Sterile Processing Technology, Certificate

The following requirements must be completed in order to apply to the Sterile Processing Technician program:

1. Achieve college-ready scores in reading, writing, and basic arithmetic at least one week before the application deadline. Requests for testing accommodations must be made in advance, prior to testing, with the Disabilities Resource Center.
2. Arrange for official transcripts from high school and each post-secondary institution attended to be sent to the Office of Records at least one month prior to the program application due date.
3. Submit online application via your eSantaFe account by the posted application due date.

To help protect patients and students, upon acceptance to a Health Science Program, all students must undergo state and federal background checks and show proof of certain immunizations and negative drug screenings as required by clinical affiliates. Students will be provided instructions to complete these tasks at the appropriate time. For more information regarding the application process, please visit the "Before You Apply" webpage.

For more information on program specific expectations and to view the Allied Health Student Handbook, please visit the “Prospective and Current Students” webpage.

See Application Dates and Deadlines and closely review other requirements Before You Apply.

All tuition and fees are estimated costs and subject to change without notice.

Program Costs Breakdown

Tuition for 30 Credit Hours

• $3,203.10 Florida Residents
• $11,487.00 Non-Florida Residents

Lab Fees: $324.16

Additional Expenses

• $200.00 Uniforms
• $950.00 Books
• $900.00.00 Health Physical and Immunizations
• $40.00 Flu Vaccination
• $65.00 American Heart Association Basic Life Support/CPR
• $51.90 Expanded National Background Screening
• $68.00 Level 2 Background Screening Fingerprinting
• $135.00 Drug Screening Test
• $200.00 Miscellaneous Clinical Expenses: Parking
• $600.00 Laptop Computer w/Webcam


Program Cost Totals

• $6,737.16 Florida Residents
• $15,021.06 Non-Florida Residents

Scholarships

There are many scholarships available for Santa Fe College students to apply to. Please visit the Scholarships webpage for more information and how to apply.

Financial Aid

There are many options to finance your education. You may be eligible for Federal Grants, Work Study, State Grants, Federal Loans, and Institutional Scholarships. Please visit the Financial Aid page for more information and how to apply.

Selection criteria and points system is subject to change. It is the applicant's responsibility to check with the Health Sciences Advisement Office for up-to-date requirements and information.

All-College GPA (Maximum Points = 20)

• 3.75 – 4.00 (20 PTS)
• 3.50 – 3.74 (15 PTS)
• 3.25 – 3.49 (10 PTS)
• 3.00 – 3.24 (5 PTS)
• 2.75 – 2.99 (3 PTS)
• 2.50 – 2.74 (1 PT)

Grades in Coursework (Maximum Points = 40)

Letter grades will earn 10 (A), 8 (B+), 6 (B), 4 (C+), or 2 (C) points in the following courses. Points are awarded for 1st and 2nd attempts only.

• ENC1101 College Composition
• SPC2608 Public Speaking
• HUM2020 Intro to Humanities
• HSC2531 Medical Terminology

Military Service (5 PTS)

Five points will be awarded to US Armed Forces active duty and honorably discharged veterans. Includes recent Reservist and National Guard combat deployments. DD-214 or proof of current service required. Minimum of 1 year active duty service required. Part-time Reservist or National Guard service must be documented separately and equal 365 active duty days (i.e., weekend service, annual 2-week assignment and deployment). Service dates may be combined with proper documentation. Veterans who receive a general discharge must be classified without misconduct.

Goal 1: Students will be clinically competent

Student learning outcomes:

1. Students will inspect instruments effectively.
2. Students will demonstrate proper packaging of instrument trays.

Goal 2: Students will apply critical thinking skills.

Student learning outcomes:

1. Students will prepare instruments for non-routine procedures.

Goal 3: Students will exhibit professionalism.

Student learning outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate appropriate oral communication skills.

The Sterile Processing Technology program spans two semesters with courses meeting in a variety of formats to include: on-campus, online and virtually. In addition, students will conduct clinical internships at local hospitals.

The program requires students be available between 8am - 4:30pm Monday through Friday.

The program is a total of 30.0 credit hours.

The technical courses must be taken as a cohort in the order indicated below.

Term 1 (16.0 credit hours)

• STS1302 Intro to Perioperative Services (3.0 credit hours)
• HSC1434L Central Processing Technology Lab (3.0 credit hours)
• HSC1434 Central Processing Technology (4.0 credit hours)
• STS1301 Microbiology and Infection Control (3.0 credit hours)
• STS1000 Health Care Topics (3.0 credit hours)

Term 2 (14.0 credit hours)

• STS1300 Surgical Anatomy and Physiology (3.0 credit hours)
• STS1925C Endoscopy Basics (2.0 credit hours)
• STS2365 Professional Skills for the OR Team (3.0 credit hours)
• STS2947 Internship (6.0 credit hours)

The Sterile Processing Technology (SPT) program is a practice discipline with cognitive, sensory, affective and psychomotor performance requirements. Based on these requirements, the following list of Program Performance Standards has been developed. Each standard has an example of activities which a student will be required to perform, with or without an accommodation, while enrolled in the SPT program. The Program Performance Standards should be used as a guide to assist applicants in determining whether or not accommodations or modifications are necessary in order to meet program participation requirements. Applicants who identify potential difficulties with meeting the Program Performance Standards should communicate their concerns to the Academic Chair for Allied Health Programs. If the concern is related to a documented disability, applicants are responsible for contacting the Disabilities Resource Center. Determination of reasonable and appropriate accommodation will be made on an individual basis in consultation with the Disabilities Resource Center. Additionally, applicants should assess their aptitude and ability to perform professional duties by reviewing the Program Performance Standards below and discussing them with their healthcare provider.

Critical Thinking

Standard: Critical thinking sufficient for clinical judgment.
Example: Handle multiple priorities in stressful situations. Exercise independent judgment. Concentrate for prolonged periods of time.

Interpersonal

Standard: Interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with individuals from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds.
Example: Display patience, empathy and concern for others. Deal with fear, anger and hostility in a calm manner. Work with others in stressful situations.

Communication

Standard: Communication abilities sufficient for interaction with others in verbal and written form.
Example: Communicate needs in a prompt, clear and concise manner. Able to communicate the identity of items such as supplies, tools, or equipment. Accurately record/document pertinent information. Interact with general public, supply and equipment representatives, patients and health care providers in a professional manner.

Mobility

Standard: Physical abilities sufficient to safely and effectively perform skills required of a CSPT Technologist.
Example: Walk to and from departments. Maneuver nimbly in small spaces. Manipulate equipment, lift a minimum of 30lbs, exert a sustained force of 20lbs, push/pull mobile equipment weighing up to 300lbs; stand for prolonged periods of time Walk an equivalent of 5 miles per day. Must be able to reach 18" above head.

Tactile and Motor Skills

Standard: Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient to safely and effectively perform detail-oriented tasks. Must have good manual dexterity. Must possess tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment and handling of supplies and equipment.
Example: Ability to grasp, hold, grip, seize, turn or otherwise work with hands. Perceive attributes of an object via touch. Must have good hand-eye-coordination.

Hearing

Standard: Auditory ability sufficient to assess equipment and interact with medical personnel and public.
Example: Detect and evaluate the sounds of advanced surgical equipment such as gas, video and cardiac monitors, power driven tools, fire alarms, etc. Able to follow verbal instructions.

Visual

Standard: Visual ability sufficient to inspect fine details of equipment.
Example: Observe and monitor supplies and equipment; work in full and dimmed light. Possess vision near acuity of 20 inches or less with clarity. Distinguish depth, color and spatial attributes of objects or images.

Professional Appearance

As a representative of Santa Fe College and the Sterile Supply Program, students must abide by specific professional appearance guidelines required by our clinical affiliates. Hair must be maintained within the range of natural color and must be conservative in length and style. Clothing and footwear must comply with standards prescribed by the program. Facial hair should be kept neat and trimmed short.

Program Effectiveness captures the quality of a program using qualitative data such as program completion, national exam pass rates and job placement.

Class of 2024
6 students admitted
6 students graduated; 100% completion rate
6 students took exam
6 students passed exam; 100% pass rate

Class of 2023
21 students admitted
19 students graduated; 90% completion rate
19 students took exam
18 students passed exam; 95% pass rate

Class of 2022
7 Students admitted
4 Students graduated; 57% completion rate
4 Graduates took credentialing exam
2 Graduates passed credentialing exam: 50% pass rate

Class of 2021
8 Students admitted
4 Students graduated; 50% completion rate
4 Graduates took credentialing exam; 100% participation rate
4 Graduates passed credentialing exam; 100% pass rate

Class of 2020
No graduating class for 2020.

Class of 2019
7 Students admitted
7 Students graduated; 100% completion rate

Class of 2018
8 Students admitted
8 Students graduated; 100% completion rate

Disclosure

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is not the bill that you will receive from Santa Fe College. It is an estimate of what it costs the typical student to attend Santa Fe College for one academic year including tuition, books, course materials, living expenses, transportation, and miscellaneous personal expenses.

Tuition and fees in the cost of attendance below are calculated for credit hour programs, assuming enrollment in 12 credit hours in the Fall and Spring semesters. Actual tuition and fees may vary by program. For a better understanding of your chosen program’s tuition and fees, see program costs above.

Undergraduate Lower Division Courses (A.A./A.S. Degree Courses)

	Off-Campus*	Off-Campus with Parent**
Tuition and Fees In-State: $106.77 per credit Out-Of-State: $382.90 per credit	In-State: $2,563 Out-Of-State: $9,190	In-State: $2,563 Out-Of-State: $9,190
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment	$783	$783
Living Expenses (Food & Housing)	$10,367	$3,654
Miscellaneous Personal Expenses	$2,394	$2,394
Transportation	$1,197	$3,942
Total	In-State: $17,304 Out-Of-State: $23,931	In-State: $13,336 Out-Of-State: $19,963

Undergraduate Upper Division Courses (Bachelor's Degree Courses)

	Off-Campus*	Off-Campus with Parent**
Tuition and Fees In-State: $126.33 per credit Out-Of-State: $428.83 per credit	In-State: $3,032 Out-Of-State: $10,292	In-State: $3,032 Out-Of-State: $10,292
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment	$783	$783
Living Expenses (Food & Housing)	$10,367	$3,654
Miscellaneous Personal Expenses	$2,394	$2,394
Transportation	$1,197	$3,942
Total	In-State: $17,773 Out-Of-State: $25,033	In-State: $13,805 Out-Of-State: $21,065

*Off-Campus: you intend to live off-campus but not with your parent(s).

**Off-Campus with Parent: you intend to live with your parent(s) or other relatives.

Note: All costs and rates are subject to change for the upcoming year.

For more detailed information, visit SF's Cost of Attendance page.