Sterile Processing Technician

Surgical Technologist

Experience innovative technology and exceptional opportunities for growth and development at Banner Health's state-of-the-art hospital Banner Gateway Medical Center. With comprehensive electronic medical records, physician order entry, digital radiography and proprietary advanced patient monitoring, Banner Gateway provides you with the innovative resources you need to provide your patients with the best care possible. Our commitment to nursing excellence has enabled us to achieve Magnet recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Located near Phoenix in Gilbert, Ariz., Banner Gateway Medical Center offers 286 private rooms, 13 operating suites, a 46-bed emergency department and shares a campus with the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Our WIS and NICU services support an average of 4,000 deliveries per year. Key specialties include oncology, obstetrics, bariatric surgery, emergency and other services that focus on meeting the changing needs of the dynamic and growing community we serve. Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center Located in Gilbert, Ariz. (the Phoenix Metro area) on the Banner Gateway Campus, the center provides world-class care for oncology patients - both inpatient and outpatient - and has also brought leading oncology programs to the Banner Gateway campus including designation as a Stem Cell Transplant Center of Excellence and comprehensive Head & Neck cancer care.

Our capabilities include five linear accelerator vaults, a brachytherapy vault, an advanced diagnostic imaging suite with PET/CT scan, more than 70 infusion bays, a cryopreservation lab and much more. Our inpatient medical oncology unit also incorporates a program that utilizes the electronic surveillance partnership in caring for the patient, where remote nurses have the ability to interact with patients via two-way audio-video to assist the bedside nurse with patient care.

Position Summary

This position demonstrates accountability for operating room readiness ensuring sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable supplies are complete and ready for a procedure prior to the preceding patient leaving the operating room. Responsible for the proper care and handling of all general and specialty instrumentation including the cleaning, decontamination, disassemble/reassemble, quality assurance, instrument identification, set assembly, packaging, sterilization, and distribution of surgical instrumentation for PeriOp Services, hospital departments, and clinics.

Core Functions

• Provides decontamination and sterile processing support to PeriOp Services, ED, ICU, hospital wide departments, clinics both on and off campus, and ambulatory surgery centers. Provides various levels of service for the management of sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable patient care supplies.
• Responsible for the decontamination, assembly, and packaging of surgical instruments following established protocols, instructions for use (IFU) as well as performs required quality assurance, repairs, reassembly, documentation, sterility handling, and storage of specialized surgical instruments. Maintains required sterilization logs and quality assurance records relating to all equipment associated for the purpose of decontamination, HLD disinfection, and sterilization.
• Ability to interpret the surgical schedule and medical terminology as it pertains to scheduled procedures requiring sterile surgical instrumentation and disposable supplies needed. Able to address and communicate special needs to minimize delays to surgery. Responds to emergent calls from the Operating Room and performs preliminary investigation. Determines priority level of instrumentation requests and other hospital needs. Directs services in a competent and professional manner while assuring OR priorities are completed in a timely manner.
• Able to differentiate surgical instrumentation that is surgery owned, consignment/loaner, hospital depart, surgeon, ambulatory surgery center, and clinics both on and off campus. Completes necessary tracking of surgical instruments with a paper log sheet or computer process for instrumentation leaving the area. Reports needed replacement of surgical instruments to maintain the inventory and support readiness of sets.
• Utilizes specialized equipment for the decontamination, high-level disinfection, and sterilization of surgical instrumentation according to the device and equipment manufacturer's recommendations and hospital policy. Operates steam and hydrogen peroxide sterilizers of various sizes with the potential of operating ethylene oxide sterilizers where available. Operates automated surgical instrument washers, ultrasonics, flush pumps, and cart washers to include high-level disinfectors where supported.
• Maintains a clean and safe environment by adhering to Standard Precautions and Infection Control practices. Staff follow protocols for proper donning of personnel protective equipment (PPE) while completing the decontamination process referencing IFU's supplied by the manufacturers.
• Maintain flexibility to rotate shifts and adjust hours as needed, maintain a work record of regular attendance, timely arrivals, and departures, maintain professional appearance appropriate to position and function.

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma/GED or equivalent working knowledge. Must have mechanical aptitude with the ability to break down moving parts, clean, lubricate and reassemble, problem solve incomplete trays and missing instrumentation and have effective organizational, communication and human relation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Complete national certification as an SPD Technician within two years of hire. Additional related education and/or experience preferred.