STERILE SUPPLY TECHNICIAN SERVICES

SPECIFIC TASKS. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Provide the operating room, dental service, interventional procedural areas, various clinics, wards, departments, CBOCS and other hospital facilities with sterilized and/or high level disinfected ("HLD") critical and semi critical reusable medical equipment ("RME") such as surgical instruments, instrument sets and flexible endoscopes. Reprocesses (disassembles, cleans, decontaminates, assembles, HLD or sterilized) critical, semi-critical and a few noncritical RME in accordance with manufacturer's instructions, Joint Commission ("JC") standards, VHA directive 1116, VA handbooks, Center for Disease Control ("CDC"), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation ("AMMI"), International Association of Healthcare Central Service Material Management ("IAHCSMM") and local Sterile Processing Service ("SPS") policies and procedures.

1. 1. Decontamination Area

• • • Appropriately transport contaminated reusable medical equipment (RME) from point of use biohazard areas to Decontamination area of Sterile Processing Service. Sort and decontaminate RME based on manufacturer's instructions and facility standard operating procedures, utilizing correct dosage of chemicals.

• • • Always wear proper protective apparel and equipment.

• • • Completely and thoroughly disassemble and position all parts of RME to ensure removal of bioburden.

• • • Manually and mechanically clean RME.

• • • Remove bioburden/contamination by soaking, manually wiping or using appropriate scrubbing brush for added cleaning.

• • • Place RME in automatic RME cleaning machines as recommended by the SOP and manufactures instructions.

• • • Remove instrument stains using appropriate chemicals.

• • • Disinfect all critical, semi-critical and non-critical RME.

• • • Perform all functions of the decontamination process including but not limited to manual and mechanical cleaning of surgical, reusable medical equipment, and dental instrumentation.

• • • Appropriately transport contaminated reusable medical equipment (RME) from point of use biohazard areas to the Decontamination area of Sterile Processing Service. Sort and decontaminate RME based on the manufacturer's instructions and facility standard operating procedures, utilizing the correct dosage of chemicals.

• • • Can follow Manufacturer's Instructions/Instructions for Use (IFU) and safely operate and trouble shoot decontamination equipment including but not limited to washer/disinfectors, cart Washer,

Dental handpiece maintenance system, ultrasonic cleaners, automated endoscopic reprocessors and chemical cleaning/decontamination agents.

• • • Conduct visual inspections of all RME items to ensure cleanliness prior to being sending to SPS preparation area for processing.

• • • Perform all the functions for the reprocessing of flexible endoscopes to include the operating of an endoscope preprocessor according to manufacturer's instructions.

• • • Accomplish the inspection, assembly, packaging, and terminal sterilization or HLD) of all RME and flexible endoscopes throughout the medical facility and CBOCs.

• • • Read, understand, and follow all manufacturers' instructions on cleaning RME and department established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

• • • Read and understand Material Safety Data Sheets.

• • • Perform and document quality assurance checks for reprocessing equipment as well as RME.

1. 2. Prearation Area

• • • Perform all functions of the prep/packaging and sterilization process including documentation and quality assurance procedures.

• • • Examine and visually inspect instrumentation and appropriate functioning, and cleanliness.

• • • Assemble instrument sets according to count sheets. Place sets in appropriate outer container or wrap sizes.

• • • Inspect assemble, package, and document the contents of a wide variety of surgical and dental trays and instruments according to count sheet.

• • • Inspects, prepares, assembles, and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam, low temperature gas plasma sterilizer (Sterrad), Automated Endoscope Reprocessors (AER) and manual high-level disinfecting procedures.

• • • Properly and safely load, operate and trouble shoot a variety of sterilizers including but not limited to steam, low temperature gas plasma sterilizer (Sterrad), Automated Endoscope Reprocessors (AER). Additionally, perform all quality assurance testing and documentation required for each sterilizer in accordance with facility requirements.

• • • Properly store and/or deliver to end user in accordance with facility protocols.

• • • Always wear proper protective apparel and equipment.

1. 3. High Level Disinfection Area
      • Always wear proper protective apparel and equipment.