– Onboarding New Employees: Provide initial training to new hires on sterile processing protocols and procedures.

– Continuing Education: Conduct ongoing training sessions to ensure staff remain up-to-date with industry standards and practices.

– Cross-Training: Train surgical and nursing staff on sterile processing basics to improve interdisciplinary understanding and efficiency.

– Policy Development: Assist in creating or updating SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) to align with regulations.

– Survey Preparation: Help prepare for accreditation surveys by organizations such as The Joint Commission (TJC) or CMS.

– Audit Oversight: Perform internal audits to ensure adherence to infection control and sterilization standards.

– Workflow Optimization: Assess and refine SPD workflows to maximize efficiency and minimize errors.

– Instrument Tracking Implementation: Train staff on the use of tracking systems to enhance accountability.

– Lean Practices: Introduce lean methodologies to reduce waste and streamline sterile processing operations.

– Monitoring Sterility Assurance Levels: Validate the effectiveness of sterilization methods and equipment.

– Instrument Quality Checks: Oversee inspections of surgical instruments for functionality and cleanliness.

– Incident Investigation: Assist in identifying and addressing sterilization failures or breaches in protocol.

– Preventive Maintenance: Educate staff on routine maintenance of autoclaves, ultrasonic cleaners, and other sterilization equipment.

– Troubleshooting Guidance: Provide resources and training to handle minor equipment malfunctions.

Note: this is more applicable to surgery centers and other small facilities

– Best Practices Training: Teach proper cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization techniques for reusable devices.

– Standard Precautions: Reinforce the importance of universal precautions and personal protective equipment (PPE).

– Outbreak Response: Assist in managing infection risks by implementing corrective actions during outbreaks.

– Communication Bridge: Act as a liaison between the  administration, OR staff, and SPD team.

– Vendor Coordination: Oversee relationships with suppliers of instruments and sterilization equipment.

– Surgical Team Collaboration: Ensure proper communication of instrument tray needs and schedule changes.

– Training Logs: Maintain detailed records of all staff training sessions for compliance purposes.

– Sterilization Records: Ensure accurate logging of autoclave cycles, biological indicators, and chemical indicators.

– Incident Reports: Document issues such as missing or damaged instruments and sterilization failures.

– Error Prevention: Develop strategies to minimize risks like wrong-site surgery due to instrument errors.

– Emergency Protocols: Train staff to respond effectively to sterilization equipment failures or contamination events.

– Surgical Instrument Safety: Educate staff on the risks of improperly maintained instruments.

– Specialized Training Modules: Develop tailored training programs for the specific needs of the surgery center.

– Mentorship Program: Establish mentorship for less-experienced staff to build internal expertise.

– Competency Assessments: Create and administer practical tests to evaluate and validate staff skills.

– VR Training: Introduce virtual reality (VR) or other innovative training methods for sterile processing tasks.

– Automation: Encourage the adoption of automated systems for sterilization and inventory management.

– Digital Documentation: Transition the center to digital tools for tracking compliance and training.