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Medical Equipment Preparer

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All About Medical Equipment Preparers

Medical Equipment Preparer Job Description Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. May perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.

Daily Life Of a Medical Equipment Preparer

  • Disinfect and sterilize equipment such as respirators, hospital beds, or oxygen or dialysis equipment, using sterilizers, aerators, or washers.
  • Deliver equipment to specified hospital locations or to patients’ residences.
  • Maintain records of inventory or equipment usage and order medical instruments or supplies when inventory is low.
  • Report defective equipment to appropriate supervisors or staff.
  • Clean instruments to prepare them for sterilization.
  • Organize and assemble routine or specialty surgical instrument trays or other sterilized supplies, filling special requests as needed.

Skills Needed to be a Medical Equipment Preparer

When polled, Medical Equipment Preparers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

  • Central Sterile Technician
  • Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (SPD Tech)
  • Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (SPD Technician)
  • Sterilizer
  • Service Technician

Is There Going to be Demand for Medical Equipment Preparers?

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 54,200 jobs in the United States for Medical Equipment Preparer. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 11.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 6,000 new jobs for Medical Equipment Preparer by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 7,600 job openings in this field each year.

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The states with the most job growth for Medical Equipment Preparer are Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Illinois, or Oklahoma. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Medical Equipment Preparer Average Salary

The average yearly salary of a Medical Equipment Preparer ranges between $25,350 and $53,540.

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Medical Equipment Preparers who work in California, Alaska, or Nevada, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Medical Equipment Preparers in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $28,120
Alaska $46,320
Arizona $36,660
Arkansas $35,540
California $47,430
Colorado $41,600
Connecticut $40,270
Delaware $39,700
District of Columbia $42,830
Florida $32,650
Georgia $34,430
Hawaii $43,600
Idaho $33,410
Illinois $37,810
Indiana $34,930
Iowa $35,150
Kansas $34,440
Kentucky $34,400
Louisiana $31,710
Maine $34,380
Maryland $42,160
Massachusetts $46,570
Michigan $35,730
Minnesota $43,060
Mississippi $30,420
Missouri $32,320
Montana $31,510
Nebraska $35,460
Nevada $44,830
New Hampshire $37,380
New Jersey $39,420
New Mexico $36,210
New York $43,450
North Carolina $31,900
North Dakota $36,120
Ohio $35,710
Oklahoma $31,430
Oregon $40,740
Pennsylvania $34,790
Rhode Island $43,460
South Carolina $33,470
South Dakota $32,070
Tennessee $32,480
Texas $33,920
Utah $36,600
Vermont $35,380
Virginia $36,790
Washington $40,470
West Virginia $34,990
Wisconsin $35,240
Wyoming $38,890

What Tools do Medical Equipment Preparers Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Medical Equipment Preparers may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Email software
  • Word processing software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Database software
  • MEDITECH software
  • Inventory tracking software
  • Kronos Workforce Timekeeper
  • Pyxis MedStation software
  • Calendar software
  • McKesson ANSOS One-Staff

How to Become a Medical Equipment Preparer

What kind of Medical Equipment Preparer requirements are there?

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Medical Equipment Preparer?

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Medical Equipment Preparers Sector

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The table below shows the approximate number of Medical Equipment Preparers employed by various industries.

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Those interested in being a Medical Equipment Preparer may also be interested in:

Those who work as a Medical Equipment Preparer sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

Image Credit: Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla via U.S. Air Force photo

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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