**Sterile Processing Team Leader**

Job Id 59671 Category Patient Support Services MedStar Harbor Hospital Department Sterile Processing Location Baltimore, MD Full Time Evening Shift with rotating weekend JOB DESCRIPTION

* **Job Summary**

+ Responsible for decontamination, cleaning, processing and sterilization of supplies and equipment dispensedby the department following established infection control practices. Directs and oversees work of others in theabsence of management personnel.

* **Minimum Qualifications**

+ **Education/Training**

- High school graduation or equivalent.

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+ **Experience**

- 3 years leadership experience; 5 years experience in sterile processing preferred.

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+ **License/Certification/Registration**

- CRCST (Certified Registered Central Service Technician) certification or CSPDT (Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician) certification. Must maintain annual continuing education credits to maintain certification status.

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+ **Knowledge, Skills & Abilities**

- Thorough knowledge of aseptic technique, sterilization techniques, infection control requirements,basic knowledge of medical/surgical procedures and terminology. Basic computer skills. Verbal and writtencommunication skills.

* **Primary Duties and Responsibilities**

+ Assists with staffing, planning and control of the daily operations. Monitors the daily workflow, and directs and/or delegates staff assignments as appropriate. Reviews each departmental service on an ongoing basis to assure proper operation and customer satisfaction.

+ Assumes the responsibility of the department in the absence of management personnel. Adheres to department policy and procedures. Oversees, supervises, assigns staff to various tasks. Responsible and accountable for professional conduct, clinical competency and technical skills of the staff. Provides feedback or report to manager any significant incidence. Ability to apply make sound judgment in decision making and critical thinking.

+ Collaborates with Nurse Educator on the development and provision of competency based orientation of new personnel. Functions as preceptor to staff and CST Students. Assists in the training and performance evaluation of staff. Provides feedback on the progress of the new personnel and /students on weekly basis.

+ Competently performs the duties and responsibilities of SPD Techs Level I and Level II.

+ Contributes to the achievement of established department goals and objectives and adheres to department policies, procedures, quality standards and safety standards. Complies with governmental and accreditation regulations.

+ Ensures all case carts including emergency cases are processed and completed accurately. Ensures all emergency carts are processed within 20 minutes of request. Ensures Incomplete case carts are completed. Instrument trays are prioritized, and added to the case carts. Breaks down case carts that are canceled as appropriate.

+ Ensures associates adhere to departmental policies and procedures and utilize appropriate resources and reference manual. Reviews policy and procedure to team members. Enforces and adheres continually to departmental policy and procedures. Makes recommendation for revision, update or alteration. Encourages staff to utilize the necessary resources and reference manuals.

+ Ensures prompt responds to incoming telephone calls from the OR and other department. Ensures that telephone calls are answered within three rings. Answers call graciously, courteously and professionally. Answers inquiries promptly, competently and makes every effort to accommodate the caller. Takes the caller's name, phone number and reason for call as needed to complete the request/call.

+ Monitors all equipment functions and performance to ensure all parameters are met.- Ensures all biological indicators are read and recorded daily. Monitors all washers, sterilizers, sonic cleaners and dryers to ensure proper functioning of equipment. Ensures all sterilization parameters are met, indicators and locks are intact prior to issuing and receiving. Ensures water levels are checked and recorded daily. If applicable, reports any problem immediately to Supervisor/Manager and /or Clinical Engineering department.

+ Monitors inventory of supplies, instruments and equipment. Ensures that adequate supply levels are kept on hand. Ensures that equipment are sorted, labeled, scanned and issued to appropriate department. Ensures that all instruments/trays and equipment are processed accordingly, scanned and delivered to customers timely. Ensures appropriate usage of all supplies for cost savings. Ensures all outdated, damaged or defective supplies are checked and /or removed from the stocks.

+ Participates in meetings and on committees and represents the department and hospital in community outreach efforts as required. Attends mandatory meetings of the department. Attends the monthly leadership meeting.

+ Participates in multidisciplinary quality and service improvement teams. Represents the department in a unit based committees. Provides one in-service a year.

+ Performs other duties as assigned.

+ Prioritizes instruments and special requests and acts as liaison to ensure timely and efficient service. Ensures proper labeling and delivery of loaner sets with the use of the loaner form. Ensures quick turnover of instruments/trays as requested. Assembles trays according to the instrument recipe/lists. Ensures sterilization of trays in timely manner, and prompt delivery to the requesting customer.

+ Reports equipment malfunctions and/or problems to the manager. Immediately initiate the investigation process to inform Clinical Engineering department of the nature of the problem. Monitors workflow process and reports any problem affected by equipment malfunctions. Try to correct minor problems promptly and seeks assistance from qualified personnel as needed.

+ Reviews OR schedule to ensure that case carts are complete and delivered to OR. Highlights the OR schedules when carts are sent to OR. Reviews OR schedules on ongoing basis to ensure case carts are properly completed and delivered, including the added/emergency cases. Initiates the "needs list" of instruments/trays to complete the case carts. Makes rounds to OR to ensure the case carts are completed with needs. Acts as liaison to OR and allied departments.

**About MedStar Health**

MedStar Health is dedicated to providing the highest quality care for people in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, while advancing the practice of medicine through education, innovation and research. Our 30,000 associates and 5,400 affiliated physicians work in a variety of settings across our health system, including 10 hospitals and more than 300 community-based locations, the largest visiting nurse association in the region, and highly respected institutes dedicated to research and innovation. As the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University for more than 20 years, MedStar is dedicated not only to teaching the next generation of doctors, but also to the continuing education and professional development of our whole team. MedStar Health offers diverse opportunities for career advancement and personal fulfillment.