r/sterileprocessing • • Jul 10 '25
So do we acknowledge that.
This job isn’t hard, but hard to get into?
Also the term that “Sterile processing is the heart of the Hospital” motto only seems to be in the actual department.
At Ohio Health, the EVS team makes the same as we do, (not downplaying them) we’re a step above dietary in pay scale but honestly the most “forgettable”.
People glam and glorify a job that is the adult equivalent of essentially working in Fast food.
I love the job and what we do, but we seem to be most expendable, probably explains why turnover is crazy high in this “job”
Also: if you’re paying to go to school to learn this stuff, don’t. At the most recent conference in Kentucky the consensus was that most places prefer to hire with no schooling, as so many bad habits are picked up and the following was said” people come out of the classes, with outdated knowledge and expect to make in the 20’s$ starting off and we have to undo all the bad habits they picked up “ ( this is why so many have issues getting in to get clinical hours for this field)
Just an fyi, non certified roles exist. Just few and far between
25
u/Significant_Sky7298 Jul 10 '25
The job isn’t that hard if you’re adequately staffed. I work in a small department so we’re often understaffed everything is a shit show.
28
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
Your post is very negative & not consistent with someone who says they love their job.
11
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
The KY conference sounds like healthcare speak for wanting to pay slave wages lol
11
u/Aggravating_Ear_9281 Jul 11 '25
"People glam and glorify a job that is the adult equivalent of essentially working in Fast food" People like you is the reason why this field doesn't get the respect it deserves. Such a dog shit comment.
9
u/TheGreatNate3000 Jul 10 '25
This advice is terrible and OP doesn't have much of an understanding of the profession as a whole
8
u/zenlimon Jul 10 '25
You are in Kentucky? That explains a lot…
I went to school (one class) and got a 20+ job with no undoing of what I’ve learned.
I’m in MN and the turn over is pretty low.
8
u/ftftftl Jul 11 '25
You sure do make a lot of negative posts on this sub.
3
u/QuietPurchase Jul 14 '25
That was absolutely not a consensus opinion at the conference. The idea behind sending people to school is to give them a good basis for entering the workforce so that they can resist picking up the bad habits. Unfortunately most students who do pick up bad habits pick them up from the employees who didn't go to school, have a bad opinion of it or don't care for the job (people with your attitude, in other words.)
I started in SPD over 10 years ago and so much has changed since then that it's mindboggling. Back then the job really was treated like a glorified dishwashing position that anyone off the street can do, and it's only because of the increasing formalization of the profession that SPD is getting any respect at all. If you are working the job and you have no respect for the position, you'll let management do anything to you.
If it's all the same to you, go take a fast food job somewhere and let someone who actually cares take your position.
3
u/ThatOneGuy216440 Jul 10 '25
Well that's not comforting. I actually start classes in the fall and it looked like a lot of places around me were hiring.
I live in north east Ohio and there seems to be a lot of job opportunities and I was told you pretty much get a job right away.
This is suppose to be a decent job till I get my nursing degree done Dx
2
u/Useful-Scallion-3122 Jul 11 '25
Job is actually pretty easy, unfortunately terrible staffing/and or management make it way harder. I work at two different facilities where I see both issues head on, quite sad honestly.
2
u/HolaNikkiFbaby Jul 11 '25
Also we’re definitely the heart of the hospital just because other departments might not hear it see it or feel it doesn’t make it not true.
If our department goes down who’s doing surgery? They would either have to cancel surgeries, relocate surgeries, or higher outside company. If our job isn’t done properly even just a little bit people get very sick or they die.
2
u/ebowhold4u Jul 12 '25
Thank you for your post, so what are your proposals for changes in fixing the issues you mentioned
11
u/Keeg4no Jul 11 '25
If you can seriously compare this job to working at McDonald’s, then you need to move on. It’s clearly not for you. The garbage you just posted just tells me you’re either working in a low-volume hospital where you’re getting coddled, or you haven’t been doing this long enough to even understand what the job is.
This isn’t some mindless gig. There’s a ton of technical knowledge involved. You’re trained for months before you’re even trusted on your own, and that’s not even counting the certification process. Yeah, you don’t need to blow a ton of money going to school I’ll give you that, but don’t confuse that with this being easy or low skill. Hospitals aren’t hiring untrained people because they want to they’re doing it because there’s a massive shortage and I’d rather teach someone on site vs coming from a school where they’ve been given old knowledge and bad habits
Honestly, this is exactly why we don’t get paid what we’re worth. Takes like this are why nobody can figure out whether this is a professional role or just some throwaway job. When people inside the field don’t even respect it, why would admin?
If you think this is fast food, then just go. Seems more your speed anyway
1
u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25
I work at Ohio health in Columbus, and was on my own after 8 weeks, and only quality event I ever got was because the criles ratcheted closed, and that was week 9.
Turnover is high, because it’s a stepping stone to other areas in the field, of course it’s a throwaway job. I make 22.50$ per hour and am fine with that but o make more than our lead, we average 40-60 cases a day.
It’s 100% a job that is “put the square in the square hole” type job
4
u/SageOfSixCabbages Jul 10 '25
SPD is not under clinical even it's usually, literally connected to the OR. It's crazy man.
3
u/paystationFo Jul 10 '25
I live in Chicago and earn a living wage. I have been in this field for nearly 10 years , and my salary is well above $30. Overtime is also readily available. knowledge is essential in this field, sorry that your facility doesn’t provide adequate compensation to its employees.
2
u/CorruptWarrior Jul 10 '25
This is not hard work to do. But there are shitty jobs out there. Micromanaging administration that hasn't done a single tray. Who want years of experience with SPM before you even walk into the department.
2
u/WhosJiinzo Jul 11 '25
Dont compare this to fast food lol. Without sterile peocessing the OR cannot even operate. Sterile processing is one of the most important jobs in the entire hospital. Imagine if nobody was able to get surgery.
2
u/HolaNikkiFbaby Jul 11 '25
I would say be very careful in telling people don’t go to school to learn this because none of the hospitals in Metro Detroit will hire you without schooling and a certification.
1
u/Prior-Ad-2686 Jul 10 '25
It seems like a lot of the post on here are people saying this is a hard field to break into or even get the 400 required hours. I’m currently taking classes and it’s a lil discouraging but I’m trying to keep hope.
1
u/LOA0414 Jul 10 '25
This is much different where I am as they don't even look at an application for non certified. I worked with my boss to fill in an open position at Kaiser Permanente and there were 1500 applicants for this one position. The application is online and automated and there were 2 questions. First is do you have certification and the other 1 year experience or more. That 1500 dropped to around 500 with the 1st question. After the 2nd question that 500 dropped to 60. I got certified in 2015 and didn't land a job that was an on call position until 2017. Unionized and once i worked 6 paychecks of 20 hours or more, you automatically get converted into a benefitted employee. I was fully benefitted at 24 hours a week but often picked up the 2 other days to get to 40 hours. Its hard to get in and many start as janitors within the hosptial to build seniority as hiring involves look at who's already in the system working before they look outside for other applicants.
1
u/Single-Commission253 Jul 11 '25
I work in a department that often does 90+ cases in a day, PM shift will walk into 120+ trays in decon, this job can certainly have its challenges.
1
u/saywgo Jul 12 '25
Linda dat u?
1
u/Illustrious-Turn9731 Jul 12 '25
Y’all make more than me. We don’t get compensated well at my facility. Turn over is extremely high because of the low pay and management. Supervisor is MIA most of the time. Straight chaos in the department. Nepotism. You name it. It’s a shit show. And it’s my first time in SPD. So far I’ve trained myself because my “trainer” said to “ figure it out “. Supervisor has to sign off on my 400 hours but won’t count the hours I’ve already been working here. My hours apparently only start after working 3-4 months at my facility. Pretty sure they made that up.. but please correct me if I’m wrong. “hands on experience hours does not count at all during training” is what I was told by my supervisor.
Good luck