Medical Equipment Preparers
Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.
Sample of reported job titles:
Central Processing Technician (CPT), Central Service Technician (CST), Central Sterile Supply Technician (CSS Technician), Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST), Instrument Technician, Sterile Preparation Technician, Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (SPD Tech), Sterile Processing Technician (Sterile Processing Tech), Sterile Technician, Sterilization Technician
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed.
- Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization.
- Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.
- Record sterilizer test results.
- Disinfect and sterilize equipment, such as respirators, hospital beds, or oxygen or dialysis equipment, using sterilizers, aerators, or washers.
Technology Skills
- Calendar and scheduling software:Calendar software,McKesson ANSOS One-Staff
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software:Microsoft SharePoint
- Data base user interface and query software:Database software,Microsoft SharePoint Server
- Electronic mail software:Email software
- Inventory management software:Inventory tracking software,Pyxis MedStation software
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards:Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Documenting/Recording Information:Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings:Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Processing Information:Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work:Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Detailed Work Activities
- Attend educational events to update medical knowledge.
- Clean medical equipment.
- Inventory medical supplies or equipment.
- Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
- Monitor medical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
Work Context
- Telephone:100% responded"Every day"
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled:100% responded"Every day"
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets:98% responded"Every day"
- Exposed to Disease or Infections:88% responded"Every day"
- Face-to-Face Discussions:80% responded"Every day"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Critical Thinking:Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring:Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Quality Control Analysis:Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Active Listening:Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Operations Monitoring:Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service:Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- English Language:Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Biology:Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Production and Processing:Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
- Public Safety and Security:Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 44%High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
- 31%Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
- 15%Bachelor's Degree
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Near Vision:The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Problem Sensitivity:The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Oral Comprehension:The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness:The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Deductive Reasoning:The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Interests
- Realistic:Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Conventional:Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Investigative:Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Work Values
- Support:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Relationships:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
- Working Conditions:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Work Styles
- Attention to Detail:Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Cooperation:Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Independence:Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Stress Tolerance:Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
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