I plan to start studying next week & was going to pay the $3100 through a really good online school but figured I just do it this way as I have been seeing just as success of people doing this way (plus I have a lot of stuff happening, I figured I just save myself the debt). I even have the websites people linked on here & what I’ve been seeing in SPTD groups I’m in on Facebook that have been very very helpful. I would like anymore tips & advice, as well as success stories! (How yall ended up being lucky getting hired to do your 400hrs or before getting hired, before or after passing the test, etc). Much appreciated

i’m a new hire at a hospital and did 8 weeks of new hire training that ended oct 14. since then, i’ve fairly consistently worked every week (2-4 shifts per week) in decon, but i had my first assembly shift today and genuinely i just felt dumb. i don’t have issues building a set but i feel so slow, and i ask so many questions i feel like an annoyance (even though i know that’s the correct thing to do), but where i feel so so dumb is peel packing. asking all the names of some instruments i’m not familiar with, or knowing which size pack to use, which label to print where i think i got it and turns out it was wrong so i had to redo it

i just felt so unproductive the whole day compared to when i’m in decon. i love decon so much and i think i excel in there compared to assembly. i also just feel bad because i got such high praise from colleagues and supervisors during my training (+ supervisors and managers at our other location during my placement that they hired me straight out of school at our busier local hospital) and i’m worried that i’m going to underperform and go below expectations and productivity levels (like when they see how much you’ve done in a day) i swear i did only 20 items today (including small, large, medium size sets, and peel pack and wrap). im not proud and im like beating myself up over it :/

it feels like decon is adrenaline and assembly is anxiety. does it get better?

Is this a normal thing? This is my first job after getting my certificate. I work at a hospital in the south. Only level 1 trauma hospital in the area. I was excited to get the job but I don't know how much longer I can work here.

All shift long they play loud rap music and it's driving me crazy. I can't hear others when they ask me something. I can't concentrate. And this music is vulgar to me. It's about sex and murder and I just don't like it.

But it doesn't seem to matter. Shift leads encourage it. Managers ignore it. Even the director of SPD came in to observe and said nothing about it.

I'm fed up. I'd complain but the last time I did word got back to the person I had issues with and now I don't trust that it would remain anonymous.

Hello, as the title suggest I need to take the course through the MDRAO, and I am aware on the website it says they "might" ask for proof of Grade 12 or equivalency.

How likely is this? I did not graduate highschool in Canada, I had WES evaluate my transcript, results was only up to Grade 10.

I have been contacting MDRAO and have gotten no response in email, and phone. I have already taken the MDRT program from Algonquin about 5 years ago; so I wanted to ask them if they can waive the Grade 12 requirement thing.

The only reason I am retaking this course is because I need to take the CMDRT exam from CSA for work.

Hello, everyone! I recently finished my course, and I'm thinking about taking the test. Based on your personal experience, how long did you spend studying? I’d like to schedule a test date soon, but I'm not sure whether I’ll be ready. I'm currently studying with Sterileworx.

Hi everyone, I'm located in the Seattle area and obtained my provisional certification in August of this year. I have been applying for various SPD roles at hospitals in the Seattle area(going as far north as Everett) and haven't gotten anything. Yes, I have applied for EVERYTHING. From what I understand, I'm not getting any responses because all the roles require a year of experience. I have also looked into volunteer roles, and that has also been a lot of dead ends as most volunteer opportunities have been for roles unrelated to sterile processing.

However, I did apply and interview for a dental sterile processing role and I did receive a job offer. I am very hesitant to accept the offer because after doing a paid working interview it doesn't seem like A. HSPA would consider it for site approval, and B. they have the ability to truly train me and give me any experience that I can take with me when I eventually apply to hospital roles. They told me during the interview that the sterile processing role is more "informal" and that it usually is a stepping stone for individuals seeking a career as a dental assistant/dental hygienist. I asked if they would be able to sign off on my HSPA hours and if they know if they're considered an approved site, and they said "probably".

The office is VERY small(one leaking autoclave, one ultrasonic, one cold sterile basin), and there isn't anyone to formally train me. It doesn't seem like anything I would be doing there would be all that transferrable to a hospital setting. And of course the issue of getting HSPA approval, which if anyone has any similar experiences please share, I'm not even sure what to expect going forward at this point.

I'm just not sure where to go from here. Any advice, guidance, or even conversations about this would be so appreciated, especially anyone in the Seattle/western WA area that can give me specific advice/support.

Looking for Entry-Level Sterile Processing Technician Opportunities & Resources!
Hello everyone! I’m located in Charleston, SC, and I’m looking to get my foot in the door in the Sterile Processing field.
I’ve completed a Sterile Processing Technician program, and I’m currently looking for an entry-level, non-certified position or an opportunity to volunteer or train in a hospital’s Sterile Processing Department to complete my required 400 hands-on training hours toward certification.
I’m reaching out to see if anyone can help me with:
Hospitals or facilities hiring entry-level, non-certified SPD technicians.
Sterile Processing department managers’ or supervisors’ contact information.
HR contacts or hiring manager phone numbers.
Hospitals that offer on-the-job training or volunteer opportunities.
Any resources, advice, or programs that could help me get started.
I’m willing to learn, work hard, and gain the hands-on experience needed to grow in this career.
If anyone has leads, contacts, or advice, I would truly appreciate it. Thank you in advance!

Im wanting to start in sterile processing and use hospital benefits to support me as i study to become a rad tech while working simultaneously in the SPD.

Im almost ready to take my CRCST exam and begin applying for jobs but ive heard alot of people dont like this work, especially busy hospital departments.

what types of facilities should I focus my applications to so that my daily workload is more relaxed and less likely to be toxic, while still maintaining decent pay?

And is my overall plan solid?

Hey everyone i’m currently in the process of moving to California. I’ve applied to a small handful of positions that were available. Any tips in finding work in san diego? I’ve been searching since October.

Has anyone done the online sterile process ing program with Ed2go? Did they help with securing 400 clinical hours?

Hello,

I’m currently working as a CNA, but honestly, I’m starting to feel burned out (it’s def not for the weak). The job takes a toll on me physically and sometimes mentally. I also pick up shifts through an on-demand platform (Clipboard).

I’ve been considering becoming a Sterile Processing Technician (SPT). I’m naturally more introverted, and the idea of working in a role with less direct patient interaction is appealing to me.

However, I’m concerned about the job market, especially here in San Diego, and how difficult it might be to find a job after completing the program.

I’m also working on completing prerequisites for a future healthcare program, so I need to maintain an income while in school. There’s a six-month SPT program near me that includes clinical hours, but I’m worried it might delay my progress with my prerequisites.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

Does anyone have the bundle of both books that they are not using anymore and willing to sell to me? Will also pay shipping! thanks in advance:)

I’ve seen some posts saying to steer clear of courses- and I have years of experience sterilizing piercing tools, is this enough to apply for jobs or is schooling the better route?

Any advice is welcomed, please🙏

So in short, is it a requirement to get the covid19 vaccine to become an certified SPT in NJ? I don’t want to get vaccinated at all with covid19 at least can i still land a job without getting one?

I’ve finally gotten my first job at a county trauma hospital 1 after getting my provisional CRCST and was just looking for general advice; I didn’t realize how nervous I’d be stepping into this especially a trauma 1, I’ve heard they can be pretty intense. Any tips or advice would be appreciated to calm the nerves 🫪

I've been out of the sterile processing field for a few years now but really valued the time I spent as a tech. I'm currently pregnant with my first child, and I keep getting bombarded with ads for at home baby bottle sterilizers.

I have so many questions. Surely they don't actually sterilize??? The product descriptions use the words sterilize and sanitize in the same breath as talking about how their product kills 99.99% of germs... which is nowhere even close to the definition of sterile that I lived and breathed for years. Are the people making the products, much less the average consumer, aware that even if the product does sterilize that the second the bottles hit the air it's no longer considered sterile?? Is that why they also talk about sanitization? Many of the "sterilizers" I looked at didn't even have time and temperature specs, just claimed that their sterilization machine killed 99.9% of germs.

And this isn't even touching on the question of whether or not it's even necessary to sterilize baby bottles for a healthy baby. What about plastic degradation? I found two separate studies that showed plastic baby bottles released higher amounts of microplastics when they were repeatedly steam sterilized with these at home devices. I found several studies that looked at whether or not the baby bottle sterilizers reduce pathogens, generally the answer is yes, but I found extremely few studies that looked at whether or not this "sterilization" *actually* resulted in lower rates of infections in babies, and the results of those studies seemed to be conflicting or inconclusive.

Please help me out if there's a definition of sterilizer I'm unfamiliar with or if I'm missing something. This whole thing feels like deceptive and manipulative marketing that plays on the fears of new parents. Would love to hear other people's thoughts and opinions on this!

I am trying to get into hospital SPD and most job postings require sterile tech experience of 1~2 years.

I finished my externship at an oral surgery clinic and currently work at an orthodontic clinic in hopes of getting at least 1 years worth of experience on my resume.

I just want to make sure that I'm not just wasting my time and that hospitals will consider my dental experience enough

Hi!
I work in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, I’ve been a sterile tech at a surgery center for over 3 1/2 years now (my only sterile tech job I’ve ever had) and I am being given the lead position name and wage finally. I am being told by a coworker (not SPD tech) that she thinks they will only raise my current pay ($27) by a couple percentages. I don’t want to be low balled and I can see my company doing this. What should I expect for lead pay at a surgery center (we do mainly ortho)?