Table 1Transition record

sterile services techniciantocytotechnologist

A sterile services technician already meets 32% of what the cytotechnologist role asks for. The move turns on 23 required skills not yet in the profile.

From sterile services technician

32%

Overlap1

To cytotechnologist

14 Skills carried over

23 Required, not held

77 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 77

This move: 77 of 100 · career change

1 Share of the cytotechnologist role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the sterile services technician 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 cytotechnologist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a sterile services technician 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 14 the cytotechnologist role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 41 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 information skills 5 required, 5 supplementary

required, not held perform gynecological examination required
required, not held recognize cytologic abnormalities required
required, not held assist in the production of laboratory documentation required
required, not held carry out flow cytometry required
required, not held conduct cancer screening tests required

optional, not held coordinate the procurement of organs for transplantation optional
optional, not held address side effects of menopause optional
optional, not held interpret urology diagnostic tests optional
optional, not held perform virological test optional
optional, not held conduct health related research optional

02 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 5 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held cytopathology required
required, not held biosafety in biomedical laboratory required
required, not held tissue cytogenetics required
required, not held chemistry required
required, not held clinical cytology required

optional, not held genomics optional
optional, not held biostatistics optional
optional, not held medical genetics optional

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 3 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held accept own accountability required
required, not held apply context specific clinical competences required
required, not held provide test results to medical staff required

optional, not held interact with healthcare users optional
optional, not held use foreign languages in patient care optional
optional, not held work in a multicultural environment in health care optional

04 assisting and caring 3 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held apply good clinical practices required
required, not held apply safety procedures in laboratory required
required, not held ensure public safety and security required

optional, not held deal with emergency care situations optional
optional, not held observe confidentiality optional

05 health and welfare 2 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held cervical screening required
required, not held fine-needle aspiration required

optional, not held transplantation optional
optional, not held urogynaecology optional
optional, not held urolithiasis in the urinary tract optional
optional, not held medical terminology optional

06 handling and moving 2 required

required, not held check the received biological samples required
required, not held label medical laboratory samples required

3 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a cytotechnologist 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 follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health 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 medical informatics knowledge
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

The 3 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required

required, not held examine cell specimens microscopically required
required, not held maintain medical laboratory equipment required

08 business, administration and law 1 required

required, not held health care legislation required

09 education 1 supplementary

optional, not held pedagogy optional

18 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held coordinate the procurement of organs for transplantation optional
optional, not held address side effects of menopause optional
optional, not held genomics optional
optional, not held interpret urology diagnostic tests optional
optional, not held perform virological test optional
optional, not held transplantation optional
optional, not held urogynaecology optional
optional, not held urolithiasis in the urinary tract optional
optional, not held biostatistics optional
optional, not held conduct health related research optional
optional, not held deal with emergency care situations optional
optional, not held interact with healthcare users optional
optional, not held medical genetics optional
optional, not held medical terminology optional
optional, not held observe confidentiality optional
optional, not held pedagogy optional
optional, not held use foreign languages in patient care optional
optional, not held work in a multicultural environment in health care optional

16 held skills the cytotechnologist role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role adhere to organisational guidelines skill
not needed by the target role communicate in foreign languages with health service providers skill
not needed by the target role dispose medical waste skill
not needed by the target role e-procurement knowledge
not needed by the target role follow written instructions skill
not needed by the target role handle chemical cleaning agents skill
not needed by the target role health care system knowledge
not needed by the target role maintain personal hygiene standards skill
not needed by the target role medical devices materials knowledge
not needed by the target role microbiology-bacteriology knowledge
not needed by the target role participate in medical inventory control skill
not needed by the target role repackage medical equipment after sterilisation skill
not needed by the target role select hazard control skill
not needed by the target role sterilise medical equipment skill
not needed by the target role surgical asepsis knowledge
not needed by the target role use technical equipment for sterilisation skill

16 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 cervical screening required
required, not held cytopathology required
required, not held biosafety in biomedical laboratory required
required, not held fine-needle aspiration required
required, not held tissue cytogenetics required
required, not held chemistry required
required, not held clinical cytology required
required, not held health care legislation required
optional, not held genomics optional
optional, not held transplantation optional
optional, not held urogynaecology optional
optional, not held urolithiasis in the urinary tract optional
optional, not held biostatistics optional
optional, not held medical genetics optional
optional, not held medical terminology optional
optional, not held pedagogy optional

Index

Other moves recorded from sterile services technician

Full index of moves from sterile services technician

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.