How to Become a Sterile Processing Technician in Tennessee (Certification Programs & Salary Guide)

Most healthcare positions involve significant time, education, and cost.

However, one critical healthcare profession that incorporates emerging AI and automation technologies but only requires basic training and certification is a sterile processing technician.

Also referred to as central service technicians or central sterile processing technicians, these highly specialized individuals are vital to the healthcare industry.

Their daily duties revolve around maintaining and sterilizing equipment and distributing medical supplies to prevent infection.

Steps to Become a Sterile Processing Technician in Tennessee

Sterile processing technicians require hands-on experience and academic coursework through a vocational school or college.

The ability to work in Tennessee as a sterile processing technician involves a few basic steps:

• Apply for admission to a training program. A high school diploma or GED is needed. Most programs also perform background checks and validate immunization records.
• Complete a sterile processing technician training program.
• Gain knowledge by completing the necessary work experience hours. Some programs have internship requirements for graduation. The Tennessee Department of Health requires 400 hours of experience following the HSPA standards.
• Gain 400 hours of supervised, hands-on experience.
• Pass the CRCST at either the entry-level or advanced level, proctored by the Health Sterile Processors Association (HSPA), within three years of employment.
• Apply to the Tennessee Department of Health for a Sterile Processing Technician Certification.

Licensing Requirements to Become a Sterile Processing Technician in Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of Health does not require licensing for central sterile processing technicians, but there are certification requirements.

Tennessee-Specific Certification for Sterile Processing Technicians

Tennessee requires credentialing by either the HSPA or the CBSPD for all sterile processing technicians who work in the state.

The International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materials Management (IAHCSMM), now known as the HSPA, administers the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) exam.

Submission to sit for the exam requires the $140 cost of the exam, a completion certificate, and completion of 400 experience hours.

The Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD) also provides the necessary certification exam.

Application to take the exam must include proof of 12 months of employment or successful completion of a training program.

The cost is $128 for the initial sitting.

Sterile Processing Technician Programs in Tennessee

Nashville, known to the world as Music City, also boasts several of the state’s highly rated central sterile processing tech programs.

Nashville State Community College

The 109-acre campus of Nashville State Community College (NSCC) houses one of the area’s oldest public community colleges and offers both technical certificates and Associate of Applied Science degrees.

To enhance its professional development department, NSCC has also crafted a collaborative Central Processing Technology Certificate with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

For 12 weeks, NSCC instructors teach anatomy, instrumentation, and sterilization at the Whitebridge campus.

The clinical hands-on experience is completed at VUMC.

The entire program takes about a year to complete, attending on-campus classes eight hours daily, within a typical Monday through Friday format.

There are also a few general education classes that can be completed online.

The full program costs roughly $4,574, plus equipment and medical uniform costs.

Tuition may be offset by acceptance to VUMC’s learn-and-earn program, which pays for tuition.

This unique offering also provides an hourly stipend in exchange for a work commitment upon graduation.

This joint program qualifies graduates to sit for either the HSPA certification exam as a Central Registered Sterile Processing Technician (CRSPT) or the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD).

The Tennessee Department of Health accepts either certification for registration for employment.

Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT)

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology, also known as TCAT, offers a Central Sterile Processing Technology certificate at its Murfreesboro campus.

An eight-month program, training includes instrument decontamination and sterilization, as well as medical terminology.

Also included in the 864-hour schedule are 400 hours of hands-on or clinical experience.

Academic classes run from 7:45 AM to 2:30 PM – Monday through Friday.

Total program costs are roughly $3,040 for the tuition and $52 for the HESI exam.

Textbooks and equipment average $590.

Financial aid is available for military students and

Prospective students must be 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED.

Relatively new for admissions is the passage of the HESI for Allied Health Assessment, a standardized test that evaluates basic knowledge and predicts student success.

Drug screenings and criminal background checks are also given to new Allied Health students.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

The Vanderbilt University Medical Center is the teaching hospital associated with Vanderbilt University in the heart of Nashville.

Its unique Central Sterile Processing Technician Program is a collaboration between Nashville State Community College (NSCC), where students attend in-person classes that teach comprehensive core competencies, including human anatomy, microbiology, and sterilizing processes.

At VUMC, students put academics into practice under supervised conditions with clinical training.

The VUMC central sterile processing technician program is unique in Tennessee as it is a learn-and-earn program.

Upon acceptance, a student’s tuition, roughly $4600, is paid.

They are also given an hourly wage with the understanding that they will commit to a 1-year position with the Medical Center sterile processing division.

Applications for this portion of the program should be sent directly to VUMC, while academic applications should be made through the NSCC system.

University of Tennessee: Knoxville

The sterile processing technician program is housed in the university’s Center for Professional Education and Lifelong Learning and is considered entry-level academics.

It is a six-month self-directed online program that prepares students to work as sterile processing techs in multiple healthcare locations.

Application standards include a minimum age of 18 years and a high school diploma or GED.

The program provides foundational knowledge covering instrumentation, basic medical information overview, and approved infection control processes.

Students are provided with 24-hour learner and basic tech support.

The full program cost is roughly $1,700 and includes all textbooks, fees, and laptops.

Financial aid is not available for this program, but payment plans may be arranged.

Upon program completion, graduates are qualified to sit for the HSPA CRSPT certification exam, and volunteer opportunities provide valuable experience.

Salary

Encouragingly, $36,707 is the median annual salary in Tennessee for a beginning Sterile Processing Technician, slightly below the national average of $29,480.

The state’s salary range is from $29,200 to $49,630.

The lowest wages can be found in Chattanooga, while higher compensation packages are more common in Nashville.

An area’s living costs and type of position, such as working in a nursing home or for an independent service provider, can determine median wages.

Education and experience can also influence starting salaries, bonuses, and benefits.

Regional Salary