Oien Reed Becomes Certified Registered Central Service Technician
- July 29, 2013
Mary Oien Reed, registered nurse at Brookings Health System, recently earned her certification from the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Material Management as a Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST).
Oien Reed serves a dual capacity in Brookings Health System’s operating room as an OR nurse and a central service technician. Central service technicians ensure instrumentation and equipment used in medical and surgical procedures is properly cleaned, disinfected, inspected and sterilized prior to patient use. They are a critical component in delivering quality patient care, preventing infections, and ensuring each device functions well and is managed in a safe, consistent manner.
At Brookings Health System, central service technicians are responsible for cleaning and sterilizing instrumentation used throughout the hospital as well as Yorkshire Eye Clinic, White Medical Clinic, Arlington Medical Center and The Neighborhoods at Brookview skilled nursing home.
Her certification signals Oien Reed has the knowledge, skills and training to provide consistent, reliable and quality-focused service and that she is privy to the latest technology, industry standards and processing practices.
To earn her certification, Oien Reed was required to accumulate 400 hours of hands-on experience and pass the CRCST exam, which tested her proficiency in infection control and general central service knowledge.
Oien Reed holds a nursing degree from SDSU and has over 30 years of nursing experience, primarily in the operating room. She also is a certified operating room nurse (CNOR).
Brookings Health System’s surgical services offers a full range of inpatient, outpatient (same-day surgery), and emergency surgical treatments provided by skilled surgeons and professional support staff. To learn more about Brookings Health System’s surgical services, please visit www.brookingshealth.org/surgery.
About Brookings Health System
Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed The Neighborhoods at Brookview nursing home, and Brookhaven Estates apartments. It is a non-profit, city-owned facility that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, and extended care services. The emergency room is staffed 24 hours a day and provides around the clock medical-nursing care for patient needs ranging from minor injuries to life threatening crises. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.