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Sterile Processing Technician

Locations: Lehi

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Program length
9 months

Total cost
$3,474

Registration Opens
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Locations
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The beginning of a successful surgery begins with clean and sterile surgical instruments. As a sterile processing technician, you will be an essential team member of the operating room and healthcare team. You will be responsible for the cleanliness, decontamination, inspection, and assembly of surgical instruments, which include packaging, and sterilization. As you pay close attention to details regarding instruments, you will have to be an effective verbal and written communicator with the operating room staff to make procedures a success. Sterile processing technicians have a strong understanding of decontamination and infection control to ensure their work protects patients and healthcare members from infections and diseases.

After completing this course, students are prepared to take the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) certification exam offered by the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA). This program is based on the HSPA certification, CRCST.

61% Completion This data is pulled from fiscal year 2023. The displayed number does not guarantee completion of the program.

71% Placement This data is pulled from fiscal year 2023. The displayed number does not guarantee placement after the program.

Avg. salary $36k-$44k Wage data represents an estimate sourced directly from Career One Stop. Actual salaries may vary.

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The Sterile Processing class was not only very informative but very fun! Not only did I leave with the knowledge I would need but also with connections among the healthcare profession.
Hazel Maudlin
I recently finished the classroom section of: The Sterile Processing Technician Program; at Mountainland Technical College. I went into it thinking that it was most likely going to be a "sterile," pun intended, learning environment, and experience. I was prepared to follow through with it; but that is NOT the experience and reality. This class and most importantly: The Faculty, were like Master Pastry Chefs that spread the most smooth, creamy, buttery, enjoyable and cravable icing onto: The "Cake Of Learning." My instructor was such a natural listener; along side her ability to arrange, and convey, what was quite an extensive body of knowledge, and processes into a wildly fun, and overall endearing, and engaging atmosphere. A veritable delicious sweet "Educational Dessert!" Thank You Veronica!!
Dane Startup
I finished the Sterile Processing class from MTECH a month ago and I can confidently say it was the best investment in myself. I currently work at a local hospital and the skills and knowledge I learned during the 6 month program adequately prepared me for my first job in the field. I have a great sense of fulfillment in my life now that I have switched careers to one that helps patients. I cannot recommend this program enough!
Jessica Barton
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This program is eligible for Financial and Veterans Aid! Learn more

Registration Opens: April 23, 2024

Minimum Age Requirement: 17 years old

Registration opens at 8:00 AM on the Student Portal, and remains open until classes are full.

  • Complete and satisfy score requirements on the Entrance Assessment administered by the Testing Center.
SECTIONCAMPUSROOM #START DATEEND DATESTART TIMEEND TIMEDAYS
Fall 2024Lehi Main Campus2218/15/20243/13/20257:30 AM10:30 AMM,T,Th,F
Fall 2024Lehi Main Campus2218/15/20243/13/202511:30 AM2:30 PMM,T,Th,F
Summer 2025Lehi Main Campus2215/27/202512/5/20257:30 AM10:30 AMM,T,Th,F
Summer 2025Lehi Main Campus2215/27/202512/5/202511:30 AM2:30 PMM,T,Th,F
Schedule Notes:Students will complete a 3 hour hybrid assignment each week in place of coming to class on Wednesdays; Students will complete a 500 hour externship upon completion of the class.
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Course Descriptions
 
Course NameCourse HoursCourse CreditsExternship/Clinical/ WBL CreditsTuition ($120/credit hour)Course Fees
Intro to Sterile Processing and Decontamination10030$360.00$254.00
Preparation & Packaging 9030$360.00$100.00
Sterilization & Disinfection 12040$480.00$100.00
Storage & Distribution, QA, and Equipment 9030$360.00$50.00
Externship500011$1,320.00$0.00
TOTALS:9001311$2,880.00$504.00
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Upon registration, you will register and submit payment for the first course in the program. While not required, you may make a deposit, in person or online, for the full program upon registration to be held in your student account.

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Tuition/FeesCost
Tuition:$2,880.00
Registration Fee:$40.00
Application Fee:$0.00
Student Fees:$504.00
Required Materials:$50.00
Industry Exam Fee:$0.00
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Note: High school students attend MTECH tuition free, and are only responsible for fees and materials.

Course-by-course cost breakdowns can be found on the “Courses” tab above.

Upon registration, you will register and submit payment for the first course in the program. Fees and materials may be required upfront, while some may be paid later throughout the program.

While not required, you may make a deposit, in person or online, for the full program upon registration to be held in your student account.

Required MaterialsQuantityNotes (ISBN numbers, etc)Cost
Sterile Processing Technical Manual & Workbook, 9th Edition1 na included in course fees
Scrubs2Available in the MTECH Bookstore or Logo It On$50.00
Total Cost of Required Materials$50.00
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Optional MaterialsNotes (ISBN numbers, quantity, etc)Cost
CRCST Exam Must be completed within one year of externship$140.00
Rulers$1.00
Industrial Sharpies$2.00
Total Cost of Optional Materials$143.00
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  • MTECH Program Certificate in Sterile Processing Technician
  • Healthcare Provider Basic Life Support Certificate
  • First Aid Certificate
  • Students are prepared to take the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRST) exam

How to Apply

Submit MTECH Application

Applying is free and easy! When you apply, please choose “undecided” as your program choice. You will select Sterile Processing Technician after being accepted to MTECH.

Take the Entrance Assessment

Admission requirements may be met by taking the Entrance Assessment OR by providing qualifying documentation. The Entrance Assessment can be taken at a Testing Center, and qualifying documents can be sent to transcripts@mtec.edu.

Learn more about the assessment HERE

Register for Sterile Processing Technician

Once previous steps have been completed, eligibility is met to register for the first course within the program. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Tuition and fees are due for the first course upon registration.

Prospective students can register through the Student Portal, or in person at Student Services.

Submit Background Check, Drug Screen, and Immunization Records

These records must be submitted through Verified Credentials (VC). Upon program registration, the lead instructor will send you instructions on how to gain access to VC.

Need more information?

Program Coordinator
Veronica Martinez

Admissions Advisors

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Entrance Assessment

Program length
9 months
Total cost
$3,474
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Course Descriptions

Intro to Sterile Processing and Decontamination
Sterile processing technicians play an important role to ensure patient safety, infection prevention, and providing clean, sterile instruments on a regular basis for surgical procedures. Numerous processes and lab activities will help enhance the understanding of surgical instruments going from dirty, to clean, to becoming sterile, also known as One-Way-Flow. Each area in sterile processing is a building block of achieving sterile instrumentation for surgeries. The decontamination of surgical instruments is an integral part of a sterile technician’s job. Review and practice of standard operating procedures for bloodborne pathogens, standard precautions, decontamination of surgical instruments from the OR, and decontaminated to an acceptable level. Introduction of OSHA approved PPE and how to don and doff PPE will be practiced in the lab, along with other hands-on activities to practice in the lab. These activities will help reinforce the step-by-step processes the students must understand and follow through with the current standards and guidelines for decontamination in sterile processing.
Preparation & Packaging
Identification of surgical instruments, their function and each specialty they’re used for (e.g., ortho, neuro, spine, etc.), testing methods used for specific instruments such as but not limited to laparoscopic sheath testing, scissor sharpness, tip protections and inspection for wear and tear of each instrument. Students will practice simultaneous wrapping methods, the most commonly used in the OR’s, and learn to identify sterilizing methods for each instrument set. Recognize the difference and become familiar with chemical indicators, tamper-evident seals, rigid container system and list of contents with instructions on how to assemble the instrument sets for the OR.
Sterilization & Disinfection
High temperature and low temperature sterilization methods are the two methods of sterilization used in sterile processing. Discussion of daily testing procedures for each sterilization method, performance monitoring such as physical, biological, and chemical. Knowledge of which endospore is used for each sterilization method is crucial in order to assure sterility of surgical instruments. Record keeping and monitoring of each sterilization cycle will be practiced in the lab, as well as loading a sterilizer cart correctly. The difference between disinfectants and the disinfection process will be discussed in great detail. Knowledge of these differences will ensure the student can recognize the three levels of disinfection; high, intermediate and low. Use of high-level disinfectants require OSHA approved PPE, while intermediate and low require minimal level of PPE to work with them. Activities on how to read different types of disinfectants, their intended use, contact times and which pathogens, if any, do they advertise to kill within the required contact time. The Chain of Infection will also be discussed in class and students will become familiar with each link and how to break in the infection process.
Storage & Distribution, QA, and Equipment
Sterile storage is where the instruments are stored after the sterilization process has been completed. Items will be picked for scheduled surgical procedures and be used in the OR on a patient. Items in sterile storage must have gone through the decontamination process, assembly and packaging process, and then the sterilization process. Distribution refers to the process of distributing sterile single use or reusable items to the OR and other areas within the hospital or facility. Sterile single use or sterile reusable items can be stored in the Sterile Storage area and picked by sterile processing personnel as the OR and/or other departments have requested. Par levels and other required processes of sterile item replenishment will be discussed in class. Quality Assurance is the daily testing of each sterilization method, high level disinfection process, decontamination and thermal disinfection process. Daily tests are performed and results are recorded for quality assurance and auditing purposes. Learning the record keeping processes, especially with daily testing of each sterilization method, will be practiced in the lab alongside the sterilization lab activities. Various items of equipment are used with the OR and throughout the hospital or facility. Equipment items can include: morphine drips, epidural pumps, feeding pumps, other pain management devices, etc. These equipment items are usually picked up by the sterile processing departments and disinfected using low level disinfectants. Not every hospital or facility will require sterile processing staff to complete these tasks; Distribution technicians will assume the duties in such cases and perform the necessary disinfection procedures.
Externship
Externship is arranged by the program coordinator with participating hospitals and facilities to accommodate students to work in the sterile processing departments. Students will be able to put their skills learned in the classroom and lab to use in the field. The externship may be paid if the student gains employment, as well as unpaid, if the student chooses to work in the hospital or facility on a volunteer only basis. Students will submit the hours worked and in what area (decontamination, assembly, sterilization, sterile storage, QA) to their instructor for verification of proper externship work and hours. Once the student reaches 400 externship hours, they’re eligible to sit for the HSPA CRCST exam. When the student has completed 450 hours, they will have completed the program in its entirety.
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