Need Help?
Need research help and not sure where to turn? Get help from the library via email, chat, and online appointments or stop by one of our reference desks during open hours of operation.
Want to contact your Nursing & Health Sciences Librarian or set up a virtual or F2F appointment with her? Email Debra Smith: smithkak@cod.edu
Using Websites
ANYONE can put information on the Internet. As a health care provider, you must carefully select and evaluate medical/health information before using it to treat patients or letting it influence how you perform your duties.
Use the evaluating sources section of this guide to help you determine the credibility of Web sites. A great final test is to ask yourself, "Would I want myself or someone that I care deeply about to be treated based on this information?" If the answer is "no," don't include such non-credible information in your academic projects either!
Central Sterile Processing Career/Job Descriptions
- What Does a Sterile Processing Technician Do?an article from Learn.org
- Career Coach: Medical Equipment PreparersLearn about local in-demand careers and education based on your interests
- COD Library's Career & College Information Collection (CCIC)Located on the 2nd floor of the Library (3rd floor of the SRC building), CCIC provides online and print information on educational opportunities, occupational choices and job-seeking skills. This multimedia collection can assist you in planning for your educational, career and employment goals. Resources cover writing resumes & cover letters, preparing for certification exams, preparing for job interviews, and occupational information (salaries/wages and job outlook)
Central Sterile Processing Associations & Organizations
- C.S.P.D.T. certification examThe C.S.P.D.T. certification exam is the introductory certification for Sterile Processing staff. Completion of the exam indicates that a technician is competent to perform the role of a Sterile Processing Technician.
- Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA)IAHCSMM offers professional certification programs that are recognized throughout the healthcare industry for their quality and comprehensiveness.
- Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST)The CRCST certification program is designed to recognize entry-level and existing technicians who have demonstrated the experience, knowledge and skills necessary to provide competent services as an SP technician. CRCSTs are integral members of the healthcare team who are responsible for decontaminating, inspecting, assembling, disassembling, packaging and sterilizing reusable surgical instruments or devices in a healthcare facility.
More Central Sterile Processing Websites
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Provides users with health information on: data and statistics; diseases and conditions; emergencies and disasters; environmental health; injury, violence and safety; life stages and populations; travelers' health; workplace safety and health. This site contains information appropriate for adults, teens and kids
- ECRI Guidelines TrustProvided by ECRI Institute (the organization that supported the discontinued National Guideline ClearinghouseTM (NGC)), this repository provides physicians, nurses, other clinical specialties, and members of the healthcare community with up-to-date, clinical practices and guidelines to advance safe and effective patient care. The repository includes evidence-based guidance developed by nationally- and internationally-recognized medical organizations and medical specialty societies. [FREE registration is required to access the database]
- Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission accredits and certifies health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.
- Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)OSHA creates and enforces workplace safety standards.
General Medical Information Websites
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC.gov provides users with credible, reliable health information on topics such as: data and statistics; diseases and conditions; emergencies and disasters; environmental health; healthy living; injury, violence and safety; life stages and populations; travelers' health; workplace safety and health; and much more. This site contains information appropriate for adults, teens and kids
MEDLINEplus
Provides access to 900+ health topics, medical encyclopedias and dictionaries, and links to self-help groups, clinical trials, preformulated PubMed searches, lists of hospitals and physicians, health and information in Spanish and other languages. Includes listings of diseases & conditions by body system.
MedScape Reference
An online clinical reference providing in-depth drug & disease information and tools to support clinical decision making. Content is designed for practicing medical professionals and includes diagnostic medical images. Free Registration to MedScape is required. To quickly locate information on a disease or condition, try Googling the word emedicine and your disease/condition (i.e. emedicine pertussis). Once you access the article, login for full content.
Kidshealth
Created by The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, this site offers families accurate, up-to-date, easy-to-understand health information. It has separate content areas for kids, teens, and parents written in an age-specific style