Medical Equipment Preparers Occupation Detailed Description

Medical Equipment Preparers career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Medical Equipment Preparers

The main tasks and work activities of Medical Equipment Preparers are to prepare medical instruments or equipment for use, clean medical equipment, maintain medical equipment or instruments, operate medical equipment. In general, for the Medical Equipment Preparers, critical Thinking, monitoring, quality Control Analysis, active Listening and other 9 skills are required.
Medical Equipment Preparers Job Description
EducationThese occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related ExperienceSome previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
ExampleThese occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Medical Equipment Preparers jobs. 43.76% of Medical Equipment Preparers have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 31.22% of Medical Equipment Preparers have Post-Secondary Certificate.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
43.76%
Post-Secondary Certificate
31.22%
Some College Courses
4.42%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
3.52%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
17.08%

Tasks and Work Activities of Medical Equipment Preparers

  • Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed.
  • Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization.
  • Operate and maintain steam autoclaves, keeping records of loads completed, items in loads, and maintenance procedures performed.
  • Record sterilizer test results.
  • Disinfect and sterilize equipment, such as respirators, hospital beds, or oxygen or dialysis equipment, using sterilizers, aerators, or washers.
  • Start equipment and observe gauges and equipment operation to detect malfunctions and to ensure equipment is operating to prescribed standards.
  • Examine equipment to detect leaks, worn or loose parts, or other indications of disrepair.
  • Report defective equipment to appropriate supervisors or staff.
  • Check sterile supplies to ensure that they are not outdated.
  • Attend hospital in-service programs related to areas of work specialization.
  • Purge wastes from equipment by connecting equipment to water sources and flushing water through systems.
  • Deliver equipment to specified hospital locations or to patients' residences.
  • Assist hospital staff with patient care duties, such as providing transportation or setting up traction.
  • Install and set up medical equipment, using hand tools.
  • Stock crash carts or other medical supplies.
  • Maintain records of inventory or equipment usage and order medical instruments or supplies when inventory is low.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsUsing relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Documenting/Recording InformationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Processing InformationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialInspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Handling and Moving ObjectsUsing hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Prepare medical instruments or equipment for use.
  • Clean medical equipment.
  • Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
  • Operate medical equipment.
  • Record vital statistics or other health information.
  • Monitor medical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
  • Inventory medical supplies or equipment.
  • Attend educational events to update medical knowledge.
  • Stock medical or patient care supplies.

Skills and Abilities for Medical Equipment Preparers

  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Quality Control AnalysisConducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Operation MonitoringWatching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • TroubleshootingDetermining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Finger DexterityThe ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Manual DexterityThe ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Arm-Hand SteadinessThe ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Perceptual SpeedThe ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Trunk StrengthThe ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Static StrengthThe ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Multilimb CoordinationThe ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Control PrecisionThe ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • VisualizationThe ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Chemical or gas sterilizerse.g. Aerators
  • Heating or drying equipment or accessoriese.g. Automatic dryers
  • Bar code reader equipmente.g. Bar code scanners
  • Sterilization test packs and accessoriese.g. Bowie Dick test packs
  • Sterilization indicator stripse.g. Chemical sterilization indicators
  • Sterilization cleaning brushese.g. Cleaning or sterilizing scrubbing brushes
  • Powered instrument cleaning devices or accessoriese.g. Computerized scope washers
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Bar code reader equipmente.g. Equipment bar code readers
  • Chemical or gas sterilizerse.g. Ethylene oxide gas sterilizers
  • Chemical or gas sterilizerse.g. Gas sterilizers
  • Sterilization heat sealerse.g. Heat-sealer machines
  • Dry heat or hot air sterilizerse.g. Hot air sterilizers
  • Laboratory flaskse.g. Laboratory glass flasks
  • Medical exam or non surgical procedure glovese.g. Medical examination protective gloves
  • Chemical or gas sterilizerse.g. Ozone sterilizers
  • Protective glovese.g. Padded gloves
  • Chemical or gas sterilizerse.g. Paracetic acid sterilizers
  • Chemical or gas sterilizerse.g. Plasma gas sterilizers
  • Pressure regulatore.g. Pressure regulation monitors
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • BiologyKnowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Production and ProcessingKnowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Public Safety and SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.