Traveling Sterile Processor

 

Traveling Sterile Processing Technician

Hello current and future traveler/adventurists. There are millions of you out there who would like to travel much more and have more freedom to do the things that go with traveling. But, like most of you I was stuck dreaming about it for decades because I could not afford it and I only had two weeks’ vacation a year at a job that didn’t pay me enough to take far away vacations and afford costly adventures, like scuba diving, sky diving, and many other exciting adventures.

Then one day desperate for a job with benefits while making barely enough to pay my bills, I applied for a job at a hospital as a sterile processing technician (no experience or degree required). I had no idea what this job demanded (it is a lot). I got the job and was trained by great people in southern Illinois. But the pay was not very good. Then one day they hired an older lady who told us that we could make three to five times as much if we traveled. I though at that time that only nurses were afforded this opportunity. I got certified through HSPA (Healthcare Sterile Processing association) and set out with my dog (Leo) to Boston Massachusetts for my first thirteen-week contract.  It was an amazing experience for me! I left Southern Illinois and my garage apartment to an amazing place making three times the money I was making and working with and meeting all kinds of people from all over the world. That was March 2013.  I have been at it ever since.

Sterile Processing is not for everyone! I spend nearly a full shift on my feet and I am often gowned up in PPE (personal protective equipment), so it gets a bit hot and uncomfortable. But, while Sterile Processing Departments and the technicians that run them do not always get the recognition that other healthcare professionals get, there is not a hospital in the world that can run without a sterile processing unit. The SPD is in charge of cleaning, decontaminating processing and sterilizing surgical instruments that come from surgeries and clinics in the hospital. It is not for people who are weary at the site of blood, bone, and worst of all, sometimes poop.

But the demand for these technicians is off-the-chain!!! A sterile processing tech. can go work in any state and nearly every city, and town throughout the United States, including some overseas countries like Dubai and Saudi Arabia, there is even opportunity to do volunteer work on the hospital ship the Africa Mercy. Most U.S. contacts are thirteen weeks and in nearly every case there is opportunity to extend for more contracts. This is a fairly easy profession to get into and there is not an education requirement. The job does, however require the ability to constantly learn about now instruments and policies. But if you want to travel you get paid to do it and have free time to go visit other countries in between contracts, and most importantly the pay at the low end for travelers is never less than $1000 a week (net) to $3500 a week (net). This profession has added untold value and gratefulness to my life  😊