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sterile processing jobs /sterile supply /SPD.worst jobs

Discussion in 'Employment and Students' started by batot, Apr 12, 2011.

  1. milquetoast

    milquetoast Senior Member

    There is a lot of hierarchy in healthcare. Turf wars and work culture can get particularly nasty, even between different doctors (primary care vs specialists). A lot of this stems from the competitive nature of getting into these programs, which results in sociopaths and Type A personalities getting in. Thankfully, a lot of these attitudes seem to be more prevalent in older employees, so maybe once that generation retires the atmosphere will be more positive (assuming that the current admission standards are doing a good job of filtering out the bad eggs).

    These days, when you train to be a healthcare professional, they'll lecture you on the importance of interprofessionalism but it feels like they're giving the lecture just to check it off a list of things to be "covered". We don't learn about the role of other healthcare disciplines which is fundamental in establishing respect/trust. A lot of fields aren't even discussed. They'll mention doctors, PTs, OTs, social workers, speech pathologists, pharmacists etc. but the care aid and cleaning staff (infection control anyone?) are seldom mentioned.

    If a doctor or nurse doesn't know what an SPD does, it makes it much more easier to treat them like crap, which often happens. Too often healthcare workers forget they are part of a team. We need to respect each other.
     
  2. Jet

    Jet Guest

    BRAVO! Well said Amy!
     
  3. AnonymousKitty

    AnonymousKitty New Member

    I work in the Vancouver Coastal Health authority and I can't say I've experienced the majority of what you've described. Your personal experience may only be from whatever hospital it was you worked at. Here its mostly foreigners and I don't see any descrimination based on race, especially not from managment, and certainly not from security since they get treated like lesser people by nurses especially.
    We have audits here for correct procedure and are encouraged to do things correctly even if it takes more time, so obviously you had bad managment. CSA standards should never be compromised.
    As for different races and cultures having cliques... Hello! look around you? it's like that everywhere. Why do you think they have whole communities of mostly one race or culture? there's "little china" theres a philipino community, there's east indian communities in Surrey. Similar people's have always stuck together... it's the same thing in Toronto and the surrounding suburbs, it has nothing to do with an spd department.
    And as for nurses treating other workers bad, well some are just like that, it happens to alot of people from time to time. But here at least I'm allowed to complain when if i'm treated with disrespect. Most people don't realize this but alot of nurses are yelled at and disrespected by the surgeon's. Then some nurses may take that out on somebody else.
     
  4. mission

    mission Full Member

    Work on the self esteem, happiness will come.
     
  5. Spencer

    Spencer Guest

    Anyone here knows if Sterile Supply Department is privatize or going to be? Thanks!
     
  6. newcomer

    newcomer Guest

    Hi guys,

    How difficult or easy is it to find this job in vancouver?
     
  7. Shells

    Shells Guest

    I work in this field in Victoria,it's easy to find work after you have the course as people leave or find other depts to work in because the working conditions are so bad,we can't keep staff.We are not treated well by other healthcare workers,as most don't know what we do. Our work is very complex doing everything that gets reproccesed in the entire hospital from surgical instrumentation for the O.R,Scopes in Endoscopy,Drug carts and Anastsia Machines in the OR theaters, Defibulator (Crash) Carts for the wards,picking requisions for surgical procedures ,sterilizing ,decontaminating,high level disinfecting.
    We are legally held accountable for maintaining Canadian Standards for sterility and must sign all our work.If we make a mistake (usually because we are pressured to work faster) we are repremanded.The work is very physically demanding and most of my co-workers and myself have suffered injuries or neck and back problems due to the heavy work.It is hard on the body,mind and spirit .Very stressful,nurses and surgeons are very demanding and demeaning to us. There are much better jobs for the measly 21.22 per hour we make,which will actually be less once the government has us paying for 25% of our benifits,which is what they are attempting to do with our contract negotations right now.I was hired in 1999 at a wage of 21.79 per hour,in 2003 that amount was reduced by 18% by this government.Now they are trying to attack our benifits,which is the only reason most of us stay.
     
  8. sly

    sly Guest

    hey just because people arnt doctors or nurses or went to school for decades doesnt make them pieces of crap. If these people were not here cleaning up the mess, hospitals wouldnt be operating. There are plenty people for example Real Estate Agents /brokers who only finished high shool and finished real estate programs to trade in real estate who are rich and making "doctor money' so to try to degrade people because they didnt go to med school are classless and you people shoulnt be in the service industry, maybe you should of went to law school insead. Many people go on after highschool to factories work hard, gain experience and excel to top management positions making 100k so explain that one. People need to stop being haters an appreciate hard workers in any working class as an honest days working people.
    I was considering taking the program to get certified for sterile supply procesing but maybe i'd rather go into real estate and whoop your ass's. i think with my good looks I would excel better then working with the haters.. the nurses etc in hospitals just another reason for them to talk their S**t .. i'd probably smack em anyway.
    quit being bitches and appreciate all working classes.. get real.
     
  9. milquetoast

    milquetoast Senior Member

    ^Did you quote the wrong person? I'm all for interprofessionalism and respect.
     
  10. Fritz

    Fritz Guest

    Im an SPD technician and till now im glad i took the course. I paid 4 grand for the course and never regret taking the risk since i paid off my debts and loans + more. This position is really challenging specially to LAZY people. I enjoy working in a fast phase environment mostly because the time go so fast. If you work hard you'd appreciate the outcome.

    about the racial issue... Im asian who works with different kinds races (caucasian, mexican, asian, sout africans, etc) ... and honestly we respect each other like brothers and sisters. It is how you present and express yourself to others. If you dont respect others why do they have to respect you?

    Doesnt matter if you are a doctor or a nurse or cashier or even a hotdog vendor, if you enjoy what your doing you will succeed.
     
    KatGar likes this.
  11. jayjayjay

    jayjayjay Guest

    Im planning to take the course but saw many bad reviews about it.Should i still take it?I wanna discuss further more about this job to you.
     
  12. Elle

    Elle Guest

    Hi all,
    I'm a nurse and my brother just graduated from his SPT course and will be starting his new job soon. I stumbled across this forum while googling the diff types of jobs avail for SPTs...

    I'm sorry to hear that so many people have had such poor experiences as a SPT. Giving my two cents about the hierarchy that exists in the health care field... It's unfortunate but it can exist in any work field I think. As a nurse, you can sometimes feel that from physicians, managers, and even other nurses. Sometimes I can feel it from HCAs who become defensive about the value of their work based on years and years of abuse. I can't comment on SPTs as I don't work closely with them as part of my job...

    All I know is, it's important to find a job placement where you feel respected (whether from your managers,coworkers or yourself) and a placement where there is zero tolerance for abusive behaviour if you brought this to light. Having said that, I know there are always going to be ignorant people who continue to look down on ppl who don't have formal education or those who earn less.

    To the person (I forget your username) who said that you should blame yourself that you didn't get a go to school, get a degree, make lots of money, etc: <--it's ppl like you who keep perpetuating the idea that ppl's worth are tied to things like prestige and money... But I don't blame you, I blame the beliefs, culture, and value system that you were raised in/grew up with.

    To be honest, I never knew what SPTs actually did until my brother started the program. And for all the times that a patient went under surgery... For all the times that I reached for a sterile container, and discarded boo hazardous materials... I'd like to thank all those ppl making it possible.

    And finally, I hope that my brother respects himself, his career path, and NEVER put up with those ppl/places who look down on him/his work.

    (Sorry for the long post, lol)
     
    milquetoast likes this.
  13. Iknow

    Iknow Guest

    You must have a bad experience with Bonnie because she is a kind SPD manager. Please don't speak badly about your fellow team member even though you don't get a long in some ways keep it to yourself. As to the most people on here, SPD like all jobs does come with the negatives and positive. It depends on how your attitude towards it. SPD is a great and important job in hospitals. Pay isn't as great as before due to cutbacks 7-8 years ago otherwise SPD would be in the $30/hr range. I recently finish and working at 2 sites with FHA and the staff at both sites are great. Workplace dramas are everywhere so learn to live with it and be positive about your work.
     
  14. fritz

    fritz Guest

    hey jayjayjay,

    sure just email me anytime!
     
  15. nsk

    nsk New Member

    I have done sterile processing course from vcc. I am looking a job in lower mainland areabut dont find any opening.Please suggest me where I can startwheather its a job or a volunteer work in this field.
     
  16. Abc

    Abc Guest

    The whole process is not just cleaning and disinfecting, disinfecting is in fact still part of the cleaning process. After the instruments are cleaned and go through a disinfected cycle they get assembled and then sterilized and after they are sterilized they get put on shelves ready to be used for the next surgeries. I have worked in 2 different hospitals across BC and while there may have been a bad apple or 2 there was, i feel, no discrimination. With a job that mostly consists of woman you will always get the drama that goes with it, but you do not have to be a part of it. The hospital i currently work at is much bigger than my previous in the okanagan and i believe you will find a bit more of that feeling of a bottom feeder in bigger hospitals, but that is just because you are not all connected in day to day. However in the hospital in the okanagan everybody was friendly to everybody, we were all equal and we all had our important jobs and we do, everybody plays a roll in the function of a hospital and without one of those jobs we could not function.
     
  17. mel

    mel Guest

    has anyone here become a surgical tech from being sterile tech first?
     
  18. kinda

    kinda Junior Member

    If you wanna experience worst sort of racism as a nonwhite, Sterile Processing is the best option. It makes a great melange of the highly competent nonwhite immigrants and lazy white women with no academic background.
    The tragedy of non whites makes the shakespearean tragedians to feel fortunate.
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2014
  19. Sisig

    Sisig Guest

    Are there a lot of Filipino people?
     
  20. kinda

    kinda Junior Member

    yes
     

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