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Central Sterile Processing is the core department within a healthcare facility in which medical/surgical supplies and equipment, both sterile and non-sterile, are decontaminated, processed, sterilized, stored and used for patient care.
What Does a Central Sterile Processing Technician Do?
Central Sterile Processing Technicians are responsible for many vital services within various healthcare facilities. Some responsibilities include:
- Decontamination procedures
- Preparation and packaging for sterilization
- Monitoring the process of steam, EtO, dry heat, and liquid chemical sterilization
- Maintaining product sterility through shelf-life/rotation
- Storage distribution, inspection and inventory control of supplies, instruments and equipment
Where do Central Sterile Technicians Work?
- Students are awarded a technical certificate upon successful completion of the curriculum.
- Professionally trained Central Sterile Processing Techniciand work in a variety of enviroments. Graduates can look forward to an exciting career working in a Hospital or Surgery Center, Outpatient Surgery Clinics, Veterinary Hospital and Dental Surgery Clinics.
How Do I Become a Central Sterile Processing Technician?
- The Central Sterile Processing Certificate Program is a course developed to acquaint entry -level aides and refresh existing technicians on the scope of scientific principles that underlie decontamination, processing, sterilization, distribution, and inventory control of instrumentation. This certificate of completion course will provide the knowledge of current regulations, techniques and trends to enable individuals to function with nationally based competencies in health care sterile supply processing and distribution areas, Upon completion of this course, graduate will be prepared to take the Certification for Healthcare Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician's exam as well as the certification exam offered through IAHCSMM.
Clinical Component will be during and after classroom instruction. 400 hours of training is required by IAHCSMM to be eligible to test for Certification. 200 hours is acquired in our fully functional Sterile Processing theatre and 200-400 hours at an externship site arranged by CCMCC. Assignments will be given no later than 30 days after the last day of the course. Students have 17 weeks from the last day of the didactic portion of the program to complete the externship.
Letter to "Joe" (SPD Program Director) from a greatful student.
Hello Joe,
The next time you wonder if what you are doing by teaching Sterile Processing is beneficial then please remember what I am about to say.
Your approach to teaching is great, really great. You make the subject interesting by telling the students about what is not in the text book, like your personal experiences and issues that we will become involved with on the job. You were correct in telling us that we will see things in CPD from those who are not formally trained and certified that are against the "best practices" of the industry. You stressed to your students that there are no short cuts in decontamination and I will never take the easy way in decontamination in order to save time or to make my day easier, busy or not. Those who have not been formally trained by "Joe" don't know the importance of pre-washing with enzymatic detergents. I've seen employees take a dirty tray and open the scissors and clamps, place them back into the tray and put the tray directly into the mechanical washer. Then they tell me that it's OK. Not acceptable in my book or the "Bible". What I don't say is "Joe told me". Not yet anyway since today will only be my 9th day on the job, but believe me I will be doing a lot of training very soon. I am trying to figure out some of the employees and I feel that they do not what to be corrected or taught industry "best practices" by the new guy. Yah I'm back to work.
Our background in learning instruments in class makes a huge difference as a new hire.
Never question your teaching skills and know that your approach is extremely important in improving industry standards. Every employee in CPD should be certified!
Thanks for all you help.
Marty
Letter to CCMCC Staff from Sterile Processing Technician Graduate.
Mindi, Joe, and Stacey,
So I just received my IAHCSMM Certifiaction score in the mail the other day, and I'm happy to report that I passed with flying colors! Thank you guys for setting me up to succeed.
First of all, Stacy, thank you for opening such a professional medical career college close to my house and job. I am impressed with your whole staff as they are honest, informative, and courteous.
Secondly, Mindi, I appreciate you being flexible enough to place me in my externship close to my job and home. I can see it's no easy task placing students that "fit" into their externships.
Lastly, Joe, I'm glad I took your advice and studied all of your written chapter tests, the sample IAHCSMM Exam, as well as the "Bilble" (the blue textbook). If I hadn't studied starting a month before the test I don't think I would have passed the IAHCSMM Exam.
Joe, thanks for stressing to us students to come into the Sterile Processing Lab prior to us starting our externships. Since I followed your advice, I felt more prepared in the CPD department and quickly became a productive member of that CPD.
Thanks and Aloha!
Christian Jacot
High School Guidance Counselor/ Liberty High School
Freshman Baseball Coach
Total Fees paid to Institution:
Registration Fee: $75.00
Tuition: $2300.00
STRF Fee: $7.50
Books: $185.00
Students are also responsible for the following fees NOT paid directly to Institution:
Background Check and Drug Screen: $122.00
BLS American Heart Association for Health Care Providers: $85.00
Uniform / Shoes / Lab Coat: $115.00
2012 Class Schedule - Sterile Processing Technician
Night Courses
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM for 20 weeks-Evening Courses 2012(choose from the following)
2012 SPTpm2-Mon July 23-Thurs Dec 11 5pm-10pm CLASSES ARE FULL. PLEASE CALL US TO BE PUT ON WAITING LIST.
Day Courses
Monday through Thursday from 9:00AM- 1:00PM for 20 weeks -Day Courses 2012 (choose from the following)
2012 SPTam1-Mon Jun 4 -Thurs Oct23,2013 9am-1pm CLASSES FULL. PLEASE CALL US TO BE PUT ON WAITING LIST. 2012 SPTam3-Mon Oct 29-Thurs Mar21,2013 9am-1pm CLASSES FULL. PLEASE CALL US TO BE PUT ON WAITING LIST.
There is a 200-400 hour externship following successful completion of the didactic portion of the course.
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Contra Costa Medical Career College is a small, Private Vocational Training School. The school was formed in response to the growing need for qualified, entry level healthcare professionals in this community.
