What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sterilization Technician position at oralsurgerypartners?
Title: Sterilization Technician
Practice: Bloomington Oral Surgery
Location: Bloomington, IN
Office Hours:
- Monday: 7:30am - 5pm
- Tuesday: 7:30am - 5pm
- Wednesday: 7:30am - 5pm
- Thursday: 7:30am - 5pm
- Friday: 7:30am - 5pm
- Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: Closed
*Please note working hours will be Monday - Friday 7am - 5:00pm
Position Purpose:
The purpose of this position is to support the oral surgery team by ensuring all surgical instruments, equipment, and work areas are properly prepared, sterilized, and maintained to the highest safety and quality standards. This role plays a critical part in maintaining an efficient surgical environment by performing decontamination and sterilization processes, organizing and assembling surgical trays, and upholding OSHA guidelines for personal and workplace safety. The position contributes to exceptional patient care by supporting clinical staff, anticipating surgical needs, and fostering a clean, compliant, and collaborative environment.
Essential Functions
- Perform all decontamination, cleaning, inspection, packaging, and sterilization of surgical instruments and equipment according to established protocols and safety standards.
- Assemble, organize, and prepare surgical trays and materials to ensure timely availability for procedures.
- Operate and maintain sterilizers, ultrasonic cleaners, and other reprocessing equipment in accordance with manufacturer guidelines.
- Monitor sterilization cycles, maintain accurate logs, and document all processing activities for compliance and traceability.
- Maintain a clean, safe, and organized work environment that meets OSHA, infection control, and practice standards.
- Follow all personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements and adhere to strict safety procedures to minimize risk of contamination or exposure.
- Inspect instruments for proper function and report damage, missing, or unsafe equipment to appropriate personnel.
- Assist in the setup and breakdown of surgical rooms, ensuring all necessary instruments and supplies are prepared and readily available.
- Support the surgical and clinical team during procedures as needed within the scope of the role.
- Communicate clearly with clinical staff to ensure accurate instrument flow and anticipate surgical needs.
- Maintain inventory of instruments, supplies, and sterilization materials; notify leadership when stock is low or replacement is needed.
- Participate in ongoing training and maintain up-to-date knowledge of sterilization practices, equipment uses, and infection control standards.
Qualifications
Education:
- High school diploma or equivalency, required.
Experience:
- Previous experience in a dental, oral surgery, medical, or sterile processing environment preferred
- Experience with sterilization processes, including cleaning, decontamination, packaging, and autoclave operation, strongly preferred.
- Familiarity with OSHA, infection control, and universal precaution protocols in a clinical setting.
- Experience working with surgical instruments, including identification, inspection, and proper assembly of instrument trays.
- Hands-on experience using sterilization and cleaning equipment, such as autoclaves, ultrasonic cleaners, and steam sterilizers.
- Experience working in a fast-paced clinical or surgical environment, demonstrating the ability to prioritize and multitask.
- Customer service or patient-facing experience in a healthcare setting is helpful but not required.
Performance Requirements:
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Professional appearance and attitude
- Ability to take directions from others and follow through in a concise manner
- Ability to multi-task
- Must work well in a close team environment
- Maintain knowledge of equipment, expected patient outcome, and anticipated complications
DISCLAIMER
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by people assigned to this work. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. OPS’s management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.
