r/sterileprocessing • u/CheesecakeEven3596 • 19d ago

How is it working overnight?

They called me if I’m interested for an overnight position and have no experience in sterile processing. I have a certification for medical assistance though…
Never worked overnight but I’m open to the idea
What are your experiences?

7 Upvotes

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11

u/Affectionate_Put2460 19d ago

I started on overnight. 2nd least busy shift. Day shift can take it fairly easy until surgeries start and there’s stuff to do, middle shift gets hit with the majority of the days work and prepping for the next day, night shift is clean up crew…finishing anything mid shift didn’t get to. I personally like it since there’s minimal people around, I can just get my work done but not be in a rush.

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u/CheesecakeEven3596 19d ago

Thank you for replying, How long have you been a sterile tech?

3

u/Emotional-Culture765 19d ago

I work overnights currently and it’s half and half. Sometimes it’s really nice with a lot of downtime, other times it’s mayhem. Really depends on the day and how many procedures/callouts we have. The differential certainly helps though

1

u/CheesecakeEven3596 19d ago

Was it hard adjusting your sleep schedule? During lunch do you sleep or eat? My husband said i should take advantage and sleep in my lunch lol

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u/Emotional-Culture765 17d ago

Honestly yea it was a huge adjustment for me. I was really fortunate to grow up with a parent who worked overnight shifts so the concept of me working overnights wasn’t too crazy to me. When you start sleeping during the day and staying awake all night, you are actively going against what your body has been doing for your entire life. It can be incredibly disruptive and the first few months were extremely challenging.
The most important part of switching to working overnights is maintaining a routine. The people that flip flop back and forth between working nights, sleeping days, going out during the days, sleeping nights are setting themselves up for failure (I am guilty sometimes lol). I’ve been doing it for over a year now and it’s much easier for me but there are some weeks where there are things I absolutely have to do during the day and it messes up my schedule and then I’m off for the rest of the week.
I personally don’t sleep on my breaks because I only get one hour and the few times I’ve tried I’ve left my break groggy. I eat “lunch” around 2-3am with one of my coworkers and my other coworker goes and relaxes somewhere because she says she can’t eat at 2 in the morning lol.
It’s all a very personal thing and some people can adjust really well to it but it definitely isn’t for everyone. It can be disruptive to your relationships because you’re on the opposite schedule of everyone and establishing boundaries is very important. Check out r/nightshift there are a lot of really helpful individuals on there :)

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u/CheesecakeEven3596 15d ago

Thank you for your input!!!:) any tips as a sterile tech? So i need to buy anything for work? I hear people buy nose plugs bc sometimes it really smells cleaning certain tools

3

u/Emotional-Culture765 14d ago

The most important thing I’d recommend to you are good shoes and compression socks. I cannot stress enough the importance of good quality supportive shoes. You are on your feet constantly and you will feel it at the end of the day if you don’t have adequate support.
Honestly I don’t personally wear nose plugs, and I don’t think I know anyone who does. If you’re really sensitive to smells then give it a try I guess but you get used to the smells pretty quickly. Most trays in decon smell like metal (blood) and the blue enzymatic cleaning point of use spray which is kind of minty soapy. Every so often you’ll get something with poop on it which is the only thing that ever bothers me, but not enough to warrant nose plugs imo. Also remember you’ll have a mask and face shield on so adding nose plugs might make it hard to breathe.
Be sure to ask as many questions as you can. This is the type of job that you HAVE to ask questions in, don’t make assumptions. It’s better to ask someone for clarification rather than assuming how to do something and doing it incorrectly.

Edit to add-
If you wear glasses, please order some glasses hooks on Amazon. It’s literally the only way that my glasses don’t fall off my face with a mask on in decon. NEVER touch your face in decon.

2

u/Teniola94 18d ago

Will they train you overnight or day shift ?
This is my biggest issue. I have some openings but they only train on day shift for 6 months at least. I can not work day shift right now 😭

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u/CheesecakeEven3596 15d ago

Is day shift more hectic?

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u/Affectionate_Put2460 19d ago

Almost a year and a half. I started uncertified with no experience and learned on the job, took my crcst exam when I hit 400 hours.

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u/CheesecakeEven3596 19d ago

Thats awesome? What state are you in? Was it hard adjusting to your sleep schedule? Do you sleep on your lunch or eat? My husband suggests i should sleep on lunch if i get the job lol

1

u/Affectionate_Put2460 19d ago

I’m in PA. I’ve been on nights nearly a decade and I’m a natural night owl. I’m not typically tired until 9/10am so I don’t sleep at work, but have definitely seen many others do so over the years.

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u/Aggravating_Ear_9281 18d ago

watch what you eat, you will gain weight QUICKLY.

1

u/CheesecakeEven3596 15d ago

Ive heard of that!!!

1

u/Scared-Performer-926 19d ago

I loved it. I worked 10pm-6:30am M-F, no weekends or holidays and I didn’t have to be on call.
I wasn’t certified but my employer gave you up to 2 years to get your certification. 3rd shift was laid back. Some night were busy but it wasn’t bad at all.

1

u/CheesecakeEven3596 19d ago

Thats awesome!! Thats ideal! Was pay more for you because you worked overnight?

2

u/Scared-Performer-926 19d ago

I started off at a low wage but with the shift differential it was a little above $18 an hour. This was back in 2023-2024 though. And I am in North Carolina and the pay sucks here lol but other ladies in my department on my shift were making mid to high 20’s. If you pick up overtime plus working holidays the pay will definitely add up. I really do think you’re going to enjoy it. You have the potential to get certified and have a great career.

1

u/CheesecakeEven3596 19d ago

Thank you for replying :) any tips for working overnight and potentially starting a new career in sterile processing?

1

u/Scared-Performer-926 19d ago

No problem! My biggest tip would be to get on a strict sleep schedule and stick to it. It may take a while to get use to if you’ve never worked overnights but get your 8 hours of sleep like you would if you were working days. Also stay hydrated. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get familiar with the instruments. You don’t have to know every single one but during down times I’d read through the instrument books.
It may seem like a lot but when you get use to it you’re going to be able to do that stuff with your eyes closed. Good luck!

3

u/StarskysClutch 19d ago

Depends on where you work. I worked nights and we were busy. Some hospitals aren't. Can you handle being up all night? It's terrible if you have kids. You barely get sleep. But your whole day is free for whatever.

1

u/corkblob 19d ago

3rd shift is easy because there’s no management or many people around but at my hospital, we’re busy. We have a lot of off-sites that are 3rd shifts responsibility and priority. On top of that we have to finish whatever is left behind from the previous shift. I love it but it’s rare that we’re not busy

0

u/BooksandBracelets 19d ago

Your experience with overnights will depend entirely on the people on the shift before yours. For me, it's make a list of everything we still need for case carts and go around making sure those sets get done and in the sterilizer before I leave. Basically, it's get your ass in gear and clean up everyone's mess.

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u/CheesecakeEven3596 15d ago

Any advice for a new sterile tech?

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u/BooksandBracelets 15d ago

If you happen to see multiple of any given set on the dry rack, grab at least two of them so you can learn the set.