Sterile Processing 
Takeaways • Failure to understand the complexity of the work performed in the sterile processing department (SPD) can lead to staff shortages, errors, and significant financial loss. • Strategies for addressing SPD staffing include effective orientation, certification, competency assessment, analyzing staffing needs, and leader visibility. • SPD schedules should reflect…
From highlighting the need for better preoperative nasal decolonialization to touting the success of personalized pediatric behavioral health interventions, the posters on display at the 2023 OR Manager Conference highlighted the exceptional work of clinicians in 2023. Poster: “Use of Alcohol-Based Nasal Antiseptic in Reducing Surgical Site Infections in Patients…
The healthcare sector has begun grappling with a repeat challenge this fall and winter: the simultaneous surge of three significant respiratory diseases—flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19 among both children and adults. When these diseases collide, they constitute what experts have termed a “tripledemic,” which poses a significant strain…
Water is a major component of medical device processing. It is used in cleaning solutions, rinse water, and to generate steam for sterilization. Because of its crucial role in medical device processing, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) determined it was necessary to upgrade the Technical Information…
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of proper disinfection to manage and contain the spread of the disease. During the pandemic, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology played an important role in safeguarding public health and combatting COVID-19. Various uses of UV technology have become available on the market and can be…
Using sterile items in surgery is a fundamental practice, not a rudimentary one that can or should be taken for granted. Put simply, using unsterile items can result in a patient infection. If sterile storage conditions are not appropriate, the items can become contaminated. Such contamination may go undetected, rendering…
Infection preventionists (IPs) play a vital role in healthcare, especially in the sterile processing department (SPD), where preventing infection and cross-contamination is paramount. As infection prevention advocates, SPD personnel are responsible for ensuring that surgical instruments and other medical devices are properly sterilized and free of harmful microorganisms before use.…
Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are continuing to perform more and more surgical procedures. According to Fortune Business Insights, ASCs can expect to see even greater case volumes as the number of outpatient procedures is estimated to increase by 15% by 2028. With an increase in procedures, it is essential that…
Congratulations. You have worked hard to master your skills in the sterile processing department (SPD). You have prepared, been interviewed, and finally been promoted to a leadership position. Now, what? Yesterday you were working as a peer in your department, and now you are the leader. Are you prepared for…
Protecting patient safety in the OR is everyone’s business. No single group should shoulder the full responsibility for reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). In addition to infection preventionists, epidemiologists, and environmental services personnel, it is the duty of everyone involved in patient care to provide an optimal clean and aseptic surgical…
