A sterile instrument technician cleans the surgical instruments prior to a surgery.
A sterile instrument technician is also called a sterile processing technician or a central service technician. In this job you will work to clean, disinfect, sterilize, assemble, wrap, store and distribute medical instruments, equipment and carts. Sterile instrument technicians also check the condition of instruments and at times work with linens. Locations that perform surgical procedures such as hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices all require a sterile instrument technician. This is considered a growing field. If you have clear written and verbal communication, a basic requirement for the job, take the steps to become a sterile instrument technician.
Instructions
1. Get a high school diploma. A basic requirement for a sterile instrument technician is a high school diploma with a grade point average of at least 2.0. A focus in math, science and biology courses will be helpful in the field.
2. Obtain an associate's degree is surgical technology. While a college degree is not a requirement for the job, it can help you to stand out from the crowd and will help you to obtain the knowledge necessary to perform the job. Alternatively, read about surgical instruments, the sterilization process and the standards of the Association of Peri-Operative Registered Nurses (AORN).
3. Get certified. Various certifications are available, such as the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation Central Sterile Certification or a Central Service/Sterile Processing and Distribution (CS/SPD) certification with the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution or the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materials Management.
4. Apply for the job. Take your resume to a local hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices. Search for job openings in newspapers and online job search engines.
Tags: instrument technician, sterile instrument, sterile instrument technician, basic requirement, Central Service
