Harper College will be closed Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, January 1 for Winter Break.
Prepare for immediate entry into a healthcare career as a Sterile Processing Technician with this 12-credit-hour certificate program, which will teach you the techniques, procedures and safety precautions of decontamination and sterilization of medical and surgical equipment/instruments as well as the distribution of supplies and equipment. After graduating from this program, you’ll be ready to begin a career in hospitals and surgery centers.
Training consists of a mixture of lectures, on-site student laboratories and a clinical internship at a local health care facility. Other focus areas of study include ethical and legal responsibilities, safe practices and effective communication skills.
This 12 credit-hour curriculum prepares the student for a career as a Sterile Processing Technician.
Sterile processing technicians work in the sterile processing area of a hospital, outpatient surgical center or outpatient clinic. The sterile processing area is responsible for the decontamination and sterilization of medical and surgical equipment/instruments as well as the distribution of supplies and equipment. Sterile processing technicians are integral partners of the healthcare team. They are trained in the cleaning, processing, packaging, distributing, storing of goods, instruments, surgical trays and medical equipment. Responsibilities also include inventory control.
This certificate program is designed to be completed in one semester with each required course taught in an eight-week format. The program provides the student with the fundamentals of sterile processing, supplies, services, and distribution of hospital instruments, supplies, and equipment. Students will engage in didactic instruction and the clinical practice of aseptic techniques, patient care concepts, and theories and practices of sterile processing departments. Students who successfully complete the program will be eligible to sit for the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution Certification Examination (CBSPD) or the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Material Management (IAHCSMM) Provisional Examination.
Because of the nature of the clinical experiences, individualized instruction, and specialized technology/equipment, this program assesses a higher tuition rate for courses with the SUR prefix. Students pay 1.5 the regular rate of tuition.
Hours Required: A grade of C or better is required in all courses for all students.
| Number | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HSC 112 | Medical Terminology | 2 |
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Description: Emphasizes the origin and the basic structure of medical words, including prefixes, suffixes, word roots, combining forms and plurals. Offers pronunciation, spelling, and definition of medical terms based on the body systems approach. Emphasis on rendering a professional vocabulary required for work in the health care field. Class Schedule: Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 |
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| SUR 110 | Fundamentals of Sterile Processing | 3 |
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Description: Introduces the primary responsibilities of a sterile processing technician. Emphasizes preparation, distribution and storage of instruments, supplies and equipment; quality assurance; and inventory management. Teaches students the basics of microbiology and how to minimize contagions in order to maintain healthy hospitals, while enforcing decontamination standards in a variety of clinical settings. Corequisite: SUR 111 Class Schedule: Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 |
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| SUR 111 | Fundamentals /Sterile Processing Lab | 1 |
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Description: Provides supervised lab training applying the primary responsibilities of a sterile processing technician. Emphasizes identification, preparation, distribution and storage of instruments, supplies and equipment; quality assurance; and inventory management. Teaches students how to minimize contagions and maintain healthy hospitals, while enforcing decontamination standards in a variety of clinical settings. Prerequisite: SUR 110 with a C or better or concurrent enrollment. Class Schedule: Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 |
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| SUR 112 | Introduction to Microbiology for Sterile Processing Technicians | 3 |
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Description: Introduces basic microbiology for Sterile Processing Technicians, emphasizing aspects related to preparation of instruments and devices used in the surgical field. Studies the structure and properties of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes including historical microbiology, infectious process, infection control, and the role of the immune system in health and disease. Teaches students how to identify contagions and maintain healthy hospitals. A grade of "C" or above must be earned in courses to meet requirements for enrollment in subsequent courses. Class Schedule: Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 |
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| SUR 113 | Clinical Application for Sterile Processing | 3 |
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Description: Applies the primary responsibilities of a sterile processing technician with supervised training in a clinical setting. Emphasizing preparation, distribution and storage of instruments, supplies and equipment; quality assurance; and inventory management. Students minimize contagions and maintain healthy hospitals, while enforcing decontamination standards in a variety of clinical settings. Class Schedule: Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 |
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The goal of the Harper College Sterile Processing program is to prepare competent entry-level sterile processing technicians, employing trained faculty, and state-of-the-art classrooms, equipment, and learning laboratories. Sterile Processing students will achieve program expectations through educational activities in the cognitive, psycho motor and affective learning domains. The Sterile Processing program at Harper College will produce individuals who meet the needs of employers, while ensuring safety of the public through competent practice. Upon program completion, students will assume employment as skilled and conscientious health professionals providing quality patient care in conjunction with other members of the health care team.
All health requirements will be upload to the complio website: harpercollegecompliance.com
For more information about this program, contact Admission Outreach at 847.925.6700, or submit a request information form.