What if a person would like to work in healthcare but would prefer to avoid working with patients? Is it possible to find a healthcare job like that? It is – and a career as a sterile tech could be the perfect option for someone in that situation.
Basics of the job
Every day, healthcare workers care for patients in a variety of ways. People require care for a variety of illnesses, injuries, and other problems. During the course of caring for patients, healthcare workers use various types of equipment. A sterile processing technician is someone who cleans and sterilizes used surgical instruments and other medical supplies so that they can be safely redistributed and reused on additional patients.
The goal is to ensure that medical instruments and equipment are contaminant free. As a result, workplaces for sterile techs can include any environment in which medical instruments and equipment are used on a regular basis. For example, sterile techs may work in hospitals, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, dental offices, or medical offices.
Minimizing the risk of infection
Medical instruments and equipment cannot be reused until they have been cleaned and sterilized; that’s why sterile techs are so essential in any medical environment. In fact, without them, hospitals would not be able to function. Patients would not receive necessary surgeries and many more people would lose their lives from preventable infection or untreated medical conditions.
In this role, sterile techs are a key defense against infection. Infection control experts and clinical educators agree that frontline sterile techs play a primary role in breaking the six-fold Chain of Infection; in other words, their efforts protect patients every step of the way.
Continuing education
A sterile tech’s education doesn’t end when the educational program ends. There are online courses central sterile technicians can take to continue their education. This allows techs to ensure that their knowledge, skills, and abilities remain strong and current, which helps them do their very best work at all times.
Their education continues on the job, as well. They are always on the cusp of learning new methodologies of sterilization because with every instrument comes an instruction for use (IFU) from the manufacturer. In this way, they can ensure that they are appropriately educated, even on the newest and most innovative equipment.
Is this the career for you?
At 365 Healthcare Staffing Services, we specialize in the recruitment and placement of healthcare professionals in per diem, travel, and permanent assignments in healthcare facilities across the country. When you’re ready to look for an assignment in this field, we can help you find the perfect fit. Give us a call at 310.436.3650; we would love to work with you!
