CENTRAL STERILE TECH

Job Summary

The Central Sterile Technician supports safe and efficient gastrointestinal procedures in the Ambulatory Surgery Center by receiving, decontaminating, inspecting, assembling, disinfecting, sterilizing, storing, and distributing reusable instruments and procedural equipment according to device manufacturer instructions for use (IFU), validated processes, and organizational policies. The technician maintains accurate processing and traceability records, performs equipment and quality-control checks, and collaborates with the nursing and endoscopy teams to ensure properly processed supplies are available for scheduled procedures. Duties are performed within documented training and competency, with prompt escalation of process failures and patient-safety concerns.

Performance Expectations

Instrument processing and sterile supply

Receives, segregates, and transports contaminated instruments and reusable devices using designated containers, routes, and personal protective equipment.

Performs point-of-use follow-up, sorting, cleaning, inspection, functional testing, assembly, packaging, and sterilization of reusable instruments according to applicable IFUs and approved workflows.

Operates approved steam or other sterilization systems when assigned and trained; selects validated cycles and loads compatible with the device and sterilizer IFUs.

Uses and documents required mechanical, chemical, and biological monitoring; verifies release criteria and maintains sterilization records and load traceability.

Identifies damaged, missing, or malfunctioning instruments; removes questionable items from service and notifies leadership.

Maintains sterile storage conditions, stock rotation, packaging integrity, and organized case carts or procedure supply sets.

GI endoscope reprocessing and coordination

Coordinates with the Prep-Procedure Technician and RN team to ensure clear ownership and documented handoffs for flexible endoscope reprocessing.

When assigned and competency-validated, performs or supports endoscope precleaning verification, leak testing, manual cleaning, high-level disinfection or sterilization as indicated by the device IFU, rinsing, drying, storage, and traceability documentation.

Follows approved reprocessing equipment, chemical concentration, exposure time, temperature, water quality, and maintenance requirements; escalates failed cycles or out-of-range results.

Ensures flexible endoscopes are not treated as sterile solely because they have undergone high-level disinfection; follows device-specific requirements.

Infection prevention, safety, and quality

Uses Standard Precautions, appropriate PPE, hand hygiene, and safe sharps handling; maintains separation of dirty and clean workflows.

Performs daily equipment checks and required cleaning, preventive-maintenance coordination, and quality assurance documentation.

Immediately quarantines affected instruments or endoscopes following suspected reprocessing failures and follows recall, exposure investigation, and incident-reporting procedures.

Participates in competency validation, infection prevention surveillance, audits, corrective actions, emergency preparedness, and process improvement.

Operations and teamwork

Coordinates instrument availability and turnaround priorities with ASC nurses, physicians, and procedural staff without bypassing required processing steps.

Monitors inventory of sterile supplies, packaging, indicators, cleaning products, and reprocessing consumables; reports shortages and expiration concerns.

Completes accurate logs and electronic documentation, maintains confidentiality, and communicates professionally with colleagues.

Performs other related duties within scope, training, and organizational policy.

Qualifications

Education: High school diploma or GED required; completion of a sterile processing training program preferred.

Experience: Sterile processing, surgical instrumentation, or GI endoscope reprocessing experience preferred; ASC or endoscopy experience desirable.

Certification: CRCST (HSPA) or CSPDT (CBSPD) preferred; certification requirement and deadline to be established by Forrest Health based on duties and applicable requirements.

BLS: Not proposed as a routine requirement for this non-patient-care role; confirm against ASC policy.

Competencies: Documented initial and periodic competency in assigned decontamination, sterilization, endoscope reprocessing, quality monitoring, and traceability tasks before independent assignment.

Skills: Ability to read IFUs, follow detailed procedures, maintain records, use reprocessing equipment, recognize process deviations, and communicate promptly.