SPU, LLC Blog
Insights for Sterile Processing Professionals
Tips, industry updates & career guidance from Sterile Processing University, LLC
✓From the team behind SPU, LLC
✓Practical Sterile Processing guidance
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Welcome to the Sterile Processing blog from SPU, LLC. This Sterile Processing blog covers the questions technicians and managers actually ask, from choosing a certification path to evaluating training programs before you enroll.
Each article on our Sterile Processing blog draws on real industry experience and references established standards like those from AAMI, so you can trust what you're reading. Whether you're new to the field or working toward your next certification, you'll find practical guidance here, not generic filler.
We add new posts regularly, covering career growth, certification comparisons, compliance updates, and the day-to-day realities of working in Sterile Processing. Check back often, or start with the articles below.
Latest articles
Podcast
Issues and Challenges in Sterile Processing: The Podcast Built for SPD Professionals
Eleven episodes of real conversation on staffing, operational risk, decon foundations, and the topics no policy manual covers. Free CEU credit accepted by CBSPD and HSPA.
Career
Is Sterile Processing University Legit? Here's What You Should Know Before You Enroll
A practical guide to evaluating any Sterile Processing training program, from instructor credentials to what happens after you buy.
Certification
CBSPD vs. HSPA: Which Sterile Processing Certification Should You Pursue?
A clear breakdown of what each certifying body offers and how to decide which path fits your career.
Career
Sterile Processing Technician Salary in 2026: What You Can Actually Expect to Earn
Real salary data by experience, location, and certification, plus what actually moves your pay.
Career
What Does a Sterile Processing Technician Do? A Real Look at the Role
A clear, honest breakdown of the job, the work environment, what makes someone good at it, and how to get started.
Standards
What Is AAMI and Why Does It Matter in Sterile Processing?
The standards framework behind every SPD policy, certification exam, and Joint Commission survey, explained clearly.
Career
Can You Get a Job in Sterile Processing Without Going to School?
What employers actually want, how certification works before you're hired, and the fastest path into the field.
Clinical
Flexible Endoscope Reprocessing: Why It's One of the Most Challenging Jobs in Healthcare
Why flexible endoscopes are the hardest medical devices to reprocess, and what proper training changes.
Comparison
Best Online Sterile Processing Programs: Where Does SPU, LLC Actually Fit?
An honest look at price, pacing, and what's included across online sterile processing programs, and where SPU, LLC lands in that comparison.
Career
How Long Sterile Processing Training Takes to Finish
There's no universal timeline. Here's how to figure out your own pace before you buy, based on your schedule, not a marketing promise.
Certification
Certificate vs. Certification: The Difference That Could Cost You a Job Interview
An honest, unbiased breakdown of what separates a training certificate from national certification, and why the wording matters on your resume.
Pricing
What's Actually Included in Your Sterile Processing Course Price?
A line-by-line breakdown of what your course price covers, and what it doesn't, so there are no surprises before you check out.
Certificate
Does Your Sterile Processing Certificate of Completion Expire?
The honest, accurate answer on whether your training certificate has a shelf life, and what actually does have a deadline instead.
Career
Thinking About Moving Into Management? Here's What the SPD Management Webinar Actually Covers
Leadership fundamentals for technicians considering the jump, taught before the promotion instead of learned live on the job.
Comparison
Do You Need the Sterile Processing Technician Course, or Can You Just Study the Textbook Yourself?
An honest breakdown of what the course adds beyond the textbook it's built from, so you know which fits you before you buy.
Pricing
Payment Plans vs. Pay-as-You-Go: What Sterile Processing Training Actually Costs You Month to Month
An honest breakdown of financed payment plans versus pay-as-you-go purchasing, and what SPU, LLC actually offers across every course.
Course Info
What Do the Course Modules Actually Look Like? A Real Walkthrough
Text, diagrams, and quizzes, not video. A real look at the course module format before you decide to buy.
Trust
We're Not a University. Here's Why We Kept the Name Anyway.
An honest, direct answer to a fair question about our name, and what you actually earn from a course here.
Career
10 Reasons to Become a Sterile Processing Technician
Ten real reasons worth weighing, grounded in how the profession actually works, not vague career-guide language.
Comparison
Dental vs. Ambulatory Surgery Course: What's Actually Different
The real distinction has nothing to do with course content. It comes down to where you actually work.
Career
How to Gain Hands-On Experience and Reinforce What You Learned
Real, practical ways to pair your coursework with hands-on exposure, and why the pairing matters.