Table 1Transition record

cytotechnologisttosterile services technician

A cytotechnologist already meets 53% of what the sterile services technician role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.

From cytotechnologist

53%

Overlap1

To sterile services technician

14 Skills carried over

9 Required, not held

49.6 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 49.6

This move: 49.6 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the sterile services technician role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the cytotechnologist profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 14 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A sterile services technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a cytotechnologist background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held microscopic techniques natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held operate microscope working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held infection control health and welfare
already held manage infection control in the facility assisting and caring
already held sterilization techniques health and welfare
already held professional documentation in health care health and welfare

All 14 carried skills, including the 12 the sterile services technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 16 missing skills fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 handling and moving 3 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held sterilise medical equipment required
required, not held participate in medical inventory control required
required, not held repackage medical equipment after sterilisation required

optional, not held dispose medical waste optional
optional, not held handle chemical cleaning agents optional

02 assisting and caring 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held adhere to organisational guidelines required

optional, not held select hazard control optional

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held follow written instructions required

optional, not held communicate in foreign languages with health service providers optional

04 health and welfare 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held surgical asepsis required

optional, not held medical devices materials optional

05 management skills 1 required

required, not held maintain personal hygiene standards required

06 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required

required, not held microbiology-bacteriology required

3 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a sterile services technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 14 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held communicate in healthcare skill
already held comply with legislation related to health care skill
already held comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice skill
already held follow clinical guidelines skill
already held hygiene in a health care setting knowledge
already held infection control knowledge
already held manage infection control in the facility skill
already held microscopic techniques knowledge
already held operate microscope skill
already held professional documentation in health care knowledge
already held sterilization techniques knowledge
already held work in multidisciplinary health teams skill
already held follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health skill
already held medical informatics knowledge

The 3 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required

required, not held use technical equipment for sterilisation required

08 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held e-procurement optional

09 services 1 supplementary

optional, not held health care system optional

7 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held e-procurement optional
optional, not held communicate in foreign languages with health service providers optional
optional, not held dispose medical waste optional
optional, not held handle chemical cleaning agents optional
optional, not held health care system optional
optional, not held medical devices materials optional
optional, not held select hazard control optional

41 held skills the sterile services technician role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role accept own accountability skill
not needed by the target role address side effects of menopause skill
not needed by the target role apply context specific clinical competences skill
not needed by the target role apply good clinical practices skill
not needed by the target role apply safety procedures in laboratory skill
not needed by the target role assist in the production of laboratory documentation skill
not needed by the target role biosafety in biomedical laboratory knowledge
not needed by the target role biostatistics knowledge
not needed by the target role carry out flow cytometry skill
not needed by the target role cervical screening knowledge
not needed by the target role check the received biological samples skill
not needed by the target role chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role clinical cytology knowledge
not needed by the target role conduct cancer screening tests skill
not needed by the target role conduct health related research skill
not needed by the target role coordinate the procurement of organs for transplantation skill
not needed by the target role cytopathology knowledge
not needed by the target role deal with emergency care situations skill
not needed by the target role ensure public safety and security skill
not needed by the target role examine cell specimens microscopically skill
not needed by the target role fine-needle aspiration knowledge
not needed by the target role genomics knowledge
not needed by the target role health care legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role interact with healthcare users skill
not needed by the target role interpret urology diagnostic tests skill
not needed by the target role label medical laboratory samples skill
not needed by the target role maintain medical laboratory equipment skill
not needed by the target role medical genetics knowledge
not needed by the target role medical terminology knowledge
not needed by the target role observe confidentiality skill
not needed by the target role pedagogy knowledge
not needed by the target role perform gynecological examination skill
not needed by the target role perform virological test skill
not needed by the target role provide test results to medical staff skill
not needed by the target role recognize cytologic abnormalities skill
not needed by the target role tissue cytogenetics knowledge
not needed by the target role transplantation knowledge
not needed by the target role urogynaecology knowledge
not needed by the target role urolithiasis in the urinary tract knowledge
not needed by the target role use foreign languages in patient care skill

1 further entry not listed here

5 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held microbiology-bacteriology required
required, not held surgical asepsis required
optional, not held e-procurement optional
optional, not held health care system optional
optional, not held medical devices materials optional

Index

Other moves recorded from cytotechnologist

Full index of moves from cytotechnologist

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.