Is sterile processing considered a clinical experience?

[deleted947805]

I applied to volunteer at a nearby hospital and have been placed in sterile processing. I applied to have a patient care experience but I don’t know if I will get it. Should I forgot and volunteer at the local psychiatric hospital where I can actually interact with patients?

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[deleted936470]

Sterile processing has little to no patient contact. You learn how to wash and sanitize surgical equipment, hospital tools etc.
I’d be inclined to think that the psych hospital would be more rewarding.

 

[keolu hills]

I did volunteered at a psych hospital and worked at one. If you are going to choose psych, I would say work for one. You would get more interaction such as charting on them, checking on them, spending time with them and taking vitals, etc. If a patient is on a suicide max level, you would spend an entire shift with that one person, and of course you are given patient safety precautions to follow. Also an employee, you would get a lot of information during training about how to interact with patient's with certain types of diagnoses.

 

[LizzyM]

There are absolutely no patients in sterile processing. Therefore, it cannot be a clinical experience by my definition. Do psych. At least there you will see patients.

 

[deleted947805]

Thank you guys for the inputs.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

As someone who started out in sterile processing, I will tell you to do the psych gig.