Sterilization Station: A Sterile Processing Empowerment Podcast

Still Got That Fire? | Here's How to Keep Your Passion Burning In Sterile Processing

• Bill Rishell

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Rekindling your fire for sterile processing might be exactly what you need right now. Bill Rishell delivers a passionate reminder of why your role matters so deeply in healthcare, breaking down five compelling reasons every sterile processing technician should maintain their enthusiasm and dedication.

At the heart of this message is patient safety. "You're the backbone of patient safety," Bill emphasizes, reminding us that every instrument we meticulously clean, inspect, and sterilize directly prevents infections and ensures successful surgeries. As he powerfully states, "Nothing can happen without sterile processing. Instruments start in sterile processing and instruments will finish in sterile processing." This fundamental understanding that we truly are "the heart of the hospital" pumping vital supplies throughout every department should be a source of immense pride.

Beyond simply understanding our importance, Bill explores the growth potential within this field. From certified technician to endoscope specialist, from OR liaison to department director - sterile processing offers genuine career advancement for those willing to embrace continuous learning. As he puts it, "Are you a button pusher or are you a sterile processing extraordinaire?" This mindset shift from viewing your work as mere tasks to recognizing yourself as a "sterile processing scientist" unlocks new levels of engagement and professional satisfaction.

Perhaps most valuably, Bill addresses the toxicity that can plague any workplace and offers practical wisdom for combating negativity. Rather than joining breakroom complaints, he challenges us to be "destroyers of toxicity" who redirect conversations positively or address issues directly. This conversation perfectly balances celebration of our essential role with practical advice for thriving within it. Whether you're new to sterile processing or a seasoned veteran, this episode will reignite your passion and remind you why you chose this vital healthcare career.

Ready to transform your perspective on sterile processing? Share this episode with a colleague who needs this message and join the conversation about how we can all contribute to more positive, passionate sterile processing departments nationwide.

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Speaker 0:

this is bill rochelle at the sterilization station. Just wanted to hop on here real quick just to continue the conversation about passion and fire in sterile processing. Are you on fire? Make sure your passion is there. Your passion must be present. Remember your passion is contagious. It is energy that can add value to the synergy in your department. Let's remember these five reasons to stay passionate about being a sterile processing technician.

Speaker 0:

Number one remember you're the backbone of patient safety, right? Every instrument you sterilize plays a vital role in preventing infections and ensuring successful surgeries. So remember that you are the backbone, right? Nothing can happen without sterile processing. Instruments start in sterile processing instruments will finish in sterile processing. So just remember you have a vital role in the healthcare industry. We supply all of the equipment needed in all departments, right? Whether it's disposables coming through materials management or sterile processing, or if it's instrumentation and surgery or ICU. Or if it's instrumentation and surgery or ICU, emergency room, right. Coronary care unit, intensive care unit, family practice, ahc, med right. Even employees get injured and they need instruments to have procedures done in wound care. Where are they going? They're going to go get those materials from sterile processing. So remember you're that backbone of patient safety.

Speaker 0:

When I first got into sterile processing, there was a picture in a frame of a heart and it said sterile processing is the heart of the hospital. We pump all the supplies, all the blood through the hospital and that's why we are so important. Never forget it. You are important and if you forgot or if you didn't know, bill's reminding you today at the sterilization station that this is your time to wake up and remember your passion and your why. Number two your work has a direct impact. Behind every successful procedure, everything we do is a meticulous detail, attention to detail, making you an essential part of the health care team. Remember what you do has a direct impact. You know I always like to tell this story about. You know, a hypothetical situation.

Speaker 0:

I'm a coffee drinker. I love good coffee, single origin, all small mom and pop spots. I love coffee. Ask my wife. I'm on a mailer program. I get coffee all the time and, by the way, just in case you wanted to know, pro tip, some of the best coffee you can get comes from Kona, the big island, not the general stores, not the. What do you call it? You're getting a souvenir. I'm talking about going to those farms. The smaller the farm, the better the quality of the coffee. Just a little pro tip there.

Speaker 0:

But listen, when I'm in the hospital and I go to get a cup of coffee, you know, sometimes I'm getting coffee and I'm in line in the cafeteria or I'm in line if they have a coffee shop in the hospital. I'm in line next to a mother, a father, an uncle, a niece, a grandson, and they don't even know that the person who did the trays that's going to save or preserve or improve the quality of life of their family member was made by me. I put that tray up, I made sure those scissors were functioning properly. I made sure that powered instrument was functioning properly. I made sure that the instrument was in tip-top, a-plus shape. So remember, what you do has a vital. You have a direct impact and it's vital on patient successful outcomes. Please never forget that. Remember. That's one of your reasons why you signed up.

Speaker 0:

Number three reason to stay passionate about being in sterile processing is there is opportunities for growth. Yes, there are opportunities for growth, as I've said before. Growth, yes, there are opportunities for growth. As I've said before, sterile processing is not just a job, right, it's not just a task. It's a career path. It's really about how do you think it right? I've met some people that are amazing, people that are knowledgeable. They don't just understand how to push the button. Are you a button pusher or are you a sterile processing extraordinaire, as Francis would say, sterile processing director? I had one time he used to say we're sterile processing scientists. What Scientists create, scientists generate, scientists invent. And aren't you creating a sterile tray? Aren't you generating sterility through your process? So remember you are somebody and remember there's great opportunities for growth.

Speaker 0:

You can come in and be a technician, whether you have your CRCST right. Maybe you're processing flexible scopes and you want to get certified as a certified endoscoper processor your CER. Maybe you want to be a certified instrument specialist. They have OR liaisons or sterile processing liaisons, which is a great value add in the department. A supervisor, an educator, a lead tech, a director there's so much you can do. An instructor, maybe your passion is students, maybe your passion is helping people. Remember there's so much room for growth and remember to make sure your mind is growing. Your mind is a garden. Make sure you're growing through what you're going through. Grow through bad leadership, grow through needing a better educational program right, and are you thinking right? Do you have the right thought processes? Are you thinking positively about the issues in your department?

Speaker 0:

Anybody can complain, anybody can jump on the bandwagon, anybody can be negative, but it takes a real man, it takes a real woman, it takes a real person, right, whatever you classify yourself as, it takes a real person to grab their thoughts and ask the question is this adding value? You know I talk a lot about toxicity on my podcast because I hate toxicity with a passion. I hate it with a passion. But you know so many people will say this place is toxic. But you're talking about stuff. You're adding to the toxicity. Remember, toxicity is in you. The potential for toxicity is in you. It's how you think, it's how you express your emotions, it's how you join yourself to conversations.

Speaker 0:

Remember, we're not trash cans and we're definitely not toilets, right, those are vessels that hold garbage or waste or dung. You don't want to be a vessel like that, right, you want to be something that holds value. You don't want to be a vessel like that. You want to be something that holds value, something that is in adding value in the department. So toxicity stops with you. Give an example man, the supervisor. They don't even know anything. Yeah, I can't stand them right. Just talking about the supervisor, right? What are you having for lunch today? I brought a tuna sandwich. What are you having for lunch today? I brought a chicken salad. What are you having for lunch today? I brought a tuna sandwich. What are you having for lunch today? I brought a chicken salad. What are you having for lunch today, supervisor, john, right, come on now. Let's be mature adults here, right?

Speaker 0:

This is what makes departments toxic is when you join yourself to the conversation and you know you don't think that way about John, but you'll be in the break room and you'll be like sipping your coffee and you'll be like you know, yeah, he's kind of like that Versus saying, like this toxicity of the destroyer of toxicity would say listen, I'm enjoying my break. I got 30 minutes and I got lunch a tuna sandwich. I'm not talking about John, right? This is how you crunch, destroy toxicity. Listen, if you got a problem with John, let's go talk to John right now. Me, you and John. Let's go talk to John right now. Me, you and John, right. Because if you're not willing to say it in front of them, always remember, if someone is going to talk, to talk about a person. That means they'll also even talk about you. That one was free. Y'all Definitely got an episode on toxicity destruction coming through.

Speaker 0:

Please stay tuned on the sterilization station so you can grow from a technician to a supervisor, educator, quality assurance specialist or your career path can be filled with advancement possibilities. Number four reasons why to stay passionate about being a sterile processing technician job stability and demand. With the growing need in healthcare, sterile processing is growing. Listen, I was reading an article that a good friend of mine brought to my attention. It was a really great article in the Wall Street Journal. It was super outstanding. It was a great article. Definitely we'll put it in the link below, but basically it was a great conversation that was had.

Speaker 0:

The topic, the title, is they Are Hot Upwardly Mobile Jobs. Here's why they Are so Hard to Fill, and it says some of the fastest growing careers lie in middle skill roles like sterilizing, surgical tools. It was a really a great article highlighting this as a Wall Street Journal. You can see it. You know people were talking about of the 6.2 million job openings in 2024, 72% of them were people who had less than a bachelor's degree. Right, it's amazing to hear some of these statistics that are on this episode, as they highlight a path in sterile processing and how it's definitely something that's on the rise, right, how the average training is about $1,500 and some scholarships can cover some of these. And it highlights a lady I think her name was. She was a 38-year-old lady and they were highlighting her journey into sterile processing and she knew nothing about it, but she was sharing her journey and it was really great to read this article. I think her name was Fatima and it was just excellent to hear about her journey, and so please check out this article in the Wall Street Journal Once again.

Speaker 0:

The title of the article is they Are Hot Upwardly Mobile Jobs. Here's why they Are Hard to Fill. It's under the career section. It's a really, really great article. I encourage everyone to read it. It's really, really great, and I believe that this was actually authored by Lauren Weber from the Wall Street Journal, so please check that out.

Speaker 0:

It was a really, really, really, really, really great, great article, and so I'm really glad to be touching upon these wonderful topics here that we're discussing here on Sterilization Station today, and we are talking about the five ways, the five reasons for you to you know, be excited about being a sterile processing technician right, and so it's really exciting. I'm definitely really excited about what we are discussing here today in the podcast, and so this has just been great. I'm so glad I'm able to have this conversation with you and I hope you're getting some value. Please let me know what you're thinking about this today Like, comment or subscribe. Like we said, job stability and demand with the growing need for healthcare services, sterile processing technicians are more in demand. Like I said, it's going up, it's rising and this is really important.

Speaker 0:

And number five, to finish up this short, quick, sweet to the point, value-added conversation personal fulfillment is number five reasons why you should be passionate in sterile processing. Personal fulfillment because you know that your expertise contributes to saving lives and brings a profound sense of satisfaction and purpose. These are the five reasons why you should stay passionate. You're the backbone in patient safety. Your hard work has a direct impact on patient safety, on patient outcomes. There's opportunities for growth. There's job stability and demand and personal fulfillment. Please like, comment or subscribe. Stay passionate, stay dedicated. Your role is indispensable and we will see you soon Once again. This is Bill Rochelle Sterilization Station. Make it a great day.