Five reasons certification is crucial for Sterile Processing Technicians

Certification by a recognized professional organization is essential to the development of Sterile Processing staff. Personally and professionally, the passing of a certification exam makes better sterile processing technicians who provide better care for patients. The achievement of certification builds technicians’ pride in their work, augments their hands-on training with technical knowledge, and enhances the Sterile Processing department’s level of professionalism, 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 surgeries and clinical procedures – and that leads unequivocally to best outcomes for patients.

Both the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and Joint Commission (TJC) – organizations that exist to enhance patient safety across the entire healthcare industry – recognize the importance of certification for sterile processing technicians. AAMI’s “Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities,” ST79, states that sterile processing personnel should be certified within two years of employment and maintain that certification throughout their employment. Research by the TJC describing a QI intervention also shows strong support for staff training, specifically indicating training toward formal certification during work hours. Technicians can then get a valid certification from a professional organization like the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM), or the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD).

Building on the recommendations of AAMI and TJC, conscientious hospitals voluntarily require that technicians earn certification, as a condition of employment, within a short timeframe after he or she is hired. Most encouragingly for patients, four states, most recently Tennessee, have made certification of sterile processing technicians the law.

So, why do these important entities believe is it beneficial for sterile processing technicians to achieve certification from a professional organization like IAHCSMM or CBSPD? Here are five reasons why certification by an established professional organization is critical for Sterile Processing Technicians.

1. Certification enhances hands-on training: Good healthcare facilities provide extensive training for their sterile processing personnel. Orientation and hands-on training can last several weeks or months, depending on the variety of work performed by Technicians. Along with hands-on training, healthcare facilities should provide time to study the theories behind the daily work using texts provided by IAHCSMM and CBSPD. It is not enough to know what button to push on the sterilizer; to be most effective, the technician must know what the sterilization parameters mean, and why we must sterilize instruments the way we do. An Educator connected to the SPD department can help department leadership coordinate study time so as not to take away from production. Education is important, but so is having the right instruments available for doctors to perform procedures! Experienced leaders recognize this fact, and work with the Educator to find a balance between best outcomes for patients – both today and in the future.
2. Certification proves a level of expertise: The majority of employees in a healthcare facility come into their jobs already educated. This is not the case with most Sterile Processing Technicians. Sterile Processing and Materiel Management are not common choices for post-secondary education, and currently there are few accredited programs available for the career of Sterile Processing Technician. Therefore, sterile processing techs must receive their education along with their training.
3. Certification engenders a feeling of professionalism in the technician: Most healthcare facility employees have pursued their career through education and already have credentials upon hire. Those without education might experience a feeling of inferiority when interacting with other members of the patient care team. This need not be! A Sterile Processing Technician who has undergone the rigorous study required for certification can feel they are on comparable footing, in regard to their own profession, with the nurses and technicians they encounter in their daily work.
4. Certification provides theory to prove best practices in training: Sterile Processing Technicians might receive great training, but without knowledge of the theory behind the work, they are less able to speak to the importance of their processes and how their work directly impacts the quality of life of every patient. For example, unusual events, such as early release of sterilized implants, are not as easily addressed. Certification returns the technician to the patient-centered occupation of sterile processing, and balances it with the necessities of learning the mechanics to perform day-to-day duties.
5. Certification introduces the technician to a wider world: Often lacking direct contact with patients, Sterile Processing Technicians can feel ‘isolated in the hospital basement.’ When technicians come to understand that there are over 50,000 CBSPD- or IAHCSMM-certified Technicians in the world, they will feel their place as high-level providers of patient care. Subscriptions to publications such as Healthcare Purchasing News, and others, typically follow and expose technicians to a broader worldview and help them to define their role in patient care continually.

Our most important regulatory and advisory bodies recognize Sterile Processing Technicians as critical components of every patient’s care. For the Managers that oversee Sterile Processing Departments, and the Vice-Presidents that approve their budgets, the Technicians that staff the Sterile Processing Department must be as well-educated as they are well-trained in best practices for cleaning and sterilizing instruments. Get certified!