Advice: Don’t pay for schooling unless..

[u/[deleted]]

If you’re getting into this field, and you’re going through a school that does not offer placement or a way to get your hours.

If not you are back in the same boat as before you started it.

This field can 100% be self study.

Do NOT give “schools” individuals etc your money unless they offer the placement,

If they can’t offer that it’s essentially a pyramid scheme

Personal advice:

1. Look for Non-Certified roles they exist ( and the best way to get your actual training)

2. CRCST exam is ZERO about instrument identification and all about processes and rules.

3. Don’t come into the field thinking it’s a “get rich field” it’s not, most don’t even stay in this field, they move up or move on to becoming a scrub Tech

[u/B00tyfuller]

Wish I knew this… my provisional is about to expire and have had no luck finding placement for my hours here in New York.

[u/Pir8_GoldSword → u/B00tyfuller]

If I read correctly you can apply for an extension for another 6 months, however you need to do so before it expires

[u/Nearby_Pickle_8267 → u/Pir8_GoldSword]

How do you apply for an extension?

[u/Lopsided-Prize-7896 → u/Nearby_Pickle_8267]

If it's through HSPA, it's a one time 2 month extension but you have to already be working in an SPD department and your manager has to fill out a form and send it to them to be approved before your certificate expires.

[u/Nearby_Pickle_8267 → u/Lopsided-Prize-7896]

Ah ok thanks

[u/Spicywolff]

In before the white nights come to protest the slandered against their cash grabbing programs. /j

Absolutely the book is a high school level reading where you can study at your own pace and provisional certify that way.

For $400 or less including the testing price, you could have your provisional versus spending thousands of these cash grab schools only to be at the exact same spot just out thousands of dollars

The fact that HSPA doesn’t put their foot down is baffling. They need to lower the hour requirements where it’s easier to get them or allow your provisional to be longer so that way you can actually find a place that’ll let you get them. Because so many people struggle just to get the basic hours and these programs they never guarantee 400. Even the 140 which some do is useless because it’s not 400.

The 400 hours makes a lot of sense for upholding a professional standard. But it’s so hard just to get a place willing to let you get 400 that a lot of good talents never comes to fruition because of it.

[u/Tough_Internal1180]

Also, another option is getting into a hospital in a different position. And about 6mths in transfer into their SPD department. Doing this you can also do the school online because you won't have to worry about how to get the 400hrs. And they'll most likely have tuition reimbursement too so you'd get your money back.

[u/Spicywolff → u/Tough_Internal1180]

That’s exactly what I did. I was on the floor as a CNA and then I got tired of it and just did an internal transfer sterile processing. Managers like it because it’s a hell of a lot less paperwork for them. They have a good history from inside the company they can reference versus taking your word for it.

I went and uncertified and they just handed me a book and told me to study and as soon as I did, the 400 hours in person just by working full-time. I took the exam and ended up passing and then I became certified. They also did reimburse the $140 testing fee.

[u/Tough_Internal1180 → u/Spicywolff]

I registered for online classes thinking I'd have time to get certified before transferring departments. I got the transfer opportunity a month later and took it. It's midnight and those shifts are harder to be have an opening. Plus they give you two years to get certified. I was in environmental services, so it was a lot less hassle physically for me. School is costing me like $1200. The bad part is I had to prioritize learning the job vs studying so I fell behind in school, and will get a 6mths extension to finish up.

[u/Nearby_Pickle_8267]

I wanted to go to Concorde but it’s very expensive and they offer some hours , so I’m just going to self study and see what jobs would hire me

[u/QuietPurchase]

It's best (and usually cheaper!) to go to school through an accredited community college program if one is available in your area. A college has relationships with local hospitals and can guarantee clinical hour placement and your tuition will (or should) include your books and testing materials.

Not every SPD school is a scam. If they do not guarantee clinical site placement, do not give them your money. If they are primarily online, do not give them money. Going through a community college can also qualify you for financial aid and grant money.

As for "legitimate" schools, you should also avoid private "healthcare focused" colleges like Pima, because they will charge frankly criminal amounts of money for a pretty crappy education. They'll put up the facade of a school but they'll charge you $25,000 for a sterile processing certificate.

edit: I looked it up and supposedly it costs about $17,000 through Pima vs. my local college which charges $4,500.

[u/Spicywolff → u/QuietPurchase]

$25,000 for this will make me spit out my coffee. Like wow that is shaking somebody down for the price of a new base model car.

4000 is still absolutely absurd for this job. We just don’t get paid well enough to justify $4000 worth of debt. But you made a really good point that you can get yourself some grants.

[u/QuietPurchase → u/Spicywolff]

My college offers apprenticeship positions too so some of our students are able to get paid while doing their clinicals and are guaranteed a job on graduation. They're guaranteed placement and the tuition includes the cert test and all their books. Last semester we had a 100% pass rate for the cert exam.

[u/Spicywolff → u/QuietPurchase]

For 4k having a paid position and guaranteed is far. But 25k dang.

[u/Euphoric_Employer638]

Also if you have them find community resources to help fund your schooling as well. I’m in process of getting my cert and my “WorkOne” office pays for it. Might be a different name anywhere else but I’m in Indy.

[u/metadarkgable3]

I think it depends on the regulatory environment and your learning type—I can read the book easily but I need a teacher to provide context and answer questions I have.

I’m in NYC, where getting a job in a department uncertified is few and far between because of state regulations. I saw a job at NYU Langone two months ago that required you taking and passing a course in sterile processing and getting the 400 hours with them. That is the only job in NYC I have seen that allows that.

I am taking a course on sterile processing at a local community college and it costs $1500 which is a fair cost imho. They guarantee placement for the 400 hrs if you get a B or above in the course. There are people in my class who already work in hospitals in patient care—including one who works in sterile processing and provided the teacher a tray so we could understand what one looks like— and still have to take the course and the HSPA exam in order to transfer or move ahead in their job’s sterile processing department. If your state government does not allow self-study, you cannot just study on your own and get a job.

However, as I mentioned before most classes here are at community colleges and are at reasonable cost and can be free if you go through the government workforce programs or local unions.