Overview

As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, diversity, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA

This position is responsible for sterilizing and decontaminating surgical instruments and supplies for use in the operating room and throughout the hospital and clinics. The incumbent assembles surgical carts, tracks and maintains the total inventory of instruments, disposables, and implants. The employee is responsible for the monitoring of biological and chemical indicators to ensure quality and consistency for sterilization of instruments and medical supplies. This position coordinates the daily activities of the other employees by monitoring performance, scheduling work shifts, coordinating and conducting training and in-services, monitoring quality control, and safety processes. This position has technical expertise for cleaning, assembling, and processing specialized instruments and medical supplies and serves as an expert in this arena. This position is not responsible for providing patient care.

Corporate Overview: The University of Utah is a Level 1 Trauma Center and is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. Our five hospitals and eleven clinics provide excellence in our comprehensive services, medical advancement, and overall patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Prepares and sterilizes surgical instruments and supplies according to established procedures and techniques.
• Assembles special procedure trays, surgical instrument trays and case carts.
• Delivers sterilized supplies to, and retrieves used supplies and trays from hospital department and clinic locations.
• Inspects and ensures proper functioning of instruments and equipment. Facilitates the replenishment of low, broken or missing items.
• Documents patient charges for the use of supplies and procedure trays.
• Restocks labels and maintains inventory; submits requisitions; collects, distributes instrument trays, carts and facility medical supplies.
• Verifies that equipment functions properly, and verifies the repair or replacement of defective equipment.
• Sorts sets of instruments, trays and medical equipment and makes them available to sterile processing customers in a timely manner.
• May order supplies, as needed.
• Assists with maintaining established departmental policies and procedures, objectives, quality improvement, safety, environmental and infection control standards.
• Coordinates the daily activities of the other employees by monitoring performance, coordinating and scheduling work shifts, conducting training and in-services, monitoring quality control and safety processes.
• Participates in and supports continuous quality improvement activities.
• Serves as a subject matter expert in sterilization methods, instrumentation, sterilization standards.
• Troubleshoots the instrumentation needs of the OR and other departments as necessary.
• Serves as an expert in sterile processing database programs.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined above.

• Demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills.

• Basic knowledge of anatomy, physiology and medical terminology.

• Ability to work independently without direction.

• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions.

• Ability to accurately detect blood that may remain on instruments before proceeding with the next step of sterilization.

• Ability to perform environmental maintenance duties and assist in maintaining inventory levels.

• Ability to work and communicate with clients and customers to satisfy their expectations.

• Demonstrated ability to acquire and utilize a comprehensive understanding of various sterilizers and sterilization methods; understand departmental supply requests and determine appropriate alternative supplies in the case of unavailability; prioritize workload and requests for supplies and trays.

• Ability to wear appropriate protective attire.

• Ability to be on-call, work weekends, holidays and rotate shifts as needed.

Qualifications

Qualifications

Required

• Three years of sterile processing experience.

• Certification as a Certified Instrument Specialist (CIS), Certified Endoscope Reprocessor (CER), or Certified Healthcare Leadership (CHL) from the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA).
• Certified Flexible Endoscope Reprocessor (CFER), Certified Surgical Instrument Specialist (CSIS), or Certified Sterile Processing Management (CSPM) from the Certification Board of Sterile Processing & Distribution (CBSPD).

Licenses Required

• One of the following
  • Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA) certification and maintenance of certification.
  • Current certification through the Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD).

Qualifications (Preferred)

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.

• This position involves intermediate working conditions in a healthcare setting that may exert up to 50 pounds any may consistently require lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving objects. The incumbent may face exposure to potentially dangerous contaminated body fluids, used needles, razor blades, knives, bone shavings, pieces of glass, and other contaminants as part of the daily hazards of the job and must wear protective attire at all times. The position also requires standing or walking for long periods of time.

Physical Requirements