Getting a sterile processing technician certification is very important if you work in this field. Certification by a recognized professional organization is very crucial to the development of sterile processing staff. Personally and professionally, the passing a certification exam makes better sterile processing technicians that are able to provide better care for patients.
Achieving a sterile processing and distribution technician certification builds the technician’s pride in their work, augments their hands-on training with technical knowledge, and enhances the level of professionalism of the sterile processing department, elevating its role in the patient care continuum.
The ultimate goal of education (as demonstrated by certification) is patient safety. Well educated technicians know and follow best practices for cleaning and sterilizing instruments for clinical procedures and surgeries, something that leads unequivocally to best outcomes for patients.
Certification enhances hands-on training. The best healthcare facilities provide extensive training for their sterile processing personnel. Orientation and hands-on training can last several weeks or months, depending on the type of work that the technicians perform.
Along with hands-on training, healthcare facilities need to provide time to study the theories behind the daily work using texts that are provided by IAHCSMM and CBSPD. Knowing the button to push on the sterilizer is important, but it is not enough. To be most effective, the technician needs to know what the sterilization parameters mean, and why we must sterilize instruments the way we do.
An Educator who is connected to the SPD department can help department leadership coordinate study time in order to avoid taking away from production. Education is very crucial, but so is having the right instruments available for doctors to perform procedures. Most experienced leaders know this, and work with the Educator to find a balance between best outcomes for patients - both today and in the future.
For more information on the benefits of getting a sterile processing technician certification, visit our website at https://www.martinsoncollege.com
