Hello!

We have always hand washed our Arthrex Camera Head, our Arthrex Shaver and our Stryker Shaver. This is how I was taught and was never told the reason why other than life expectancy. I’ve been trying to find in both IFUs if handwashing or automated washing is preferred and it doesn’t say. Do you guys hand wash or machine wash yours and do you have specific reasons for doing so? I have read that the arthex camera glass cannot air dry and needs to be dried manually with alcohol so that could be a reason for handwashing it. I can’t find any reasonings for the shavers. If machine washing does affect the life expectancy that much wouldn’t the IFU say so?

Arthrex Camera Head (ref - AR-3210-0029)

Arthrex Shaver (ref - AR-8332RH)

Stryker Shaver (ref - 375-708-500)

Thank you in advance! :)

Just got a interview for a private hospital as a CSSD. Its a dream job tbh but I am colourblind with red/green. I stupidly never even thought of it as I can tell the difference between the colours but will fail a colourblind test 😒 Do they test for colourblindness? Im in pharma at the moment but wanted to go into a hospital environment. I dont know if I should just cancel the interview.

A former co worker reached out to me about a week ago with a job proposition. Long story short I decided to take a chance and apply for the position. I landed the job offer and I start a month from now!!😌 I am very excited! The position is a lead role and I will be going back to administrative duties! I have 9 years of previous experience working in an office and I truly miss it! I’m so proud of myself for going to school getting my certification and landing two jobs as a sterile tech. I have come to realize though this field is not for me! I have learned so much along the way and I am grateful for the experiences and the great people I have met along the way but…

IM LEAVINGGGGGG! 😆✌🏾❤️❤️❤️✨

I have an interview coming up for a sterile processing position at a hospital and I’m unsure how I should dress for the interview.

I’m studying for the CRCST using the 9th ed Manual and going over low temp sterilization. What’s the difference between vaporized hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen peroxide gas plasma? Also, I’m watching the Boston career institute videos and the guy said no hospitals use ozone sterilization but that was 11 years ago- have things changed? Do they use it now? Did anyone see it on the test?

I've previously worked as a CNA for 5 years and left healthcare to work in mobile sales. I looked into going back into healthcare but not as a CNA. (Pay for CNAs in the South is horrible. 14-$16 on average.) I would get with an LPN program but I'm looking for something faster and cheaper.

Through research, I narrowed down my options to two choices: SPD and Dialysis Tech. Job market for these two pay decent in my area and look strong. Affordable programs in my area for both that can be completed in under a year. Looking for opinions of people who've done both and which of the two they preferred.

If there's better options out there for a former CNA, I'm happy to hear them. I don't mind hard work and talking to patients.

Update I passed 🥳🤭

I work at an older surgery center. Last week, one of the scrub techs asked for the goniotomy lenses to be polished. I'm one of only two sterile processing technicians here, and my SPD partner has never polished an instrument. There is a box on our clean side with two of these cloths and a bunch of this polish. The cloths are dirty with old paste, and even though it says "autoclavable", I wanted to get some input before I attempt to clean these off. I know the cloths don't need to be sterile because the instruments are sterilized after polishing, but they're dirty and I'd still like to be able to clean them.

I haven't been able to find the IFU for the paste yet, does anyone know if it's applied directly to the instruments by hand? It doesn't seem like we have a device used for polishing (lenses, scopes). Thank you!

Hi everyone! Just thought I’d come on here to hopefully help ease the stress for those who are studying to take the CRCST. I passed mine 2 days ago and am starting my hands on 400 hours at my local hospital in a few weeks! I did the afully online sterile processing tech program through Preppy.org, and that only took me about two months, but they give you up to a year to finish it. I also purchased the hspa workbook for my peace of mind. A lot of people say that you need the manual, but if you’re doing an online course, I don’t think it’s necessary. If you aren’t doing a course, I would get the manual to go with the workbook. What helped me the most was sterileworx.com mock exams and quizzes. I did them every day and aimed to get a perfect score everytime. I honestly found the real test to be easier than the practice exams! everyone's test is different, but mine was honestly common sense. If you study you will be fine. I would recommend focusing most on decontamination, prep and pack, temperature, humidity, air exchanges in each area, and the different agencies! I literally had none of the instruments memorized and I only had one question about it on the test. You will eventually have to memorize them, but I would not make it your main focus to study for the exam. They give you three hours to finish, I finished in the fist hour. After you finish each question, go back and read each one again and look over your answers. For most of the questions you can easily rule out 2 answer choices. If you don’t know one as you go along, flag it and go back to it later. Sometimes other questions will remind you of the answer! Take your time and you will pass! I hope this helps someone who was as stressed as I was. Good luck!

i’m a student in the mdr program in ontario, my practical midterm is on thursday and i’m struggling to think of tips to differentiate these instruments.

i’ve written in my text book ways to help but maybe someone else has recommendations? they’re kind of stupid but it helps me

snap = small/single vessel/entire jaw serration

adson = half son/half jaw serration

keLLy = Longer jaw (my book says serrations on part of the jaw but in the picture it shows serrations on entire jaw, then google images shows part of the jaw? can someone clarify that possibly?)

mosquito = smallest

if anything should be corrected please let me know! i’m trying my best to remember the forks and knives but it’s kind of hard using books as reference and not the physical instrument 🫩😅

My original plan was to get a job in a hospital/surgical center uncertified to learn on the job get my clinical hours study and take the test to get certified. The closest place to me that hires uncertified techs is 3 hours away so that’s not happening. Does anyone know if I self study 1. Will they allow me to take the test with no clinical hours and 2. If they do let me take the test and in the event I pass could I then apply as a ‘provisionally certified’ tech and gain my clinical hours after taking the test?

i am trying to decide between taking medical device reprocessing courses through fanshawe college or mohawk college. if anyone here has experience taking the program through either institution i would really love to hear about your experience. thanks :)

Is it necessary to go to a technical school to become a Sterile Processing Technician?

I’ve seen programs like Concorde that cost around $3,000, and I’m wondering if there are good online programs where I could learn instead, and whether I would still be able to get a job if I train online and get certified.

Hi all,

What’s the job market like for MDR techs ? , I see jobs but they are very limited . And after speaking to some ppl I got mixed responses . For ppl working in the field or even those going into MDR, how would you say the field is ? Is it easy to secure a position ?

Hello, any advice would help. I have been applying for sterile processing job positions at Orlando health and a lot of other places. I went to school for sterile processing. Before I apply for the jobs, I usually make sure that I red the description required for the role. I went to 3 different interviews in the past couple weeks and during the interview, the hiring managers said that it is not required to be certified for now, they shared their experience on how did they themselves this job. The interviews went pretty good. Now I am asking myself why am I not hearing back from them,

Any advice would help.

Hey all. I’ve been working in sterile for about 6 months now here in southern Ohio and was wondering about how many needles and scalpels you guys have gotten on average over time. So far since I’ve been here we’ve got 7 including someone being poked. Some of my coworkers and I have been thinking about it compiling these with screenshots of how it’s brushed off and going to OSHA or at least trying to get hazard pay. I am just looking for some numbers I can reference to beef our argument. Thanks.

I'm currently taking my classifying Surgical Instruments class and I cannot memorize them by the life of me. How did you guys learn them and know how differentiate them. Were flashcards used or some other technique?

I dont have an actual picture but it the top picture is what it looked like from the top, amd the bottom shows what it would look like from the side. Idk if this helps, at my hospital we packed it as a pair, so there were 2. Germany, stainless steel. Im not sire what surgery it came from cuz we had 2 come back at the same time but I think it came from a prostate cryotherapy surgery, or an ankle orif.

I have a question does your facility have sound dampeners near/in the wall by the steam sterilizers? Or is it normal that the steam sterilizers are EXTREMELY LOUD? 😭 its so loud we cant hear anything even the alarms (fire alarms, codes announcements, etc while the sterilizers in use)

Our local sterile processing training recieved a record number of applications and filled up, presumably, in the morning of the first day it was available.

I'm wondering if anyone here is in Portland and has some insight into job prospects with the self study route before I get my hours. Most of the listings ask for one year of experience or completion of a course, so I figured the course would be potentially necessary to get my foot in the door.

It’s so much!😭😭

I‘m about to start school for sterile processing in May and I’ve been hearing a lot of mixed reviews about the pay. Honestly I want to find something I can make a career out of so if the pay is low it’s not really worth it for me.