无菌处理技术员

工作日程

无菌处理技术员是全职工作，并且经常被分配到夜间、周末或假日轮班，因为医院有24/7的急诊室和过夜的病人。 

典型职责

• 收集被污染的物品进行清洗和消毒
• 组织项目并保持记录，跟踪需要做的或已经做的事情
• 根据需要，使用消毒剂、消毒液或高压灭菌器（如适用），对医疗仪器、设备和器材、用品和其他物品进行物理清洁。
• 清除生物物质，并确保适当的去污（如果需要）、标签、运输、储存或处置
• 遵循所有的卫生协议并监督他人，以确保清洁的物品不被意外污染。
• 在外科手术前准备好区域、器械盘、设备和表面
• 向检查室和手术室或其他区域运送清洁用品
• 维护和操作高压锅机器；根据需要与维修技术人员合作
• 订购供应品库存（如手套、口罩等），保持所需物品的库存并检查过期日期

额外责任

• 根据需要，培训同事或新员工
• 了解最新的相关行业新闻，如新的病毒爆发情况

软技能

• 分析性的
• 以合规为导向
• 注重细节
• 勤奋的人
• 诚信
• 循序渐进
• 观察者
• 有组织的
• 病人
• 安全意识
• 健全的判断力
• 劲力

技术技能

• Expertise operating autoclaves
• 熟悉用于清洁仪器、设备和其他物品的化学品和设备
• 了解适用的供应品订购程序和方案
• 正确使用个人防护设备的知识
• Methods for biological waste decontamination, labeling, transport, storage, and disposal
• 了解卫生和消毒的医疗标准

• 医院和外科中心（包括急诊室、重症监护室和产房）。
• 实验室
• 疗养院和辅助生活中心
• 门诊护理中心
• 私人诊所（包括牙科、眼部护理和整形外科）。

由于其本身的性质，医院和其他与医疗服务有关的办公室会不断接触到大量的病人，他们可能是传染性病毒、细菌、真菌或原生动物的携带者。这些病菌很容易通过正常呼吸、打喷嚏、咳嗽、接触表面或人与人之间的直接接触传播。无菌处理技术员有责任确保有害病菌不会污染任何可能直接或间接与病人接触的东西。 

Because they are so small, germs can’t be seen by the naked eye. Thus, Technicians must methodically and thoroughly clean everything that could potentially be contaminated. Otherwise, patients are at risk of exposure, which can be deadly in some cases. However, the ongoing sterilization processes in healthcare establishments have led to the emergence of highly resistant, highly transmissible bacteria such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) which have evolved to survive even rigorous disinfection protocols — and can live for months on a surface! 

无菌处理技术员本身也有风险，他们经常接触化学品、各种病菌和潜在的危险生物材料，如血液或体液。此外，他们可能会在晚上、周末或节假日工作，这对那些有家庭的人来说可能是一种挑战。

Infectious diseases are nothing new, but the Covid-19 pandemic shocked many industries out of complacency. While hospitals have been flooded with patients, they have had to re-examine and strengthen infection control and environmental cleaning practices. Many patients have been increasingly exposed to “healthcare-acquired infections” in situations where they went to a hospital to get treated and wound up catching something else. Meanwhile, as workers strive to sanitize or disinfect everything around them, bacteria like Clostridioides difficile keep adapting and becoming more resistant, creating a Catch-22. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stressed that healthcare institutions closely follow precautions such as “performing hand hygiene, using personal protective equipment (PPE), following respiratory and cough etiquette principals, ensuring appropriate patient placement (i.e isolation precautions) and the proper handling, cleaning and disinfecting of patient care equipment, instruments/devices and environments appropriately.” The latter, of course, falls directly onto the laps of Sterile Processing Techs, who have had their hands full in recent years. 

无菌处理技术员可能总是干净和整洁的人，喜欢把事情安排得井井有条。他们可能总是有耐心和冷静，能够长期专注于简单的任务，同时注意细节。虽然他们可能是喜欢与他人相伴的 "人"，但他们也可能喜欢自己花时间，满足于自己安静地做事情。