Central Sterile Processing Associate

Please visit the following link to learn more about this role and careers in Surgical Services: Surgical Services Careers at UPMC

Responsibilities

• Demonstrates knowledge of performance improvement tools and techniques. 
• Continuously improves the quality of care and the work environment of outcomes and the integration of research and best practices into daily work. 
• Shares learning from improvements with other units and/or spreads across the business unit or system.
• Practices solid verbal and written communication skills, and is able to articulate and translate to other care providers and to negotiate and make recommendations for changes in unit practices 
• Documentation is comprehensive and promotes communication between caregivers. 
• Demonstrates critical thinking in the analysis of clinical, social, safety, psychological and spiritual issues. 
• Incorporates national professional organization as well as business unit and health system's goals to improve patient safety, quality and satisfaction of the patient experience in daily work. 
• Creates a caring and compassionate patient focused experience by building healing relationships with colleagues. 
• Disseminates new knowledge and innovations through presentations, posters, and publications.
• Develops and maintains productive working relationships internally and externally by building teams and relationships through mentoring and modeling uplifting and positive communication. 
• Coaches colleagues on cultural diversity and addresses workplace horizontal violence and impairment. 
• Demonstrates accountability to self and others for safe work hours, time management and healthy lifestyles.
• Demonstrates interest in the development of others and positively impacts the lives of patients/families, peers, and members of the healthcare team through mentoring, education, and knowledge sharing. 
• Seeks opportunities to share expertise with other members of the healthcare team within and beyond the clinical unit/department.
• Demonstrates accountability for professional development that improves the quality of professional practice and the quality of patient care. 
• Makes recommendations for the improvement of clinical care and the health of the workplace and welcomes and participates in change initiatives. 
• Leads by investing and building healthy relationships among colleagues and other disciplines. 
• Shows the ability to set priorities.
• Conforms and adheres to department policies concerning decontamination, sterile processing, infection control and safety.
• Cleans and decontaminates reusable equipment, instruments, and supplies, manually and mechanically.
• Prepares and assembles surgical tray and equipment following established tray listings for issue, storage, or further processing.
• Monitors, reads, documents, and interprets all parameters for all types of sterilizers to ensure proper function.
• Maintains a working knowledge of, and is able to effectively troubleshoot, all decontamination/sterilization equipment.
• Assesses supplies required for prescribed standard surgical procedures and sets up case carts. 
• Maintains inventory, collects, disassembles, inspects, cleans, disinfects and reassembles all instrument trays patient care equipment.
• Communicates appropriately using good interpersonal skills.
• Displays awareness of cost containment in the organization of work by using economy in time, motion and material.
• Participates in performance improvement activities.
• Develops and improves skills through initiative, attendance and participation at educational programs
• Participates as a team member and is accountable for own work responsibilities.
• Demonstrates UPMC's commitment to the Core Values by understanding the needs of patients, their families, physicians, and co-workers and doing what is required the first time, every time by being responsible, sensitive, accurate, timely, coordinated and thorough.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by authorized personnel or as may be required to meet emergency situations
• Performs in accordance with system-wide competencies/behaviors.
• Performs other duties as assigned.