First and foremost, I would like to wish all of my fellow Sterile Processing Technicians a happy SPD week, I know it's almost over but thank you for your service and all you do in the field of Sterile Processing. I would also like to thank all of my colleagues for taking the time out of their busy lives to participate in this interview making this post possible.
As Sterile Processing Week wraps up, I wanted to share a more in depth behind the scenes look into the life of a Sterile Processing Technician as well as what it is we do exactly. Sterile Processing one is the most important part of patient care. It is the critical step where surgical and medical devices, supplies and equipment are prepared, cleaned, prepped, processed, stored, and eventually issued to the main OR for patient care.
As SPD technicians although we may sometimes feel as though we are often overlooked and/ or under appreciated, we take patient safety very seriously. The Sterile Processing Department is an extremely, important and crucial part of the hospital, and I wanted to show my appreciation to the men and women in this field. I will be honest, two years ago before I started working in this field, I did not know this field even existed. I was ignorant and I know there are still a lot of people out there, that have never heard of Sterile Processing or even know who cleans, disinfects and sterilizes instruments after each procedure. That is the reason I wanted to do this post, to highlight the hardworking people that ensure patient safety is number one.
I am so happy that my colleagues were happy to participate in this post, however a few of them were camera shy.
Q. What is your job title?
A. Onsite Endoscopy Specialist
Q. What is the best part of your job?
A. I honestly like every facet of my job. The constant troubleshooting, educating and education. No two days are the EVER the same, lol.
Q. What do you least like about your job?
A. Not being in the OR on a more consistent basis.
Q. What does Sterile Processing mean to you?
A. Importance & Responsibility!
I think that SPD is the MOST important part of any surgical facility! If you think about the role SPD plays in every Surgical Case, then you will begin tounderstand the importance of having an efficient and effective department. As an SPD Tech it's our responsibility/obligation to always picture ourselves or loved ones on the OR table, as we're processing any kind of instrumentation! PATIENT SAFTEY! You would never except a mediocre processed instrument to be used on either yourself or a loved one!
For me, there aren't many things in life that give me the same peace of mind that, someone surviving something because, they had a successful surgical procedure & I played a HUGE role in that.
Q. What advice would you give to someone interested in a career in Sterile Processing?
A. Absorption & Patience! Meaning, learn as much as you can. Instrumentation, technology and process improvements are always changing. So, maintain your competencies. Always ask questions! Even if you think you know the answer, ask anyway. I mean, who wants to put someone's lives in their hands over avoiding a question? So, definitely learn as much as you can (absorb). Maintain patience with the learning and perfecting of your craft. If you're starting out, you must understand that your learning curve is going to be anywhere from a year to five years. Depending on your exposure. But your knowledge base should be forever expanding! Also, you're importance to a surgical procedure is no less important than the importance of a competent surgeon. The only difference is your role! Your responsibility, of patient safety, is as equally important as the surgeon's and surgical staff! So, don't take your career/role lightly. It is the utmost importance that everything you do in this field is with patient safety in mind!
Q. What is your job title?
A. Clinical Technician
Q. What is the best part of your job?
A. The best part of my job is working both in the main OR as well as the Sterile Processing Department. In SPD, not only am I able to wash the instruments/ trays that were used in surgery, I also get to prep/ pack the trays once they come out of the washer and get them ready for the sterilization process. In the OR, I get a chance to see what specific surgery each instrument is used. I also get to interact with the doctors, nurses and the surgical staff.
Q. What do you least like about your job?
A. I least like my schedule. I work for an outsourced company, so not only do I not have a set shift, my schedule also constantly changes on a daily basis to fit the needs of the cases.
Q. What does Sterile Processing mean to you?
A. Sterile Processing to me means patient safety. In my position, I get to do a little of everything. So, whether I am washing instruments or prepping a set to be sterilized before it is transported to the OR, I am making sure that I am paying close attention to what I'm doing. Honestly, I think of it as though I was having surgery or one of my loved ones. I wouldn't want something mediocre or less than superb used on me or someone I love, so I make sure that everything is done properly, because the reason why we are here is for the patients. And for me patient safety comes first before anything else.
Q. What advice would you give to someone interested in a career in Sterile Processing?
A. My advice would be to research every aspect of Sterile Processing. If you are like me and have no experience in the healthcare field, ask questions! If you are unsure of something, do not be afraid to speak up and voice your concerns. Not only would you be hurting yourself by staying silent, you could also potentially hurt a patient as well. Don't hesitate to further your knowledge on the field, google it or YouTube it. There are tons of videos pertaining to Sterile Processing on YouTube. I honestly think some people get into the field without knowing exactly what the job entails and doing research before hand would really help you decide whether or not the field is right for you.
Q. What is your job title?
A. Sterile Processing Technician.
Q. What is the best part of your job?
A. The satisfaction that patients are getting the best service and coming out of procedures without infections.
Q. What do you least like about your job?
A. I least like the manual labor. Sometimes it's very... How can I put it? Physical... And very tough. Apart from the mental side and the physical side, it can be a little stressful at times.
Q. What does Sterile Processing mean to you?
A. It is the last step of quality care for patients in terms of preventing infection at the surgical site.
Q. What advice would you give to someone interested in a career in Sterile Processing?
A. I would say do your research. Make sure you understand all the aspects of it and not just the part you like. I mean some people might like taking care of people, some people might like the biological side, or the instrument side. But, all of that is complied together into one profession. So, make sure you understand everything it entails before you put your foot in.
Q. What is your job title?
A. Sterile Processing Technician
Q. What is the best part of your job?
A. I get to learn all the different instrumentation and sets/ what cases they are used for.
Q. What do you least like about your job?
A. No growth!
Q. What does Sterile Processing mean to you?
A. It gives me a better understanding of my job in terms of the importance of processing the instruments properly. Making sure that everything is done correctly, meaning not taking any shortcuts. You have to think of it as one of your loved ones having surgery. I would not want something used on them that was not cleaned or sterilized properly, so I will not do that to another patient. Patient safety is number one for me.
Q. What advice would you give to someone interested in a career in Sterile Processing?
A. My advice would be to anyone wanting to further their career in the healthcare field, as I am. Working as a Sterile Processing Technician helps you learn about the different instruments/ what cases they are used for. It will definitely help you if you would like to become a scrub tech or nurse, because you would already know the instruments.
Q. What is your job title?
A. Sterile Processing Technician
Q. What is the best part of your job?
A. Giving back to people in need. Making sure the patient has what they need to help them back to health.
Q. What do you least like about your job?
A. Politics, the way management manipulates staff to believe that the organization backs them in all of their decisions.
Q. What does Sterile Processing mean to you?
A. No mistakes on SPDs part. The great atmosphere with my coworkers.
Q. What advice would you give to someone interested in a career in Sterile Processing?
A. Do all of your research about the job. Don't believe the hype. Stay to yourself, stay in school always further your education. And remember it's all the same in any SPD department you go to.
Comments
Post a Comment