A Sterile Processing Technician and Surgical Technologist may sound like one job to some, but they are not. However, they need to work together as a team toward the same outcome: patient safety. Both careers support the surgical team in a medical setting and are integral to ensuring surgeries run smoothly. They do, however, require different educational paths and fulfill different roles.
Sterile Processing Technician Job Description
What does a Sterile Processing Technician do? If you’ve never heard of this career, that might be because it goes by many different names in various workplaces, including:
- Sterilization Technician
- Central Service Technician
- Surgical Processing Technician
- Instrument Technician
- Medical Equipment Preparer
Those job titles should give you a better idea of what these technicians do. They’re responsible for ensuring that equipment is cleaned, sterilized, and prepared for surgeries (and other medical and lab procedures). Their tasks on the job might include cleaning items brought in from previous procedures, preparing and setting up equipment for upcoming procedures, putting away cleaned equipment, and ensuring all equipment is in good condition. They may also be responsible for checking inventory and restocking. The surgery starts in the Sterile Processing department with the sterilization of instruments and preparation of equipment. The following are some of their duties:
- Manually cleaning medical instruments, equipment, and surgical trays
- Performs sterilizations on the above-mentioned items
- Examines equipment and instruments, as well as reports any problems
- Testing and monitoring of autoclaves
- Assembling all necessary equipment, such as surgical trays
- Keeping inventory and ordering all needed sterile supplies
- Packing and storing of sterile supplies
Sterile Processing Technicians ensure that the instruments used in hospitals and clinics are safe and free of bacteria and other contaminants. They need to know about microbiology and how to prevent infections from spreading, as well as reliable procedures for storing medical instruments or moving them from place to place without exposing them to contamination.
Surgical Technologist Job Description.
What do Surgical Technologists do? They play an important role in operating rooms. Surgical Technologists also go by different names:
- Operating Room Technicians
- Surgical Technicians
- Surg Techs
- OR Techs
- Scrub Techs
- Surgical Techs
They help set up operating rooms before surgery, ensure that the necessary equipment is sterilized, maintain aseptic technique, and prepare the OR for surgery. They help surgeons, doctors, and nurses scrub in before surgery, ensure patients are prepped, and assist surgeons by passing or holding instruments during surgery. Some Surgical Techs might clean and prepare incision sites on patients, suture, apply dressings, or even learn to operate robotic surgical equipment. They, too, might be responsible for checking inventory and restocking. Some of the responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Setting up the operating room for the surgical procedure
- Preparing and transporting the patient to and from the OR
- Gathering instruments and equipment needed for surgery
- Monitoring the patient’s vital signs
- Assisting the surgical team with gowns and gloves
- Keeping the operating area as a sterile zone
- Disposing of used sponges, dressings, needles, and gauze (keeping counts accurate)
- Takes charge of specimens and samples
Surgical Technologists set up the operating room for surgery, ensure the surgical field and instruments are sterile, help members of the operating team scrub in before surgery begins, and pass medical instruments to the surgeon, among many other valuable roles.
Surgical technologists are allied health professionals who are integral to the medical team, providing surgical care to patients across a variety of settings. The Surgical Technologist works under medical supervision to facilitate the safe and effective conduct of invasive surgical procedures. This individual works under the supervision of a surgeon to ensure that the operating room or environment is safe, that equipment functions properly, and that the operative procedure is conducted under conditions that maximize patient safety. Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs Surgical Technology (2013) 2. A Surgical Technologist possesses expertise in the theory and application of sterile and aseptic technique and combines the knowledge of human anatomy, surgical procedures, and implementation tools and technologies to facilitate a physician's performance of invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures.
The Surgical Technologist in the first scrub role handles the instruments, supplies, and equipment necessary during the surgical procedure. They have an understanding of the procedure being performed and anticipate the needs of the surgeon. They have the necessary knowledge and ability to ensure quality patient care during the operative procedure and are constantly vigilant in maintaining the sterile field.
Preoperative Duties are as follows:
1. Donning OR attire and personal protective equipment (PPE).
2. Gathers, checks, and opens supplies and equipment needed for the surgical procedure.
3. Performs the surgical scrub and donning of gown and gloves.
4. Sets up the sterile back table and Mayo stand with instruments, supplies, equipment, and medications/solutions needed for the procedure.
5. Performs initial instrument, sharps, and sponge counts with the circulator.
6. Assists the team members with gowning and gloving.
7. Assists with draping the patient and establishing the sterile field.
8. Participates in the surgical site and patient verification during the time-out procedure.
9. Secures tubing, cords, and other sterile accessories.
Intraoperative Duties are as follows:
1. Prepares and anticipates additional instrumentation, equipment, and supplies for usage during the procedure.
2. Anticipates the needs of the surgeon by passing instruments and supplies to the surgeon during the procedure.
3. Measures and passes medications, hemostatic agents, and irrigation solutions utilized during the surgical procedure.
4. Holds retractors or instruments as directed by the surgeon.
5. Sponges or suctions the operative site.
6. Applies electrocautery to clamps or forceps on bleeders.
7. Cuts suture material as directed by the surgeon.
8. Coordinates the camera or changes out robotic arms/instruments during endoscopic surgery as directed by the surgeon.
9. Maintains the highest standard of sterile technique during the procedure.
10. Performs additional counts as necessary.
11. Prepares sterile dressings and/or immobilization devices.
12. Prepares and passes off specimen(s) as appropriate.
13. Cleans and prepares instruments for terminal sterilization.
14. Assists other members of the team with terminal cleaning of the room.
15. Assists in prepping the OR for the next patient.
16. Participates in debriefing and quality improvement practices to ensure quality patient care.
Additional Duties:
The Surgical Technologist in the second scrub role assists the surgeon and/or surgical assistant during the operative procedure by performing tasks such as sponging, suctioning, cutting sutures, holding retractors, and manipulating the endoscopic camera. This role is distinct from that of the first scrub and surgical first assistant. The Surgical Technologist assisting in circulating obtains additional instruments, supplies, and equipment necessary while the surgical procedure is in progress. They monitor conditions in the operating room and constantly assess the needs of the patient and surgical team.
1. Review the patient’s chart, identify the patient, verify the surgery to be performed with consent forms, and bring the patient to the assigned operating room.
2. Assists with transferring the patient to the operating room table.
3. Monitors the comfort of the patient and provides verbal and tactile reassurance to the patient.
4. Assists in maintaining normothermia.
5. Assists the anesthesia provider.
6. Assists with positioning the patient, using appropriate equipment and anatomical principles to avoid patient injury.
7. Applies the electrosurgical grounding pad.
8. Assists with applying tourniquets and monitors before the procedure begins.
9. Completes the patient skin prep prior to draping by the sterile surgical team.
10. Performs instrument, sharps, and sponge counts with the surgical technologist in the first scrub role prior to the operation and before the incision is closed.
11. Anticipates additional supplies needed during the procedure.
12. Keeps accurate records throughout the procedure.
13. Properly cares for specimens.
14. Secures dressings after incision closure.
15. Helps transport the patient to the post-anesthesia care unit.
16. Performs urinary catheterization.
17. Updates and keeps accurate records of the surgeon’s preferences.
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