The present study aimed to highlight the importance of nurse training to ensure the good performance of the team in the Central Supply and Sterilization Department (CSSD). A narrative theoretical review was conducted, with searches in the BVS (Virtual Health Library) and Scielo (Scientific Electronic Library Online) databases. In addition to articles published in the last ten years, current documents and publications from national health organizations that guide the procedures for sterilizing medical-hospital materials were also considered. The flow of health product processing was described; subsequently, the responsibilities and expected skills of the nurse in the department were specified; finally, important aspects of the professional nurse's training for the role in the CSSD were discussed. The consulted works confirmed the relevance of training and continuous education for nurses as a means of ensuring the effectiveness of health product processing and, consequently, patient safety.