One had been working in food service. Another worked in retail. And thanks to a new apprenticeship program at St. Tammany Health System, they and four others are now part of the health system’s surgical team.
Those six new hires make up the first class of an STHS program aimed at training entry-level job candidates to become Sterile Processing specialists. By the end of their paid apprenticeship, which last 12 to 16 weeks and is conducted entirely in-house, they’ll join the hospital’s surgical peri-operative team, identifying and sterilizing the necessary medical instruments for the Surgery Department and other procedural areas.
According to STHS Director of Sterile Processing Michelle Milner, who championed and implemented the program with AVP-Surgical Services Nancy Ledet, it is a unique one.
Usually, Milner said, incoming Sterile Processing specialists are paired with an experienced tech to learn the ropes. The new STHS program, however, also trains them in basic medical terminology and basic anatomy, in addition to instrument identification and sterilization techniques.
That includes dedicated classroom time with hands-on access to instruments – something not available in online training courses – as well as instruction from the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management textbook and workbook.
“Additionally, the apprentices will rotate through all specialties in the Operating Room to observe cases so they can better understand the impact their roles have on overall patient care,” Milner said.
Upon completion of training, they will be promoted to the position of Sterile Processing specialist and will have a year to obtain their professional certification, although Milner said the STHS program is designed to set them up for success – and even advancement in the health system if they choose to pursue that route
“Our hope is that this program will act as a pipeline to feed interest in other opportunities throughout the organization,” Milner said. “This entry-level position may spark interest that prompts them to pursue other careers such as surgical techs, radiology techs and nurses.”
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Learn more about STHS’s Sterile Processing specialist program by visiting StTammany.health/careers, clicking “job openings” and searching for “sterile processing.”