Developing a central sterile surgical instrument technician program.

Many hospitals report high vacancy rates in their central sterile processing departments related to the lack of a workforce that is knowledgeable about instrument processing and medical terminology. Creating an education course that focused on the knowledge and skills necessary for success in this vocation provided a solution to this problem for one facility. Outcomes included a dramatic decrease in the number of vacancies in the central sterile processing department and an increase in community awareness of employment options available in perioperative services.