll in an online, self-paced, accredited program, wherein you get a university certificate, externship placement, getting ready for the certification exam, at an affordable price, then check out our Program.
Now, if you’re wondering why you should even choose to become a Sterile Processing Technician, our next section talks exactly about that.
Top 6 reasons to become a Sterile Processing Technician
There are several compelling reasons to consider becoming a Sterile Processing Technician.
Here are some of the top reasons:
Vital Role in Healthcare
Sterile Processing Technicians are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and sterility of medical instruments and equipment used in procedures. Every instrument sterilized by a Sterile Processing Technician is crucial for patient care and safety during medical procedures.
Thus they are the backbone of patient safety and thus they are vital members of the healthcare team. Their work directly contributes to positive outcomes for patients and this makes the career very rewarding.
Competitive Salary
While entry-level positions may start at modest salaries, experienced Sterile Processing Technicians can earn competitive wages, $47,410 per year which is equivalent to $22.79 per hour.
Make no mistake this is a decent salary and is still higher than most of the professions. Plus, the earning potential also depends on many factors like location, experience, and the type of healthcare facility they work in.
Moreover, with additional certifications or specialization, the potential for advancement and increased earning potential is very high.
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Job Stability
As the demand for healthcare services continues to grow, so does the need for qualified sterile processing technicians. This translates to excellent job stability and opportunities for long-term career growth in the field.
As per the BLS, the employment growth rate for Sterile Processing Technicians is projected to grow by 8.3% from 2020 to 2030, with 7,900 fresh openings each year on average.
Variety of Work Settings
Sterile Processing Technicians have the opportunity to work in a variety of healthcare settings, including Hospitals, Surgical Centers/Clinics, Outpatient Care Centers, Dental Offices, Long-Term Care Facilities, and Laboratories.
This diversity allows for flexibility in choosing a work environment that aligns with your preferences and interests. And that’s the best thing for any career.
Growth Opportunities
This is very important for any career. You want to set your professional goals high so you don’t feel stuck in the moment.
As a Sterile Processing Technician, you can move ahead in your career as a Medical Equipment Sales Representative, Infection Control Specialist, Lead Sterile Processing Technician, Sterile Processing Technician Supervisor or Manager, and so on.
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Short Training Period
Unlike many healthcare professions that require years of education and training, becoming a Sterile Processing Technician is possible with Preppy’s online training program in as little as 6 months. This means you can enter the workforce and start your career in just a few months.
Preppy’s Online Sterile Processing Technician Certification Training program, is self-paced and accredited. With it, you get ready for certification exams, you get an externship opportunity, and you could start your career in as little as 6 months. Fascinatingly, you get all of these at an insanely low price of $1599.
Conclusion
Sterile Processing Technician is a rewarding career with the satisfaction of making a significant difference in patient care.
They play a critical role in maintaining the safety and effectiveness of medical procedures by ensuring that instruments are clean, sterile, and readily available when needed.
In the end, I hope this article could enlighten you about the Sterile Processing Technicians, who are they, what do they do, and if you’re interested in this career how you could become one faster.
-> Become a Sterile Processing Technician in less than 6 months
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