Tips for the Sterile Processing Exam and Duties of the Technicians

Exams are never easy, they can be tedious and nerve-wrecking. However, if a person studies hard enough they will not have to worry as much. Unless the instructor has stated otherwise, it is good to study all areas of the subject. Because you never know exactly what questions will be asked.

A good meal should be eaten before a test. A growling stomach during an exam will only make the tester rush through the exam. So be sure to eat a good meal before. Also, getting plenty of rest the day before is always good idea. When going into the exam try to leave all distractions behind. Giving 100% focus on the test makes for less errors.

The Sterile Processing Exam

When it comes to the sterile processing exam, there are a good number of words that will need to be defined. The individual will need to have knowledge of numerous types of operating supplies. There will also Some of the questions on the exam are listed below:

  1. What are Standard Precautions?
  2. What does MRSA stand for?
  3. What is a Nosocomial Infection?
  4. What is meant by Decontamination?

The sterile processing exam will also include the tester being questioned about certain processes. A few of those processes are listed below.

  1. What is Passivation?
  2. What is the Central Service One Way Work Flow?
  3. How is an eraser test performed?
  4. How is lubricant used on instruments? Explain

But the exam doesn’t stop there. They will be questions about the designated temperature requirements when it comes to the storage of certain items and the packing of the packaging of certain materials. The tester will also need to know the required size and length of materials. For example, What amount should a wrapped pan of instruments not exceed?

Training Students for Sterile Processing

Is this a good deal of information? Yes. This is why the tester is recommended not to take it unless they’ve studied sufficiently. There are numerous sterile processing training schools located throughout the US. These schools go into detail when it comes to all the aspects of being a sterile processing technician. Teaching a student the importance of sterilizing all surgical instruments is one of the main topics taught at most of these training schools. Teaching students how about how quickly illnesses and infections can spread by not sterilizing, and storing all instruments properly is crucial.

Duties of a Sterile Processing Tech

A professional sterile processing tech has quite a few duties during the day. Collecting instruments from various locations that have been used is a major duty during a work shift. The technician will then remove all blood waste matter, etc from the instruments.

Preparing and organizing wrapped sterilized surgical instruments throughout the day is one of the main duties of a technician. Once the instruments are ready to go they are then delivered to various operating rooms as they are needed.

Technicians are taught to keep records of all the instruments that were sterilized. Dates and times of all item cleaning must be kept at all times. Other duties include reordering supplies and rigidly checking the expiration dates of all items. If any issues arise on the shift of a technician they are required to document and report the issue.

A clean background is required to work in this profession. Along with a certificate for sterile processing and distribution. Every technician must be current when it comes to immunizations prior to being accepted for a position in a medical environment.

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