No matter how long an infection preventionist has worked alongside a sterile processing department (SPD) manager, it pays to review the basics relating to best practices for the SPD to ensure compliance and to fight healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs).
In her presentation at the 2010 ICT Conference on Professional Development in February, Nancy Chobin, RN, AAS, ACSP, CSPDM, a sterile processing educator and consultant, emphasized the importance of the SPD as the guardian against the spread of infection via medical devices and equipment. And consultant Rose Seavey, RN, BS, MBA, CNOR, CRCST, CSPDT, during a talk at the 57th annual AORN Congress in March, noted that upholding patient safety is the No. 1 goal for the SPD.
The complexity of the SPD’s role has increased and evolved with the times, Chobin says, as well as the fact that medical device sophistication has dramatically increased over the past 20 years. With manufacturers’ instructions varying from device to device and numerous new disinfection and sterilization methodologies available today, the SPD is challenged to stay current. Chobin explains that SPD personnel must be knowledgeable in all aspects of the job with competencies verified, and that SPD staff members’ job descriptions must be upgraded to include qualifications that reflect these technology changes. Because of the complexity of technology and the seriousness of the role in the operative process, Seavey says that SPD personnel should become certified to help ensure competencies and to elevate the profession.
Seavey advises SPD personnel to keep on top of current standards from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and recommendations outlined in the disinfection and sterilization guideline from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One of the most critical documents with which SPD personnel must be familiar is AAMI Standard 79, which in 2006 combined five separate standards, and was amended in 2008 and 2009. ST79 is available at www.aami.org.
Chobin says that the main areas of impact in the SPD include: Transport of soiled devices; decontamination; preparation/assembly; sterilization; sterile storage; and transport of sterile product. Some basics to bear in mind:
