The Superhuman SPD Techs
As our population and lifespans continue to grow, so does the demand for high-quality healthcare and patient safety. Baby Boomers currently make up nearly 25% of the American population and by 2030, most of them will be 65 – 84 years old. Many people in this generation will require surgeries to maintain their health as they age.
As a direct consequence of the aging Boomers, there is a growing demand for Sterile Processing Technicians in hospitals, surgical centers, clinics, and other healthcare centers. In addition to their unique skills and knowledge, Sterile Processing Technicians possess superhuman characteristics that make them extremely valuable to any hospital.
SPD Techs need to have the eyes of a hawk.
Sterile Processing Technicians need to be able to easily find a needle in a haystack. They must be keen and critical so they can account for missing instruments, detect defects on or damage to an instrument, and locate contamination. Their incredible attention to detail is the driving force behind the doctor’s successful performance of his functions in the operating room. Without them, instruments would frequently transmit diseases and most surgeries would end with infections. Surgery is only possible when surgeons have access to meticulously cleaned and sterilized tools.
SPD Techs have amazing dexterity and precision.
Although cleaning and sterilization doesn’t sound like the most challenging task in the world, it is an extremely complex and precise process. Cleaning, disinfection, processing, sterilizing, assembly, testing, storing and managing of surgical and procedural devices require meticulous and cautious hands as to remove all debris and microbial life. A spot of contamination only half a millimeter wide can shield thousands of disease-causing microbes from the sterilization process, exposing patients to possible disease. Additionally, SPD Techs need to be fast so hospitals can keep up with back-to-back-to-back-to-back surgeries.
Because SPD Techs are dealing with bloodborne diseases, they must also be very careful to protect against injury and infection. Their caution protects themselves, the staff, and the patients. They do a large part in preventing healthcare-acquired infections (HAI), cross contamination and transmission of deadly pathogens within the facility.
SPD Techs are the Heart of the Hospital.
SPD Techs are responsible for cleaning, sterilizing, storing, and distributing medical tools and instruments throughout the hospital wherever they are needed. Because hospitals can’t function without tools, SPD is known as the “heart” of the hospital. However, SPD Techs offer so much more than simply pumping instruments throughout a facility. SPD functions as a sort of immune system and filtration system, preventing disease from spreading to other areas of the facility. By detecting and eliminating threats, SPD Techs have guarded their hospitals from outbreaks and patient deaths.
Sterile Processing Technicians are real-life superheroes. Their tireless dedication to removing health risks in a medical facility allows our healthcare system to function.
If you’d like to learn more about careers in healthcare and course offerings, contact Altamont Healthcare in Stockton and Bakersfield, CA.
We offer certification programs in CPR and Basic Life Support, Electrocardiogram Technology (EKG), Sterile Processing and Distribution (SPD), and Surgical Technology.
Call us at (209) 817-8035 (Stockton) or (661) 230-6316 (Bakersfield) to ask about our programs. Tuition discounts available for certain payment options. Customized payment schedules available upon request.
