Description
Prepare, sterilize, install, and clean medical and laboratory equipment; perform routine processing tasks and operate or inspect equipment to ensure safety, sterility, and compliance.
- • Organize and assemble routine or specialty instrument trays and other sterile supplies, fulfilling special requests.
- • Clean instruments and equipment to prepare for sterilization.
- • Operate and maintain steam autoclaves; document loads, contents, cycles, and maintenance.
- • Record sterilizer biological and chemical indicator results.
- • Disinfect and sterilize equipment, such as respirators, hospital beds, and oxygen or dialysis equipment, using sterilizers, aerators, or washers.
- • Start decontamination and sterilization equipment; monitor gauges and cycles for proper operation.
- • Inspect equipment for leaks, worn or loose parts, or other signs of disrepair.
- • Report defective equipment and remove it from service.
- • Check sterile supplies and tray indicators for package integrity and expiration dates.
- • Attend in-service training related to sterile processing.
- • Purge and flush equipment and lines as required to remove wastes.
- • Deliver prepared equipment and trays to designated departments or patient care areas.
- • Set up and stage equipment for procedures as directed by clinical staff.
- • Stock crash carts and storage areas with required sterile and disposable supplies.
- • Maintain inventory and usage records; reorder instruments and supplies when stock is low.
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Healthcare & Human Services
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Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
