Healthcare

如何成为一名无菌处理技术员

HealthcareDecember 27, 2023

市场洞察公司Research 和 Markets对2022年做了一个有趣的预测. It forecast that medical professionals would perform more than 108 million surgical procedures in 2023. 许多手术使用的器械在其他手术中再次使用.

Without sterilization measures, tools reused in surgeries 和 other medical procedures could pose a host of dangers to patients 和 healthcare professionals alike. 无菌处理技术人员使用灭菌法, or the most advanced form of disinfection, as part of their work to ensure reused equipment doesn’t carry microorganisms that could be hazardous.

无菌处理技术人员培训计划 educate students about the critical processes that keep medical instruments contaminant-free. Completing this type of training is one of the key steps in becoming a sterile processing technician — 和 in protecting patients 和 medical professionals from health 和 financial risks.

无菌处理技术员做什么?

Sterile processing technicians perform sterilization 和 other tasks to prepare medical 和 laboratory equipment before each use. 他们可以使用各种机器和工艺中的任何一种 — fROM高压灭菌器,它管理加压蒸汽,干热柜和超越. 

无菌处理技术人员的工作有助于保护病人免受感染, illness, or even death. Sterile processing technicians also play an important role in helping healthcare providers meet safety regulations 和 reduce legal risks. 

无菌处理技术员工作职责

在有医疗设备的环境中工作 — such as hospitals, 诊所, 和 physicians’ offices — sterile processing technicians typically have responsibilities that include:

  • Using equipment to sterilize instruments 和 other materials employed by medical professionals in surgeries 和 other procedures
  • Providing sterilized supplies 和 equipment to healthcare professionals for medical procedures
  • Sterilizing 和 organizing materials on instrument trays during surgeries 和 other procedures
  • 收集和清洁使用后消毒的仪器设备
  • Removing 和 disposing of medical waste
  • Inspecting instruments for cleanliness
  • 保存灭菌操作、设备和用品的记录
  • 向主管或医生报告消毒设备的问题
  • 订购相关医疗用品,并根据需要更换

成为无菌处理技术员的步骤

要成为一名无菌处理技术人员,首先要接受专门的培训和教育. 以下是追求职业的四个主要步骤.

Step 1: Complete Training

After earning a high school diploma, 有抱负的无菌处理技术人员通常完成一个重点培训计划. Sterile processing technician programs teach methods for cleaning 和 sterilizing instruments 和 build students’ knowledge in microbiology 和 infection control processes. 

Step 2: Develop Skills

In addition to knowledge about sterilization techniques — 和 how to implement them — sterile processing technicians rely on various skills that help them succeed. The following are important skills for sterile processing technicians to develop.

  • Attention to detail. To implement sterilization procedures, sterile processing technicians must pay close attention to ensure they carry out each step in the process.
  • Collaboration. In their work supporting surgical teams 和 other medical staff during surgeries 和 other procedures, sterile processing technicians must effectively partner with those professionals to keep processes running safely 和 smoothly.
  • Communication. 作为专业人员,其职责集中在准备设备的使用, sterile processing technicians typically must reach out to suppliers 和 equipment repair companies as needed, 让其他医务人员了解他们的工作进展.
  • Critical thinking. 因为在他们支持的医疗程序中可能会出现紧急情况, sterile processing technicians must be adept at adjusting their work to accommodate changing circumstances.
  • Life-saving procedures. As employees of healthcare facilities, sterile processing technicians typically must know how to administer CPR 和 basic life support (BLS).

Step 3: Gain Work Experience

工作经验可以帮助无菌处理技术人员建立他们的知识和技能, 这是专业认证的普遍要求. In addition to on-the-job opportunities, field experience through sterile processing technician programs can be a great way for students to gain real-world exposure as they strengthen the skills they have learned in the classroom. 

Step 4: Earn Certification

While not all jobs in the field require it, earning a sterile processing technician certification can provide an advantage during job searches. 即使在追求一个不需要它的角色时, certification shows employers a c和idate has met a certifying body’s criteria for experience 和 knowledge.

虽然有各种各样的认证, 哪些侧重于不同的经验水平和技能, common options for introductory-level certification are through the following organizations.

  • 医疗无菌处理协会(HSPA) — The Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) designation requires professionals to have 400 hours of workplace experience 和 pass an exam.
  • 无菌处理和分销认证委员会(CBSPD)-获得认证无菌处理和分配技术员(CSPDT)称号, applicants can show knowledge 和 experience through several options — including six or 12 months of on-the-job experience — 和 passing an exam.

There is a fee for certification exams, 和 the credential generally is valid for five years.

无菌处理技术员的工作前景

美国.S. 劳工统计局(BLS)英国正版365官方网站医疗设备准备 — including sterile processing technicians — to have robust job growth for at least the next decade. The BLS expects the healthcare sector will grow much faster than the rate for the nation’s job market as a whole during that time period.

关于 9,从2023年至2033年,每年将提供500个新的医疗设备编制人员职位, 就业增长在5%到8%之间, according to BLS projections. One likely reason for this outlook is that about 80% of these professionals work in medical 和 surgical hospitals. 研究与市场公司2022年的一份报告预测,到2027年, the number of surgical procedures performed in the United 状态s would grow to more than 127 million. 

在休斯顿地区,医疗保健行业已经经历了显著的增长.

A 2023 report issued by Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston notes that the region boasts more than 376,000 healthcare workers. The BLS reports that the area added 23,300 jobs in the healthcare 和 social assistance sector between October 2022 和 October 2023.

向成为德克萨斯州的无菌处理技术人员迈出一步

Sterile processing technicians play a critical role in protecting medical patients 和 the healthcare providers who assist them. 还有一个庞大且不断增长的医疗保健行业, 休斯顿地区是追求这一重要职业的好地方.

如果你想应聘休斯顿的无菌处理技术员, take a key step by exploring the 富通无菌处理技师学校.

Offered on the North HoustonSouth Houston campuses in 德州, the program provides classroom instruction, h和s-on training, 和 real-world experience. Students can gain the knowledge 和 skills to begin their sterile processing technician career, 朝着哈里斯医疗系统提供的职位努力, Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann, 德州 Children’s Hospital, 和 Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.

Discover how the 富通无菌处理技师学校 can help you pursue your professional goals.

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Sources:
Certification Board for Sterile Processing 和 Distribution, SPD Technician Certification Exam CSPDT
GerMedUSA,《英国正版365官方网站》 
卫生保健无菌处理协会,认证概述
健康热线"消毒和灭菌的区别"
《英国正版365官方网站》
纪念赫尔曼卫生系统,“洞察,展望在休斯敦医疗保健”
O*Net在线,医疗保健和社会援助
O*NET OnLine, Medical Equipment Preparers 
Research 和  Markets, U.S. 外科手术市场-预测至2028年
The Joint Commission, “Ensuring Critical Instruments 和 Devices Are Appropriate for Use”
U.S. 劳工统计局,医疗保健职业
U.S. 劳工统计局,休斯顿地区就业- 2023年10月
《365英国上市官网》