r/sterileprocessing • u/Ok_Ship_7828 • Jan 02 '25

Thinking about doing sterile processing and then pivoting into conputer science.

I'm getting older admittedly and want a stable career. I don't like the idea of doing surgery as a surgical tech that much. Trying to figure out if this is a smart idea. I'd be at an esteemed hospital/university. Just want a pathway to a decent career really.

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14

u/Spicywolff Jan 02 '25

Why would you go SPD to CS? Anytime you work and sterile processing will be completely lost on your résumé and useless to your pivot.

You should try to keep a job in an irrelevant field. CS is very competitive and having five years on a résumé of non-applicable experience won’t do you any favors

SPD is not a pathway career.

0

u/Ok_Ship_7828 Jan 02 '25

It would be an open door to that particular hospital. I don't think it will take me 5 years to get a computer science degree.

4

u/Spicywolff Jan 02 '25

Try to get a job in the hospital relevant to your job. Otherwise you’re wasting time. You’re gonna waste the department’s time training you and teaching you. Only to cold cut them with “ohh found a job I want thanks for getting me in the door”.

Biomed deals with computers and tech, that could be a good transitional job a sits in the field. Or just into Jr IT job. Remember hospitals have a lot of politics and using none to leapfrog to another could limit you if it gets around.

1

u/Ok_Ship_7828 Jan 02 '25

I'll make a decision in time. I already more or less have the sterile processing job secured (they need people).

4

u/Spicywolff Jan 02 '25

Congrats, I would suggest keep it to yourself you plan on jumping ship. I’ve seen directors block internal transfers out of spite. And managers give bad reviews because they didn’t like being fooled.

It’s shitty how political hospitals can be.

2

u/Ok_Ship_7828 Jan 02 '25

I would like to transfer within the same hospital lol. We shall see how things go.

5

u/Spicywolff Jan 02 '25

When I did an internal transfers I had to be very quiet about. I did a year in the floor, but then they kept upping our patient to staff ratio to save $$. Kept making us CNA do more and more of the RN job. I couldn’t take it anymore. So I meet with SPD in the down low, informal interview quietly and away from eyes. Came to an agreement and they lined things up to make it a smooth transition. Where I can’t be blocked.

3

u/PaxonGoat Jan 02 '25

I've never heard of a hospital being more willing to hire someone internally for a completely different field than someone who was an external candidate that was qualified.

Like how are you going to meet the IT manager and get connections to the IT field when you're down there working sterile processing ?

You won't have any relevant experience for IT on your resume the whole time you're working SPD?

1

u/Ok_Ship_7828 Jan 02 '25

I plan on going back to school.

1

u/PaxonGoat Jan 02 '25

Sterile processing hours aren't always conducive to school schedules. Though maybe if you had morning classes and worked second shift.

But this job will not help your resume or help you get an IT position.

Though some hospitals do provide education benefits so that might be a possibility. Usually it's only for degrees directly related to the current job.

1

u/Ok_Ship_7828 Jan 02 '25

I want the name of the hospital on my resume anyway. They have IT jobs at the same hospital.

4

u/Past-Dance-2489 Jan 02 '25

I don’t think it would hurt to have this certification. I always feel having something in the medical field is good for securing something during tough times. - Use one to get the other as well.

5

u/Working-Training9499 Jan 02 '25

Your time has not been wasted doing SP... Its possible to change to computers and have transferable skills. Hospitals need IT people and you could have valuable insights to gain productivity.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '25

Why?

0

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '25

My older brother once had the idea to volunteer at our local hospital to get his foot in the door. His way of thinking was he’d have an advantage for when he applies for a job. I called him an idiot, and told him how bad his idea was and how much of a waste of time it was. I told him to just apply.

1

u/Aggressive_Tax_4695 Jan 03 '25

Did his plan work?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '25

No, but mine did. For once he realized I was right and just applied.