Career training · 100% online
Sterile Processing Technician Training
Every surgery depends on clean, sterile, ready-to-use instruments. Train online to become a sterile processing technician and prepare for the CRCST certification exam from the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA).
At a glance
Start anytime.
Format
100% online, self-paced
Course length
190 course hours, up to 12 months to finish
Prepares you for
Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) exam from HSPA
Exam voucher
Included
Course details from the provider’s listing. Check the course page for current price and requirements.
The work
Help keep every patient safe.
Sterile processing technicians, also called central service technicians, clean, inspect, assemble, sterilize, store, and deliver the instruments and supplies used in exams and surgeries. They work in hospitals, surgery centers, clinics, and other settings that use medical equipment.
With an instructor’s support, you’ll learn each step of the process, from decontamination to sterile storage, plus the medical terminology you’ll use every day. Already know medical terminology? You can test out of that section with a score of 80% or higher.
What you’ll learn
- Medical terminology for every major body system
- Infection control, standards, and regulations
- Decontamination, disinfection, and workplace safety
- Tray assembly, prep and pack, and sterilization methods
- Surgical instrument identification and case carts
- Sterile storage, inventory, and recordkeeping
What’s included
- A prepaid voucher for the CRCST exam
- HSPA’s Sterile Processing Technical Manual and Workbook (9th edition)
- A 10-piece surgical instrument kit for practice
- Help finding a clinical experience (placement isn’t guaranteed)
Instructors
Learn from experienced surgical technologists.
Janice “Jan” Brownlee
Jan has been a Certified Surgical Technologist for 43 years and has worked in hospitals of every size and in surgery centers, including in a sterile processing department. She teaches surgical technology and sterile processing at a community college.
Naydeen Pollak
Naydeen has been a Certified Surgical Technologist for 37 years in hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and clinics, where she also supported sterile processing. She teaches surgical technology at a university and sterile processing at a community college.
Gayduo “Gigi” Harris
Gigi has 6.5 years of experience as a surgical technologist. She teaches sterile processing and surgical technology full time at Saint Paul College and still works in the operating room.
Before you enroll
Questions, answered.
Do I need experience before I start?
No. To sit for the CRCST exam, you’ll need a high school diploma or equivalent, so it’s best to have one before you enroll.
How do I become CRCST certified?
After you finish the course, you’ll use your voucher to take the CRCST exam. You receive the voucher once you complete the course and your payment. HSPA also requires 400 hours of hands-on experience:
- Full certification: 400 hours in the five years before you apply
- Provisional certification: pass the exam first, then complete 400 hours within six months
What is the clinical experience?
It’s an optional chance to gain hands-on hours in a real sterile processing setting. To apply, you’ll need to finish the course and keep your account balance current. ed2go’s clinical experience team helps you look for a site, but placement isn’t guaranteed, and you’re responsible for meeting your clinical requirements.
Can I test out of medical terminology?
Yes. Two optional test-out exams let you skip that content with a score of 80% or higher. If a workforce program, such as WIOA, pays for your course, check with your funding representative first. Testing out without approval could affect your funding.
How long do I have to finish?
You have 12 months from the day you enroll. The course is self-paced, so you can finish sooner. Access usually starts within 24–48 business hours after you register.
Can I use financial aid?
Federal financial aid, such as FAFSA and Pell Grants, doesn’t cover this course. Payment plans, workforce funding, and military benefits may be options. See payment and funding options ↗.
What’s the job outlook?
See current pay and employment for medical equipment preparers, the category that includes sterile processing technicians, in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data ↗.
Offered with ed2go
You enroll, pay, and take the course on MVU’s career training site, which is run by our partner ed2go. Prices and enrollment details are listed there.
Get started
Three steps to begin.
02
Enroll online
Register when you’re ready. There’s no application and no semester to wait for.
03
Learn at your pace
Work through the lessons online, on your schedule, then use your voucher to take the CRCST exam.
Ready for your next move?
Start this course today, or compare it with other career training and skills courses.