The grand opening of the new Stafford Hospital Center in Stafford, Va. was held on Feb. 27, 2009. What a great feeling this accomplishment gave everyone involved, as it provided us with a brand-new sterile processing department (SPD).
New sterilizers, new tables, new instruments, and new cart washers, new everything ... but wait -- all of these new things are good but what if the “old” ways follow? What if the same old thought process of “this is the way it’s always been done” follows? No worries, it won’t. This is a new facility, and it gives us the chance to do it the right way from the very start. Typically, managers are hired after the facility has been set up, so how important and how amazing is this for me to have been involved in the process months before we opened. What a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this was for me to take my experience and apply it to setting up an SPD the correct way from scratch. No chasing tails here at Stafford!
Being in the mindset of “this is how we always do it” never works and will certainly not be practiced in the Stafford SPD. The goal that will be met and kept is to exceed all manufacturers’ recommendations as well as standards of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) from the very beginning. The relationship between the SPD, periop and all units will grow and flourish from the beginning. And because the SPD is considered to be perioperative services, this allows all teams to meet in the middle.
The new design is perfect. The SPD is across the hall from the operating room (OR), which makes it extremely convenient to communicate and to be visible to each other. Tours and in-services regarding each other’s departments have moved full-speed ahead. The doctors have walked through this fabulous SPD and they love it. It makes a significant difference having the SPD so close to the OR. Typically, the SPD is located in the basement next to the loading area. How can anyone have a relationship or meet the needs of perioperative services if they are in the basement? How can any type of relationship be formed? Having both areas side by side saves time and money and helps to eliminate confusion. Communications are improved and surgeons can get exactly what they need quickly.
When we talk about exceeding standards, what comes to mind? Patient safety of course, but what about flash sterilization? After all, aren’t we trying to stay away from it? What can we do to reduce and eventually eliminate the need to flash? Options are available; turning options into action plans and following through are the beginning steps.
Let’s discuss certain items that are flashed: forceps, needle holders, scissors and yes, sometimes full trays. What can be done to help eliminate this process? AORN states that flash sterilization should not be used because of a lack of instrumentation. Here are some things to consider:
