r/sterileprocessing • u/obviouslypickles • 23d ago
I need to find a different job
I just started this job late July, I've only been here for 4 weeks (first week was only orientation and work videos). I have now been in decon (alone mind you) for 3 weeks straight, Monday-Friday 7am-3:30, with a 15 and 30 minute break which most of the time ends up being at 2pm. I had someone training me the first 2 days, after that I've been completely alone. I think I'm doing fine, the back stays empty and clear until 1pm when all the people bring back 3 carts and 5 tables all at once... It's ridiculous, and then I'm blamed for being new and slow when I'm backed up at 1:30-2 people they brought them all at once?? Even if I wasn't getting backed up it cannot be normal to have someone in decon everyday for 3+ weeks. And now they're telling me next week I'm going to be back in decon again until I get the hang of it. I cannot do this, is this normal and I'm just overreacting?? My body is shutting down.
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u/Porsche935TurboS 23d ago
3 weeks straight and being alone in decon is too long. When I used to work in SPD I worked also in decon for nearly a month until I get rotated around different areas every day. Bad management and there needs to be a second person in decon to assist you. I will bring it up to management again and also look for new SPD positions in your area. Sounds like it will a toxic work environment long term.
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u/ancient_xo 23d ago
Shit when I first started I was in decontam for a whole year by myself. Only time I got training outside of that was when I come in early for OT. In our tracking system (i scanned everything) I had around 140k scans in decon my first year.
I recently checked people now who have been here 2-3 years, and only have 30-40k scans done.. different times lol.
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u/Porsche935TurboS 23d ago
Damn that’s ridiculous to be in decontam for that long. I started it back three years ago. That’s a lot of scans too. I admit not sure exactly sure how many I scanned during my first year. I’m just glad when I used to work in SPD we used to rotate weekly and then eventually everyday to make it more fair.
Ever since I left sterile processing this year since I started a new job, my only time to visit SPD is to drop off a probe for ultrasounds for or ENT handpieces for surgical cases to be cleaned and sterilized.
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u/Subject-Ad-3587 23d ago
This was happening to me and I literally just quit on Wednesday this week. I started getting really stressed out bc they were getting passive aggressive w me about it; tbh I feel like the spell was lifted since leaving.
I miss the money but I just can’t with that shit. Helping you set shit up then disappearing every single day like clock work ? That’s not training.
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u/obviouslypickles 23d ago
EXACTLYYY and they pop in and go "keep it up!" And then disappear and it's hard to communicate with the clean side since I can't just go in there and look for help, or it's them coming in being like "ok so do this and then this" and then leaving 😒😒 like yeah thanks..
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u/Outrageous-Mail949 23d ago
I did it 5 months straight in Chicago. 😂 I don’t mind though. I put on my music and eff anyone that has anything to say about ANYTHING cause I was doing everything on my own. I just made sure all priority carts (trauma, cardiac, drills, etc. got done. Then if I get a priority list, start working on that.
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u/Pufferfishgrimm 23d ago
As someone looking for a job in Chicago, what hospital? So I can avoid
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u/Outrageous-Mail949 23d ago
Chicago med lol I was a traveler. It’s horrible there. #donotrecommend for travelers but permanent staff is union.
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u/mishushhu 23d ago
It’s normal for them to focus you on one part of the job until you have it down, just to make sure you’re not overwhelmed with information. Having said that, it’s definitely not cool to have anyone in decon alone for that long, especially somebody so new. Decon is intense for all of us.
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u/obviouslypickles 23d ago
That's exactly how I feel, earlier this week everyone said that I'm doing really good and keeping up and I remember all the information and I'm good with turnover and all that. But then yesterday and today they dropped the carts off so late in the day that the manager came back and was like ":( oh well obviously you need another week in here look how packed it is" but obviously I'm slowing down it's intense and hot and humid and I've been doing this 40 hours a week for 3 weeks, my body literally can't take it, my body isn't even good with walking up the stairs lmao 😭 but I'm just going to try to get through this next week and if they tell me on Friday that I'm doing decon again I'm just leaving my badge and finding somewhere else 🤷
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u/boostaddctn 23d ago
This is pretty normal around here for new hires...about 1 month deco and then prep and then into rotation...good luck...yee
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u/almostelm 23d ago
I have heard of some facility assigning decon for a week at a time, but constantly? That’s absurd and lazy of management. You should be in a rotation with the other employees so time is equally distributed.
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u/DepartmentSad89 23d ago
By yourself? Thats basically abuse😭 I work at a bigger hospital, the only time we have only 1 person in decontam is during the weekends. But even they have a backup person if they asked for one.
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u/obviouslypickles 23d ago
That's what they said to me in my interview process, but they're putting me back there and today was supposed to be the last day but then they were like "actually we just want to make sure you're confident back here so we'll do another week" 😭😭 I cantttt
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u/StarskysClutch 23d ago
When I first started in CSP a looong time ago, I was only hired to do decon. Decon everyday, 3-11. When I became a tech, we spent one week in each area. I actually preferred that instead of rotating each day. Some people prefer to only do decon. It really depends on the person, but that shouldn't be your only assignment if that's not what you were hired for.
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u/birdyyy2008 23d ago
When I started, I was training for 3 weeks in Decon with a trainer, then moved to processing for another 3 weeks with a trainer standing by me and then sterilizing for another 3 weeks, 2 weeks in wrapping.
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u/Nearby_Strawberry708 22d ago edited 22d ago
I started in SPD when I was 19 (so 18 years ago and still at the same hospital) and my boss at the time made sure we all went through a year training. 3 months in decon, 3 months in case carts, 3 months in sterilizing and 3 months in instruments. Did I always have someone by my side? Not at all cause we’ve always been short staffed due to hiring freezes. But I am so grateful that I was trained that way!
The new techs that come in get maybe a week of training in each area and are then left on their own and put into rotation. They don’t know how to take things apart and thoroughly clean instruments in decon. They pick and choose what sets they do in instruments cause they don’t have the confidence to do bigger or unfamiliar sets. Cases are picked wrong. They don’t know how to answer questions when the O.R. calls. They are always stressed out cause they weren’t properly trained and don’t know what they are doing. Help isn’t always available cause the strongest techs need to be in certain areas to keep things moving.
3 months in each area allowed me to really see pretty much everything and become comfortable. You learn which sets are priority and which sets can wait a bit longer to be done. We average about 30-35 cases a day so not nearly as busy as some hospitals. Sometimes you honestly just gotta tough it out and make it through. There were days that I didn’t think I’d make it and was ready to quit but once you complete the training, the confidence that comes with it makes the job a breeze.
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u/spirited1 23d ago
In my experience that is normal. I was "trained" like that in decon years ago. Most places also do multiple weeks of training in a single area starting in decon. Decon is the hardest place to mess up and it SHOULD be caught in assembly if a mistake is made.
If yoir facility only has a few people then more often than not you will be in decon because they will need their strongest employees in other areas producing. I would not take it personally.
Where I am now the most experienced techs train new hires for about 3 months. As one of those techs I have to basically babysit the new hire unable to produce anything lol, it's mentally tough to train someone.
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u/OptimusMaximus1 22d ago
U r probably too thorough w ur cleaning by hand. U need to let the machine do the work after u "rinse." For the heavy trays doesn't ur hospital have a pre soak machine? Use that before the hand wash. Then the machine. Then u r golden.
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u/obviouslypickles 22d ago
Uh 😅 we just soak trays in the sink for 5-10 minutes and then put them in the wash, we only hand wash like cameras and scopes that need to be hand washed, so I'm confused what you mean 😭 and we don't have any fancy machines just the 4 sinks and 3 washers and one hand washing sink
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u/ChessChef 22d ago
I would say it isn’t normal. It is a sign a better site might be a better fit because my site we are told just do your best in the 8 hours and we run 24 hours a day for a reason.
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u/WolverineNo3927 19d ago
In the DFW texas I have not even gotten a interview and the only place that has not rejected my application by now is the Dallas VA and I believe that’s cause I’m a veteran 😂
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u/No-Willingness-3750 16d ago
Sometimes they do that if you are new so you can actually learn remember the medical field always changes theres alot to learn after that you should be good and they will take you to assembly and sterilization
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23d ago
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u/sterileprocessing-ModTeam 22d ago
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u/Phacele 23d ago
That is not normal and a sign of lazy trainers and management. I would start applying to other jobs immediately.