Walters State Community College will offer a technical certificate in central processing for the first time fall semester. The Central Processing Technical Certificate trains students in the sterilization and maintenance of surgical tools. This program was created due to demand expressed by hospitals and other healthcare facilities in East Tennessee.
“This program was developed after the college learned of the need locally and throughout the region,” said Dr. Tony Miksa, president of Walters State. “With the skills learned through this technical certificate, our graduates will be directly involved in ensuring surgical tools are sterilized for each new patient.”
Graduates of the new program will work as central processing technicians, serving as the first line of defense against infection.
“Central processing technicians are key members of the surgical team and the hospital staff,” said Stephanie Austin, director and associate professor of Surgical Technology at Walters State. “The technology and science used to sterilize equipment has changed and improved so much over the past decade. Healthcare facilities now need central processing technicians who have these skills.”
The program is 24 credit hours and is designed to be completed in two semesters (one academic year) if a student is attending full time. Classes focus on surgical technology, surgical microbiology, central processing technology and medical terminology. The class also includes a lab and a practicum or internship. No prerequisites are required.
“Central processing technicians must know how to assemble, disassemble and inspect surgical instruments,” Austin said. “Technicians are also responsible for providing the sterile supplies needed for surgical cases as requested by medical doctors.”
Austin said many of the classes taken for the central processing certificate can be applied to the Associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology degree, allowing for students to further their education.
For more information, contact Austin at [email protected] or 865-286-2782. Fall semester at Walters State begins Aug. 26.
