Set your intention to help coworkers achieve and maintain CS certification status

by Cynthia Hubbard, RN, BS

Intention

Intention: a purpose or goal; aim (Collins English Dictionary-Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition 2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.)

Many of us feel a new energy and optimism this time of year. This is the second month of 2011. How’s it going for you so far? Last month I reminded us of the new opportunity and potential for change and growth always available if we are open to it. January is also typically a time of self-proclaimed resolutions for changing our behaviors, many of which are focused on self improvement. Typical resolutions include taking up a regular exercise program, stop smoking, and lose the extra 10 pounds we gained over the holidays. I wonder how many of these good intentions are still alive one month later.

One of my resolutions this year is to “live with intention.” This means having a purpose to my activities and life. Since we all spend much of our time at work, would it make sense to think about a purpose or goals for our work lives so that we can make 2011 one of our best years? What could it mean to us personally, and our CS coworkers, if we set some work goals together this year? And, if we did want to approach February by setting some goals, where would we start?

Why not start with an intention to further your education this year? It may be a formal or informal program, but we always benefit from opening our minds to something new. ANSI/AAMI ST79:2010 Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities establishes minimum education credentials for sterile processing supervisory and technical personnel. Section 4, Personnel considerations, states that supervisors must be prepared for this important responsibility by “education, training, and experience.” In addition to management skills, it is especially important for supervisors to understand these topics: “cleaning methods and products, containment of contaminated items, sterilization and disinfection methods, infection prevention and control, and standard/transmission-based (enhanced) precautions.”¹ If you are a sterile processing manager not currently certified contact either the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD) or the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM) for information and set your intention now to update your qualifications. You will find the challenge stimulating and your commitment will be an inspiration for the technical staff.

ANSI/AAMI ST79:2010 also recommends in Section 4 that “all personnel performing sterile processing activities be certified as a condition of employment. At a minimum, all such personnel should successfully complete a central service certification examination within two years of employment and should maintain that certification throughout their employment.” ¹ The following statements from ANSI/AAMI ST79:2010 explain the rationale for making this recommendation. “Advances in surgical and information technology, the emergence of new diseases and microorganisms, and the increased responsibility for all aspects of sterile processing have brought into focus how important it is for sterile processing personnel to be knowledgeable and competent. The protection of patients, employees, and other individuals in the hospital environment depends on the implementation of procedures designed to reduce the risk of exposure to potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Documentation of competence provides verification of qualifications and workplace training, as required by regulatory and accrediting agencies.” ¹ Although there are competent sterile processing personnel who are not certified, we must help each other to accomplish this goal to advance the professionalism of our specialty. Our team is strengthened by technicians who possess a common knowledge base and who can demonstrate on-going competency in sterile processing.

One way we can help each other maintain certification status this year is through an intentional use of inservice education. Regularly scheduled inservice education is a well-established and required activity for all sterile processing personnel. The basic goal is simple … to make decisions based upon current information. Inservice programs should include infection prevention concepts, general updates on how to do our work more efficiently, new products, changes in policy and procedures, safety and, of course, feedback on how successful we are in meeting our responsibilities to the patient.

Q. I am responsible for setting up inservices for our CS and, after awhile, I run out of ideas. How can I work with the concept of living with intention?

A. Everyone benefits from a personal mission statement of goals and values. Likewise, every CS needs a mission statement to help focus our department’s activities and aide in decision making when faced with uncertainty. Additionally, a mission statement can help us all engage with each other as healthy team members … not as a dysfunctional family. Our CS mission statement should define quality, our customers and desired outcomes of our work activities. Even if you have an existing mission statement, review it with everyone this month. I believe that the vast majority of CS personnel are here for more than a paycheck. We look for meaning in what we do and find satisfaction in our contribution to patient care. Many of us have had personal experience with being patients so we know first hand the importance of infection prevention. This month start the inservice by sharing ideas about your purpose and join together in crafting an intentional mission statement for your work life in 2011.

As you go through the year renew your intention by spending at least part of an inservice meeting every quarter reviewing the mission statement and work-life goals. This reinforces the importance of your efforts and helps identify and solve problems. Discuss sterile processing goals and progress in meeting them during the previous months. Explore additional measures (including further training) that may be needed to improve the outcomes and meet your goals.

Q. What is needed for the documentation of sterile processing educational activities?

A. All orientation, on-the-job, and inservice training should be documented and kept on file for later use. ANSI/AAMI ST79:2010 states, “There should be a training manual that documents all aspects of training related to the on-site approved protocols. This manual should include checklists to document that training was performed and when competency was achieved. This training manual may reference guidance documents and/or training modules, but it should be based on the facility’s policies and procedures, accepted standards of practice, and manufacturers’ recommendations. Documentation of training and continuing education is required by The Joint Commission (Joint Commission, 2009).” ¹

There should be a sign-in sheet for each inservice meeting to document attendance. To earn continuing education units it is helpful if the presenter prepares several questions in advance relating to the key points of the inservice material. At the end of the meeting each participant completes the questions and the correct answers are reviewed. Keep this documentation to apply for annual recertification. Write up a summary of the main points of the meeting for those who are unable to attend in person. Inservice meeting minutes can be placed in a loose-leaf binder kept in the department or on the facility’s shared computer drive where the file can be accessed by everyone in the future.

Q. What other resources are available to help plan inservice programs that reinforce our intention to help each other further our educational goals?

A. Your professional organization is a wonderful source of information about current topics and issues relating to achieving best practices in cleaning, disinfection and sterilization. Web site member chat forums provide a vehicle to ask colleagues across the country how they have solved a problem that you might be struggling with, and to share with others an approach that has been successful for you. Attending meetings of the local chapter or the annual meeting of sterile processing, nursing or infection prevention organizations will also expand your knowledge base and support network.

Since we live in an age of Web-based resources, visit the many sites available to access a wide variety of educational opportunities. You will find online resources from these government and professional organizations: AORN, APIC, CBSPD, CDC, FDA, IAHCSMM, OSHA, SGNA and others. Publications such as AORN Journal and HealthVIE.com also offer online article archives. There are many inservice-oriented materials that can be reproduced for group discussion and which are available with CEU’s.

And, for product information and related how-to topics, as well as other relevant educational programs, check the instrument and medical device manufacturer’s Web sites. The use of webinars has surpassed the face-to-face educational offerings of many companies and these programs are also archived on Web sites. Here are just a few manufacturers who provide quality online educational resources: 3M Healthcare, Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP); Case Medical; Ecolab; Getinge/Castle; Healthmark Industries; Health Stream/Education Design; Honeywell; Howmedica/Osteonics; Jarit Instruments; Kimberly Clark; Materials Management Microsystems; MediTech; Medcom Inc.; Olympus; Richard Wolf Medical; Sklar Instruments; Specialty Medical Systems; Spectrum Surgical; SPS Medical Products; Steril Med. Inc.; Steris Corporation; Synthes; Total Repair Express (TRE); and Total Scope Inc.

Q. How can we provide reinforcement for achieving CS goals throughout the year?

A. Just talking about the mission statement and our work-life intentions keeps awareness higher. Posting a dashboard that lists our goals, progress and accomplishments also keeps results in everyone’s mind. And, by adding ongoing stats showing the team’s monthly progress it reinforces that we all need to do our part to achieve our department’s goals. The fun part about meeting our work-life goals is that it is a cause for celebration; look for, and find, something to celebrate as often as possible.

Summary

Living with intention can be applied to the creation of your personal goals and extended to the sterile processing department’s mission statement and approach to inservice education this year. Set your intention to help coworkers achieve and maintain CS certification status. Your positive energy is needed and will greatly influence those around you to keep learning and growing. And, may you walk gently through your day and enjoy many moments of satisfaction in the contributions you make to safe patient care.

Reference

1.      Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities. ANSI/AAMI ST79:2010. Section 4 (Personnel considerations) p 31-32.

Cynthia Hubbard, RN, BS, is an independent nurse consultant and published author of articles related to best practices in sterile processing. Contact Ms. Hubbard at cynthiahubb@gmail.com.