STERILE PROCESSING
in 2021, job security dipped slightly, with 85% of respondents reporting they felt very or somewhat secure in their jobs in 2022, compared with 90% in 2021. Staffi ng shortages in healthcare because of the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted many healthcare facilities to hire travel professionals to fill temporary needs. Although the media spotlight has been largely focused on the nursing shortage, CS/SPD professionals too are in high demand and traveling has become a popu- lar and lucrative option. For example, a recent traveler job list-
ing on Sterile Processing Staffi ng, Interim Management & Consulting Firm Moab Healthcare’s website offered $2,200/week, 5 an hour overtime and benefi ts. “While in the past CS/SPD professionals
may have chosen not to travel because these posi- tions lacked insurance benefi ts, today there are now great packages that offer benefits or pay enough for the traveler to purchase their own insur-
“[There is a] rising need for traveling SP
techs who fi ll the staffi ng gaps in many SPDs. Although traveling SP techs are an excellent resource to help SPD productivity and ensure instrument sets are available for surgery, they are not permanent. SP directors and managers must be intentional and aggressive with recruiting and train- ing both experienced and inexperienced SP technicians. Hospital executives will also have to fi gure out how to compete fi nan- cially with the healthcare traveling compa- nies who recruit SP technicians.”
Ofoe Amevor
ance,” said Ofoe Amevor, CRCST, CIS, Sterile Processing Manger & Operations Leader , Six Sigma Black Belt, Traveling Consultant. “Hospitals must consider the consequences of the popularity in travel positions, including high turnover in their departments and the cost of training new staff members.” Monique Jelks, MSOL, BA, CRCST, Sterile Processing Area Director, Central Surgical Support Services, Indianapolis, and member of HSPA’s Board of Directors, agrees that travel positions are put- ting pressure on hospitals
Monique Jelks to compete for CS/SPD talent, stating:
SALARY BY TITLE CS/SPD Manager CS/SPD Supervisor
Lead CS/SPD Technician
CS/SPD Technician/Coordinator CS/SPD Director Educator
Surgical Instrument Technician
CMDRT - Cert Medical Device Reprocessing Tech OR Liaison
Signifi cant gender pay gap Again, this year, the survey found male CS/SPD professionals earning signifi- cantly more on average than their female counterparts. The average annual salary for males surveyed was $88,170, compared with $59,468 for females; a $28,702 pay gap. Two likely reasons for this discrepancy are the much higher percentage of female survey respondents, which was 72% of total respondents compared with males at 27% (1% of respondents chose not to disclose their gender), and a handful of male respondents who reported very high salaries this year.
The degree debate
As in past years, average annual salary increases with level of higher education attained.
Those with post-graduate degrees reported the highest pay ($103,384), fol- lowed by Bachelor’s degrees ($81,354), Associate degrees ($66,519) and high school diplomas ($56,310).
The CS/SPD profession has been mak-
ing strides in expanding higher educa- tion opportunities in some parts of the U.S., according to Lucas Bonner, a Sterile Processing Consulting Director based in Houston.
23% $86,756 19% $58,863 19% $41,176 17% $49,083 8% $139,867 6% $65,500 5% $55,055 2% $45,833 1% $52,500
High-School
“More hospitals are working with col- leges in their communities to develop sterile process- ing course curriculum that is relevant to their CS/SPD operations. I have seen this trend growing in Miami, Seattle and Dallas in par- ticular, with hospitals in
Lucas Bonner
those areas banning together to invest in higher education and offering student internships in their sterile processing departments.”
But education is also a hot button issue among CS/SPD leaders, and staff members without formal degrees who have worked many years in the fi eld earning extensive hands-on experience that cannot be gained in the classroom setting. Some in the fi eld report that they have seen seasoned CS/ SPD professionals being passed over for leadership positions in favor of individuals with college degrees but little experience in the fi eld. “I’ve seen cases where a hospital is hiring for a CS/SPD director or manager position and will choose an individual with a degree and only a couple of years’ experience over someone who has been working in the profession for years,” said Amevor. “How can someone in a leadership position teach technicians when they don’t understand the department or know how to do the job?”
Facility type, location matters The type of facility and its geographic region continues to play a central role in how CS/SPD team members are com- pensated. Once again, those working in integrated delivery networks (IDNs) report the highest average annual salary of $89,148, followed by those working in teaching hospitals with a reported average salary of $79,535. CS/SPD professionals working in standalone hospitals earn
FEMALE 34% $56,106
Associate's Degree(s) 23% $58,712 Bachelor's Degree(s) 11% $60,775 Post-Graduate Degree(s) 4% $89,357
MALE High-School 12% $56,904
Associate's Degree(s) 6% $98,650 Bachelor's Degree(s) 6% $124,400 Post-Graduate Degree(s) 3% $119,750
SALARY BY CERTIFICATION Already certifi ed
In the process of obtaining certifi cation 5% $60,277 Considering certifi cation Not certifi ed
91% $68,049 3% $51,500
1% $60,000
hpnonline.com • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • March 2022 39
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