5 Proven Ways to Address Your Sterile Processing Staffing Shortage

Limited training programs, rising market demand, and high turnover rates are contributing to a national shortage of qualified sterile processing technicians (SPTs). In many settings, the specialized nature of the role and the level of responsibility involved can make recruitment and retention more complex.

Katharine Geiger, MSN, RN, CNOR, Clinical Director of Optimization and Integration for Penn Medicine's Interventional Support Center, has seen these challenges firsthand. She helps oversee the largest off-site sterile processing department (SPD) facility in the United States and has played a key role in reducing Penn Medicine's own SPT staffing shortages.

Geiger recently outlined five strategies her team used to strengthen sterile processing staffing across both off-site and on-site SPDs.

1. Create an Internal Pipeline for SPD Talent

Penn Medicine has invested in both internal and external initiatives to strengthen its pipeline of qualified SPTs. One cornerstone is its Earn-to-Learn Sterile Processing Technician Training Program, which pays selected employees while they complete required didactic education and hands-on training to become Certified Registered Central Service Technicians.

The health system has also expanded partnerships with local sterile processing training programs to increase externship opportunities. This approach, Geiger says, "allows our sterile processing leaders to observe potential candidates and gives students a chance to audition for future roles."

2. Use Simulation and Hands-On Training to Build Competence Fast

Simulation and hands-on practice allow sterile processing technicians to develop essential skills before stepping into formal roles. Training programs that include tasks such as decontaminating instrument sets, assembling and wrapping trays, and preparing items for sterilization help reinforce competence through repetition and real-world application.

Geiger has found that this approach supports a smoother transition into practice. Technicians arrive better prepared and more confident when they begin work.

3. Make Certification an Achievable Goal

In states where certification is required for sterile processing technicians, training programs play a critical role in helping candidates meet that standard. Clear expectations, structured education, and skills-based assessments can reduce barriers to certification and improve long-term success.

Through Penn Medicine's internal SPT training program, participants receive targeted education and mentorship designed to support exam readiness. "Throughout the program, students are tested on content and mentored to ensure they are comprehending, not just memorizing, the material," Geiger said.

The program's certification pass rate currently stands at 94 percent.

4. Boost Retention Through Career Advancement

Penn Medicine offers a structured career ladder for sterile processing technicians, ranging from SPT I to SPT III. Advancement is based on mastering all areas within sterile processing, taking on greater responsibilities such as precepting, and serving in lead roles within the department.

This pathway promotes skill development and opens the door to leadership and educator positions within sterile processing and healthcare administration across the health system.

"It helps employees envision a long-term career with us," Geiger said.

5. Use Data to Win Leadership Buy-In

Metrics are a critical component of any business case in healthcare to illustrate an issue or area of opportunity. To make the case for their SPT training program, Geiger and her team presented data on sterile processing staff turnover, vacancy rates, and annual spending on overtime, bonuses, and temporary staff across the health system.

"This evidence demonstrated the financial and operational impact of staffing shortages, which helped us secure leadership approval for the SPT training program," Geiger added.

Geiger will share more strategies to recruit and retain sterile processing staff at AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo, April 11–14, in New Orleans.