Program Description
Central Service Technicians decontaminate, disinfect, package, sterilize and distribute surgical instruments, equipment and soft good products. This is a critical support role in surgical areas.
Program Outcomes
Successful Completion:
CCBC Credential:
Students will earn a CCBC Workforce Training Certificate and will have access to a Continuing Education academic record (transcript).
External Credential:
The Central Service Technician Training Series is designed to meet the requirements of the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materials Management (IAHCSMM). Students will be prepared to take the national certification exam to become a Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST). Exam cost is included in program cost.
Certifying Organization:
International Association of Health Care Central Service Material Management (IAHCSMM)
www.iahcsmm.org
Financial Aid and Payment Options
Continuing Education Opportunity Grant
Partial Payment Option (through Nelnet Business Solutions)
Tuition Waiver for those who qualify
Baltimore County College Promise
Workforce Development Sequence Scholarship
Employer/Sponsor Paid Tuition
Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)
Local Office of Workforce Development
Students may apply for a career training scholarship through Central Scholarship (http://www.central-scholarship.org/)
Program Length
6-8 months; 2-3 cohorts offered each year
Program Requirements
Orientation Session - Mandatory:
Students are required to attend an orientation session prior to registering for classes. Orientation(s) are scheduled for Thursday August 23rd at 5:00 p.m at CCBC Hunt Valley. Please contact Nancy Laubach for other orientation dates, or additional information at nlaubach@ccbcmd.edu or 443-840-1819.
Requirements:
A High School Diploma or GED is NOT required for program entry but may be required for employment. All students must be computer literate and have Internet access.
Students must have the following paperwork turned in to the coordinator PRIOR to first class:
§ Negative PPD (six months) or negative chest x-ray less than one year old
§ Positive titer or proof of vaccination/immunity for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella
§ Current Flu vaccination
§ Hepatitis B vaccination or declination form
§ Tetanus shot (less than ten years)
§ Copy of health insurance card
§ Clinical eligibility partly dependent on a criminal background check and random urine drug testing. Cost of testing is the responsibility of the student. Go to http://precheck.com/ for more information.
Application Process
To apply, go to ccbcmd.edu/apply and complete the CCBC Non-Credit Workforce Training Certificate application. An email will then be sent with program information and any additional requirements necessary to apply for the program.
Provisional Entry – Prospective students are required to attend an orientation session prior to registration.
Recommended Program Course Sequence
CPR and First Aid classes REQUIRE 100% attendance. Students arriving late to class will not be admitted. Late arrival to or early exit from class will also result in a failing grade and no refund. Students will then be required to retake the class at their expense.
|
Course Number
|
Course
Title
|
Course Hours
|
Costs
T=Tuition/F=Fees
|
Textbook Information
(approximate cost; subject to change)
|
|
AHE 534
Or
AHE 124
|
Medical Terminology for Health Occupations
Medical Terminology for Health Occupations ONLINE
|
30
30
|
$329
T-$147/F-$182
$339
T-$147/F-$192
|
Medical Terminology – A Short Course in Medical Terminology 3rd edition. Publisher Wolters Kluwer. Author C. Edward Collins.
ISBN 978-1-4511-7606-3. $65.99
|
|
AHE 805
|
CPR for Health Care Providers
|
7
|
$109
T-$52/F-$57
|
Provided on the first day of class and included in course costs.
|
| AHL 045 |
Central Service Technician Classroom |
72 |
$769
T-$405/F-$364
|
Included in course cost; provided first day of class |
| AHL 046 |
Central Service Technician Clinical I |
100 |
$329
T-$214/F-$115
|
None |
| AHL 047 |
Central Service Technician Clinical II |
100 |
$329
T-$214/F-$115
|
None |
| AHL 048 |
Central Service Technician Clinical III |
100 |
$220
T-$104/F-$116
|
None |
| AHL 049 |
Central Service Technician Clinical IV |
100 |
$110
T-$60/F-$50
|
None |
| Program Series Total: |
509 |
$2195 - $2205
T-$1196
F-$999-$1009
|
$65.99* |
All courses must be finished for successful completion
Additional Information
Course Substitutions:
Medical Terminology AHE 534 or AHE 124 can be substituted with OFAD 141, or ALHL 115, or AHL 717.
Skills for Success:
See Technical Standards at end of document.
Career Opportunities:
Students may have the opportunity to move into a position that is more material/inventory related, teach, or become supervisors in central processing departments. Membership in the International Association of Healthcare Central Services Material Management (IACSHMM) is recommended.
Program Contact Information
Program Coordinator: Charmaine Miller | cmiller14@ccbcmd.edu | 443-840-2771 |RAC| 193
Administrative Assistant: Nancy Laubach | nlaubach@ccbcmd.edu | 443-840-1819 | Essex | HTEC | 013
Technical Standards
Technical Standards for CCBC’s Central Service Technician Training Series
The primary goal of The Community College of Baltimore County’s Central Service Technician Training Series is to adequately prepare students for an entry-level position in the sterile processing department functioning as a central service technician. The duties of a CS Technician require the ability to stand or sit for long hours while constantly being focused on the task at hand. They need to exercise safe practices while exposed to unpleasant sights, odors, materials, and communicable diseases. Their duties also require them to be detail oriented and to work accurately and quickly. A high level of manual dexterity, psychomotor skills, and integrity are vital.
Central Service Technicians (CSTs) are responsible for processing surgical supplies and equipment. CSTs provide support to patient care services in a health care facility. Their tasks include decontaminating, cleaning, processing, assembling, sterilizing, storing, and distributing medical devices and supplies.
Following is a partial listing of the types of skills typically required for adequate job performance:
Physical Requirements:
A. Sufficient strength and mobility to:
- Lift or otherwise maneuver large instrument trays weighing up to 30 pounds
- Stand or sit in one area for long periods of time
- Work quickly to meet deadlines and/or production requirements
B. Fine motor coordination sufficient to perform precise tasks such as:
- Handle delicate surgical instruments
- Safely handle sharp instruments
- Handle instruments and equipment that may be costly to replace if damaged
- Perform basic repairs to instrumentation
- Clean and assemble instrumentation
C. Adequate vision to:
- Read and interpret digital or paper displays on machinery
- Adequate distinction of colors to read and interpret sterilization indicators
- Read instruction sheets and computer screens
D. Sufficient hearing to:
- Hear and understand verbal instructions in person and over the telephone under noisy conditions from masked personnel
- Hear alarms and operating noises of equipment
Interpersonal Skills and Professionalism:
A. Have the ability to:
- Work in a professional manner under sometimes extremely stressful situations
- Pay close attention to detail and recordkeeping
- Commitment to learning and understanding new technologies, instrumentation, and procedures
- Commitment to following approved standards, guidelines, policies, and procedures
- Interact in a professional manner with many personalities and attitudes and with people from many different backgrounds
- Respect and protect patient rights and confidentiality without regard to personal beliefs and judgments
- Maintain proper certifications required to perform the duties of the profession
- Accurately utilize all resource material available to remain current in the profession, including attending departmental in-service training
- Maintain a surgical conscience/professional morality in the application of infection control techniques
- Willingness to precept (train) others
- Commitment to working shifts as assigned, which may include on-call, holidays, and weekends
B. Sufficient communication skills to:
- Give and receive accurate written and verbal instructions
- Carry out all written and verbal instructions
- Follow proper channels of communication
- Communicate in a calm and professional manner
- Communicate clearly and effectively to any team members regarding issues that may be difficult to address (i.e. problem with machinery that could affect sterilization; admission of own errors, etc.)
Intellectual Ability and Emotional Stability To:
- Ability to apply critical thinking and problem solving skills
- Exercise independent judgment to properly perform tasks at hand
- Accurately utilize all resource material available to perform the task at hand
- Work calmly and efficiently in a fast-paced, stressful environment
- Maintain calm during emergency situations
- Perform duties while exposed to communicable diseases and unpleasant sights, odors, and materials
- Accept feedback from others in an open and positive way
- Learn from mistakes
Environment Requirements:
- The central service technician profession involves risks and/or discomforts that require special safety precautions including, but not limited to:
- Wearing gowns, caps, masks, gloves, and eye protection
- Working in an environment that is often noisy
- Working in an environment that exposes one to potentially hazardous materials, such as cleaning agents and chemicals and blood-borne pathogens
- Providing proof of recent immunizations against infectious diseases such as measles, mumps, and rubella
- Receiving Hepatitis B vaccine and annual testing for exposure to tuberculosis
- Submitting to periodic drug screening
