POSITION DESCRIPTION

POSITION SUMMARY: To participate in the sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization of equipment, instruments, handpieces, and supplies used by the faculty, staff, and students of the WVU School of Dentistry. Additionally, to participate in inventory maintenance and the distribution, and collection of equipment, instruments, handpieces, supplies, and dental materials.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, AND/OR LICENSURE:

1.

High school graduate or GED required

CORE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The statements described here are intended to describe the general nature of work being performed by people assigned to this position. They are not intended to be constructed as an all-inclusive list of all responsibilities and duties. Other duties may be assigned.

1.

Dispense disposable items, sterile instruments and handpieces, certain types of equipment, and dental materials for use in dental patient care to faculty, staff, and students. This duty includes assuring the correct completion, collection, and filling of requests.

2.

Dispense precious metals used in dental patient care to faculty, staff, and students by collecting requisitions, issuing gold, and recording all events associated with those transactions

3.

Collect returned instruments, cassettes, handpieces, equipment and various items which have been used in dental patient care by faculty, staff, and students

4.

Process handpieces by manually cleaning the exterior with isopropyl alcohol, oiling, drying, packaging, labeling, and autoclaving

5.

Process instruments and cassettes by loading, operating and unloading ultrasonic cleaning devices, washer/sterilizer, and washer/decontaminating equipment

6.

Clean and disinfect equipment and various items using chemical agents

7.

Inspect, prepare, wrap, and label both single instruments and sets of dental instruments

8.

Sterilize instruments, etc. by loading, operating and unloading fully programmable autoclaves and rapid air flow ovens

9.

Perform record keeping activities associated with sterilization including the tracking of all items sterilized, and all cycles run in each machine, each day the units are in operation

10.

Properly stores sterilized dental instruments, sterilized handpieces, and disinfected materials

11.

Process, incubate, and record results of biological indicators for autoclaves and ovens

12.

Participate in surface disinfection activities (cleaning and disinfecting using detergents and other chemical agents) in all work areas

13.

Participate in restocking activities in all work areas including the restocking of disposables, supplies, and materials dispensed to users and the restocking of cleaning and disinfecting agents, all items necessary for sterilization, and various items used internally, and simple record keeping surrounding these activities

14.

Maintains self-serve area in student clinic by cleaning and disinfecting using chemical agents, and restocking with supplies including chemical agents provided to students for operatory cleaning and disinfecting

15.

Participate in cleaning sterilization equipment using manufacturer recommended cleaning agents, and in simple equipment maintenance such as inspecting and cleaning drains

16.

Aid in long-term inventory maintenance activities. For example, may be asked to help in the monthly counting of handpieces

17.

Participate in training programs, including those concerning infection control, chemical hygiene and safety, equipment operation, inventory control, record keeping procedures, and other Central Processing functions

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1.

Moderate physical effort is required for this job When working in the “Decontamination” or “Pack and Prep” areas, the physical effort required may result in perspiration.

2.

The staff member will be standing for long periods (perhaps the entire day), every day.

3.

The person will be lifting and carrying lightweight * (up to 25 lbs.) objects, such as, sets of dental instruments and small handpieces approximately 45% of the time. Moderate lifting (25 – 50 lbs.) is occasionally required.

4.

Dental instrumentation is set-up in a cassette system. A single cassette can vary in weight from approximately 1/2 lbs. to 8.5 lbs.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1.

Automatic Washers have moving parts. Care must be taken when operating washers.

Heat sealers have a very strong electro-magnet that holds the bag against a heating element. Care must be taken that fingers or foreign objects are not placed between the heating element and the sealing arm. The inside of the rapid air flow ovens and autoclaves are very hot, even when at rest. There is the potential for burns.

2.

Some dental materials, as well as some cleaning and disinfecting agents can be harmful chemicals if handled improperly.

3.

The dental instruments, handpieces, equipment, etc. have been used in patient care. They are potentially contaminated with bodily fluids and infectious diseases.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

1.

Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing; ability to perform simple mathematical computations.

2.

Ability to learn dental instrumentation, equipment, materials, supplies, aseptic technique, sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization protocols and to interpret results of chemical and biological monitoring

3.

A basic knowledge of computers is necessary

Date Reviewed/Revised: September 2016