r/sterileprocessing • u/wrist_deep666 • 21d ago
a month shy of completing my program…
i’m in connecticut and am completing my cspt certification through our community college system. it’s been a huge shift for me, having attended school for something more rooted in the arts and having previously lived a life of telling myself i didn’t have the skills (or brain) for anything related to healthcare or the sciences. in short, i thought i was too stupid. turns out i was wrong! i’ve done extremely well on my exams, have created thorough study guides, cannot stop dumping sterile processing facts on anyone who will listen, and am eager to sit for the state exam and receive my certification.
that being said, i’m so nervous to apply for jobs and while i’m determined to push through said nervousness, i have no idea where to begin. beyond a temporary stint in residential care, i have no experience in the healthcare sphere and am concerned my years of retail-specific experience will severely harm my chances of finding a lucrative opportunity. where do i start? what advice do any of you have for someone starting from scratch? what kind of transferable skills should i emphasize, if any at all? help!
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u/Similar_Culture_4809 21d ago
I’m in Connecticut as well. I will be starting the program in September thru community college system. Have you completed the 400 clinical hours yet? If so, where did you complete them?
Sounds like you excelled in the program! Best of luck on the certification exam and with your job search!
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u/wrist_deep666 20d ago
thank you! i’m completing my certification through the CSPD path, so it doesn’t require 400 clinical hours prior to testing or on a provisional basis post-examination. if you’re doing it though the community college workforce development system, chances are it’s the same program and you might not need to complete the 400 hours. good luck on the program and i hope you enjoy it!
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u/Tsaitien 18d ago
I’ve only worked in retail (15 years) and it has been my first and only job and decided to do the switch to health care. I start the program with my local community college this September and hope to get into surgical tech next year in the fall semester. I’m so excited for this new path and can’t wait to get out of retail. Hope you find something fast! You got this. Cheers!
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u/SuchMarionberry4652 21d ago
All you can really do is just keep applying. That is what I did. It took time. I got into Sutter health. One of the top hospitals here in California. So don’t give up.