Job Description

University of Utah Job Description

Job Summary

This position is responsible for sterilizing and decontaminating surgical instruments and supplies for use in the operating room and throughout the hospital and clinics.The incumbent assembles surgical carts, and tracks and maintains the total inventory of instruments, disposables, and implants. The employee is responsible for the monitoring of biological and chemical indicators to ensure quality and consistency for sterilization of instruments and medical supplies. This position is not responsible for providing patient care.

Qualifications

Required

• Entry level position.

Preferred

• Work experience in a medical setting or equivalency (one year of education can be substituted for two years of related work experience).

This position is patient-sensitive and must fulfill all associated vaccination requirements, or be approved for an exemption, prior to the first day of work. We protect our patients, coworkers and community by requiring all patient-sensitive employees to be immunized according to CDC standards and hospital policy. Limited exemptions may be made for documented medical contraindications or religious beliefs that object to vaccinations.

Applicants must demonstrate the potential ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.

Disclaimer

This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

Essential Functions

• Prepares and sterilizes surgical instruments and supplies according to established procedures and techniques.
• Verifies that equipment functions properly, and the repair or replacement of defective instruments.
• Sorts sets of instrument trays, and medical equipment and makes them available to sterile processing customers in a timely manner.
• Assembles special procedure trays, surgical instrument trays and case carts.
• Delivers sterilized supplies to, and retrieves used supplies and trays from hospital department and clinic locations.
• Inspects and ensures proper functioning of instruments and equipment; facilitates the replenishment of low, broken or missing items.
• Documents patient charges for the use of supplies and procedure trays.

Problem Solving

• Ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined above.
• Demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills.
• Basic knowledge of anatomy, physiology and medical terminology.
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
• Ability to accurately detect blood that may remain on instruments before proceeding with the next step of sterilization.
• Ability to perform environmental maintenance duties and assists in maintaining inventory levels.
• Ability to work and communicate with clients and customers to satisfy their expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to acquire and utilize a comprehensive understanding of various sterilizers and sterilization methods; understand departmental supply requests and determine appropriate alternative supplies in the case of unavailability; prioritize workload and requests for supplies and trays.
• Ability to wear appropriate protective attire.
• Ability to be on-call, work weekends, holidays and rotate shifts as needed.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served on his or her assigned unit.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles of life span growth and development and the ability to assess data regarding the patient's status and provide care as described in the department's policies and procedures manual.

Comments

Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.

• This position involves intermediate working conditions in a healthcare setting that may exert up to 50 pounds any may consistently require lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving objects. The incumbent may face exposure to potentially dangerous contaminated body fluids, used needles, razor blades, knives, bone shavings, pieces of glass, and other contaminants as part of the daily hazards of the job and must wear protective attire at all times. The position also requires standing or walking for long periods of time.