Certified Sterile Processing Technician
Posted Sep 22, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
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Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about a time you found a mistake made by someone on another shift. What did you do?
What they are checking: Whether they report and fix problems respectfully instead of ignoring them or blaming.
This is a 3pm to 11:30pm shift with rotating weekends. How do you stay accurate when the evening gets busy?
What they are checking: Whether they keep quality steady during the afternoon rush when the OR is finishing cases.
What would you do
You open a tray during assembly and find bioburden still on an instrument. What do you do?
What they are checking: Sending it back to decon instead of wiping it and moving on, since dried tissue blocks sterilization.
The OR calls and needs a tray urgently for a case that starts in 20 minutes. How do you handle the pressure?
What they are checking: Whether they refuse to cut corners on sterilization even when surgery is waiting.
About the work
Walk me through how an instrument tray moves from decontamination to the sterile storage shelf.
What they are checking: Whether they know every step, because skipping one puts a contaminated instrument on a patient.
How do you read biological and chemical indicators, and what do you do if a BI comes back positive?
What they are checking: Knowing that a failed load means recalling items and notifying people, not just running another cycle.
What is the difference between steam sterilization and low-temperature methods, and when would you use each?
What they are checking: Matching the method to the device, since the wrong one can damage instruments or leave them unsterile.
How do you build a surgical case cart, and how do you make sure nothing is missing?
What they are checking: Whether they check against the pick list carefully, since missing items delay surgery.
How do you keep sterilization records accurate, and why do they matter?
What they are checking: Understanding that records let the hospital trace any load back if a patient gets an infection.
What PPE do you wear in decontamination, and what do you do if you get stuck by a sharp?
What they are checking: Whether they protect themselves and follow exposure reporting rather than hiding an injury.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Silver Cross Hospital.